fbpx

Class of 2017

This year, the reintroduction partnership is using two release methods: Group One – Modified Costume-Rearing (CR) and Group Two – Parent-Rearing (PR). Group Three includes any wild-hatched Whooping Crane chicks that survived to fledge and migrate south.

The first group, consisting of seven young Whooping Cranes, was costumed-reared at White River Marsh in Green Lake County, Wisconsin, at the pen site that used to house the ultralight-guided cranes each year.

The intent of the modified costume rearing is to increase the amount of on-site learning for the cranes, or introducing them to their release area earlier. To that end, the group of seven arrived from the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland on June 21, 2017.

Group One – Costume-Reared (CR) Whooping Cranes

Group Two – Parent-Reared (PR) Whooping Cranes

19-17

Died May ’19

25-17

Died Jan ’19

26-17

Died Dec ’17

30-17

Died April ’18

36-17

Died Nov ’18

37-17

Died Nov. ’17

39-17

Died May ’19

72-17

Died Oct ’20

Group Three – Wild-Hatched Whooping Cranes

W7-17

Last seen March ’20

Crane #1-17

Whooping Crane juvenile
Photo taken June 19, 2017 by Dr. Glenn Olsen.

Sex: Male
Hatch Date: April 24, 2017

Personality and characteristics: Number 1-17 established himself quite early as the LEADER. A very dominant crane. He’ll take a jab at another bird for no reason just to assert his authority. He’ll also take jabs at costumes and puppets he is not familiar with.

Colleen says from a very early age, this young crane colt could spot a worm at 50 paces!

As he developed over the season Colleen described him as the one to always be most vigilant. Very aware and confident.

This Whooping crane came from the captive breeding stock at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, in Laurel, Maryland.

Fall 2017: In late November, the decision was made to separate/split up the cohort in hopes doing so would disrupt their social structure and encourage them to migrate south. Number 1-17, along with 2-17 and 8-17 were left at White River Marsh, while cranes 4-17 and 6-17 were moved southwest to an area along the Wisconsin River, which held thousands of Sandhill cranes. Additionally, cranes 3-17 and 7-17 were also relocated and two days later, these two flew south to Fulton County, Illinois, over 200 miles away!

Cranes 1-17, 2-17 and 8-17 were eventually captured and relocated to Goose Pond in Greene County, Indiana. Brooke and Colleen drove overnight so the cranes were not stressed terribly by the move. They were released at Goose pond and 30 minutes later the trio took flight and flew south to Talladega County, Alabama where they spent the winter.

Spring 2018: On March 31st, all three Whooping cranes began heading north. By the beginning of May it became apparent cranes 1-17, 2-17 and 8-17 were lost. These three cranes were transported last fall from Wisconsin to Greene County, Indiana and therefore, did not know the way back to Wisconsin.

The trio flew north to Sangamon County, Illinois where they stayed for several weeks before 1-17 and 2-17 headed northwest to Iowa where they remain.

Summer 2018: 1-17 and 2-17 spent most of their summer in Iowa, until August when they moved to northern Illinois. They associated with pair 10-15 and 4-13 in Winnebago County.

Fall 2018: 1-17 and 2-17 finally left Illinois at the end of November, after they were caught in a snowstorm! They arrived at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge on November 28, where they met up with 8-17 again! However, while 8-17 left for Tennessee in December, 1-17 and 2-17 remain in Alabama.

Spring 2019: 1-17 and 2-17 left Wheeler NWR on February 14 and headed to central Indiana. From there, they began a fantastic wandering trip that led them north and south through Indiana and Illinois many times. However, on March 14, they excited everyone by returning to Wisconsin for the first time since they were translocated to Indiana in 2017! They continued their wandering through Wisconsin, though scientists hope they will find a nice wetland to settle in for the summer! 

In mid-April, the duo separated, and 1-17 was next seen alone in Jackson County, Wisconsin. 

Fall 2019: 1-17 spent the summer wandering around Wisconsin, mostly in Columbia and Dane counties. He eventually started migrating south at the beginning of November and ended up in Morgan County, Alabama by mid-November. He spent the winter here with many other Whooping Cranes. 1-17 remained in Alabama until the end of January then slowly started moving northward into Indiana and Illinois.  

Spring 2020: 1-17 was first observed in Illinois in mid-March. By the end of March, he was in Wood County, Wisconsin, but then decided to return to Fulton County, Illinois where he was spotted with female W14-19. The two made a stop in Tazewell County, Illinois on their journey north. They eventually made it to Portage County, Wisconsin, at the end of May and have remained there.  

Fall 2020: 1-17 and W14-19 were seen briefly in mid-November at Wheeler NWR, Alabama. A few days later they surprisingly were seen at Goose Pond FWA, Indiana, where they have been associating with large groups of other young whooping cranes and breeding pairs. 

Spring 2021: 1-17 and W14-19 made their way from Greene County, Indiana, and up through Illinois in Lee and Ogle counties in early March. The pair split up and 1-17 stayed near Meadow Valley with W1-19. They did not nest together but appear to be paired up and we hope they nest next year!   

Fall 2021: W1-19 and 1-17 were last seen in Portage County, Wisconsin, on the 25th of October. They were next seen in Green County, Indiana, in late November. Recently they’ve been associating with a large group of whooping cranes in the area.  

Spring 2022: This spring 1-17 migrated up sometime in late March. He and W1-19 are still a pair and nested in Portage County, Wisconsin. These two have been wonderful parents and hatched W4-22 in mid-May! We are hopeful that W4-22 will survive until fledging! 

Fall 2022: 1-17 spent the rest of the summer on his territory with mate W1-19 and their fledged chick W4-22. In fall, they migrated to Greene County, Indiana, where they have been associating with a large group of Whooping Cranes. We’re glad to see this family group doing well!   

Spring 2023: W1-19 and 1-17 returned in March to their territory in Portage County, Wisconsin where they built a nest and hatched a chick. Unfortunately, the chick did not survive to fledging, but this pair is still going strong, and we wish them the best of luck on their fall migration.

A Whooping Crane pair and their chick.

1-17 and W1-19 are spotted with their chick. Beverly Paulan

Click here to jump to the top of this page.


Crane #2-17

Photo taken June 19, 2017 by Dr. Glenn Olsen

Sex: Female
Hatch Date: April 28, 2017

Personality and Characteristics: Number 2-17 has been the crybaby but she is smart enough to take breaks and go drink before remembering she was having a temper tantrum and gets back to it quickly. She peeps loudly. A lot.

She is a full sibling to male #3-17 and both came from the first ever wild hatched crane in the Eastern Migratory Population, female number W1-06. Dad is number 1-10 and their territory is at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Juneau County, WI.

As this female developed over the season she became independent, inquisitive and self assured. She did not mind being off alone.

Fall 2017: In late November, the decision was made to separate/split up the cohort in hopes doing so would disrupt their social structure and encourage them to migrate south. Number 1-17, along with 2-17 and 8-17 were left at White River Marsh, while cranes 4-17 and 6-17 were moved southwest to an area along the Wisconsin River, which held thousands of Sandhill cranes. Additionally, cranes 3-17 and 7-17 were also relocated and two days later, these two flew south to Fulton County, Illinois, over 200 miles away!

Cranes 1-17, 2-17 and 8-17 were eventually captured and relocated to Goose Pond in Greene County, Indiana. Brooke and Colleen drove overnight so the cranes were not stressed terribly by the move. They were released at Goose pond and 30 minutes later the trio took flight and flew south to Talladega County, Alabama where they spent the winter.

Spring 2018: On March 31st, all three Whooping cranes began heading north. By the beginning of May it became apparent cranes 1-17, 2-17 and 8-17 were lost. These three cranes were transported last fall from Wisconsin to Greene County, Indiana and therefore, did not know the way back to Wisconsin.

The trio flew north to Sangamon County, Illinois where they stayed for several weeks before 2-17 and 1-17 headed northwest to Iowa where they remain.

Summer 2018: 2-17 and 1-17 spent most of their summer in Iowa, until August when they moved to northern Illinois. They associated with pair 10-15 and 4-13 in Winnebago County.

Fall 2018: 2-17 and 1-17 finally left Illinois at the end of November, after they were caught in a snowstorm! They arrived at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge on November 28, where they met up with 8-17 again! However, while 8-17 left for Tennessee in December, 1-17 and 2-17 remain in Alabama.

Spring 2019: 2-17 and 1-17 left Wheeler NWR on February 14 and headed to central Indiana. From there, they began a fantastic wandering trip that led them north and south through Indiana and Illinois many times. However, on March 14, they excited everyone by returning to Wisconsin for the first time since they were translocated to Indiana in 2017! They continued their wandering through Wisconsin, though scientists hope they will find a nice wetland to settle in for the summer! 

In mid-April, the duo separated, and 2-17 was next seen associating with male W10-15 at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. 

Fall 2019: 2-17 spent the summer with W10-15 at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. By the beginning of November, 2-17 arrived at Goose Pond and spent the winter here with other whooping cranes.  

Spring 2020: 2-17 arrived back at Necedah by mid-April. She has been associating with male 16-04 since then. The two remain on 16-04’s territory.  

Fall 2020: 16-04 and 2-17 were loosely associating with W6-18 in fall and were all first seen at Goose Pond FWA, Indiana at the beginning of November. 16-04 and 2-17 left W6-18 and were seen in Lawernce County, Illinois for about a week and then came back to Goose Pond FWA. They have been seen there in a large group of young whooping cranes and breeding pairs. We hope they’ll nest together in spring! 

Spring 2021: This spring 2–17 and her new mate 16–04 migrated back to Necedah National Wildlife refuge from their wintering grounds in Indiana. In early April, the pair started nesting and had their first clutch of eggs together! Unfortunately, both birds were being harassed by black flies and abandoned their nest. Refuge staff were able to get to the abandoned nest quickly enough to salvage one of their two eggs. The chick from their egg will be hatched in captivity and eventually released back into the wild. 

Fall 2021: 16-04 and 2-17 left their territory at Necedah NWR and were spotted back on the wintering grounds in Knox County, Indiana on the 13th of November. This pair seems to be keeping to themselves this winter, either in Knox County, Indiana or in Lawrence County, Illinois. 

Spring 2022: 16-04 and 2-17 were seen back in Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in late March. The pair was seen incubating in late April, but unfortunately abandoned their nest, likely due to black flies. They have since been hanging around their territory in Necedah NWR. 

Fall 2022: 16-04 and 2-17 spent the rest of the summer together on their territory at Necedah NWR. They migrated during November to their usual wintering grounds in Lawrence County, IL. We hope they will hatch a chick next spring! 

Spring 2023: Migrating from Lawrence County in Illinois, 16-04 and 2-17 were seen at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in late April. The pair nested, however, they were unsuccessful in raising any chicks. The pair has since stayed in their territory, and we have hope for a successful nest next spring!

Click here to jump to the top of this page.


Crane #3-17

Photo taken June 19 by Dr. Glenn Olsen

Sex: Male
Hatch Date: April 29, 2017

Personality and Characteristics: LOVES the water! Sticks his head under for long periods of time, to explore and look for tasty treats. Loves to bath and splash in the water. Fearless and is loyal to the costume.

He is a full sibling to number 2-17 and is the complete opposite. He is confident and inquisitive, while she whines and peeps constantly.

He is very brave, aggressive – almost like a watch dog. He has attacked Doug Pellerin, who volunteers on Thursdays and also Taylor, one of the vet techs that assisted with the vaccinations along with Dr. Barry Hartup on July 10th.

Both came from the first ever wild hatched crane in the Eastern Migratory Population, female number W1-06. Dad is number 1-10 and their territory is at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Juneau County, WI.

As he grew over the summer Colleen described his as “in your face, confrontational quick to jump rake. Often on attack mode all of which was to disguise his wimpy streak. Wanted to go back to the pen early, scared of the water. Insecure. My favorite bird.”

Fall 2017: In late November, the decision was made to separate/split up the cohort in hopes doing so would disrupt their social structure and encourage them to migrate south. Number 1-17, along with 2-17 and 8-17 were left at White River Marsh, while cranes 4-17 and 6-17 were moved southwest to an area along the Wisconsin River, which held thousands of Sandhill cranes, before continuing to head south to Fulton County, Kentucky where they spent the winter.

Cranes 3-17 & 7-17 spent the winter at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge near Decatur, Alabama.

Spring 2018: In early April, they began heading north along with #69-16. They arrived about a week later in Juneau County and spent a couple of weeks in and around the refuge before heading east. On April 25th 3-17 & 7-17 were confirmed in Marquette County, WI ~ 18 miles from White River Marsh where they were raised.

On the left is Whooping Crane 7-17 and right, #3-17. Photo: B. Pennypacker

Aerial view of two Whooping Cranes in a marsh.
3-17 and 7-17 in early spring. Photo: Beverly Paulan

It seems this duo parted ways shortly after this photo was taken as #7-17 turned up a week later with male #4-14 (Peanut). Number 3-17 headed a bit south to Stephenson County, Illinois where he found Whooping crane 31-16!

Summer 2018: Sometime at the end of May, 3-17 separated from 31-16. Trackers did not detect his signal with 31-16 in June. His whereabouts were unknown until August 28, when he showed up at White River Marsh, where he was originally released in Fall 2017!

Fall 2018: 3-17 mainly associated with young male 30-16 during September and October. At the end of October, they began spending time with pair 5-12 and 67-15. 5-12 and 30-16 had previously migrated to St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in Florida, so when the group of four disappeared, trackers wondered if that was their destination. However, 3-17 showed up at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama by himself in late November, while the other three birds were later seen at St. Marks. 3-17 seems to be mainly associating with W7-17 this winter. She spent the last summer in Minnesota- hopefully 3-17 can bring her back to Wisconsin next spring!

Spring 2019: 3-17 left Wheeler NWR in early March with a group of five other birds. They were seen passing through Illinois, and arrived at White River Marsh in late March! Trackers first saw 3-17 associating with female 67-15 on March 27.  

3-17 nested with new mate 67-15 at White River Marsh in mid-April. Unfortunately, the nest failed shortly after. The pair did not renest. 

Fall 2019: 3-17 and mate 67-15 spent the summer at White River Marsh. They were first spotted at their wintering grounds at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in mid-November. They spent the winter here with other whooping cranes.  

Spring 2020: 3-17 and 67-15 made it back to White River Marsh at the beginning of April after making stops in Tennessee and Illinois. They began nesting soon after, but eventually the pair abandoned the nest.  

Fall 2020: At the end of November, 67-15 and mate 3-17 weren’t seen for about a month, but then turned up at Wheeler NWR, Alabama. These two have been seen associating with other whooping cranes on the refuge. 

Spring 2021: 3-17 and 67-15 were seen at White River Marsh near the end of March, associating with sandhills and foraging around their territory. They did not nest this year, but we hope they will next year! 

Fall 2021: Even though they didn’t nest this spring, 67-15 and 3-17 have become the adoptive parents of one of this year’s captive reared chicks, 85-21! The pair spent the early fall showing 85-21 around White River Marsh, Wisconsin before deciding to migrate in late November. After brief stops in southern Illinois and Tennessee, the family made it to their wintering grounds in Morgan County, Alabama. 

Spring 2022: 67-15, 3-17, and 85-21 were spotted together on their northward migration and arrived back in White River Marsh in mid-March. Soon after arrival, 67-15 and 3-17 left 85-21 to his own devices. The pair was seen nesting in early May and successfully hatched 2 chicks! Unfortunately, both chicks were missing by the end of the month and the pair did not attempt to renest. 

Fall 2022: 3-17 and his mate 67-15 were great surrogate parents, once again, for this year’s released bird, 90-22. The pair took her under their wing almost immediately. They’ve done this in the past for both 79-19 and 85-21. At one point in the fall, 85-21 was hanging out with the group too for a nice little family reunion. Unfortunately, 90-22 died on migration, but the rest of the little family showed up on the wintering grounds at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama. 

Spring 2023: 3-17 and his mate, 67-15, were seen with W3-17, W18-20, W2-21, and 85-21 over the winter. The pair returned to their territory at White River Marsh in mid-March and by mid-April, they were nesting with two eggs. Unfortunately, the pair abandoned this nest and did not attempt to renest. We are hoping this couple will return next year and try again but, in the meantime, we wish them both the best on their fall migration!

Click here to jump to the top of this page.


Crane #4-17

Photo taken June 19 by Dr. Glenn Olsen

Sex: Male
Hatch Date: April 30, 2017

Personality and Characteristics: Colleen says that early on this was a rather quiet bird and the smallest of the group. He loved the costume during outings at Patuxent.

Heather noticed this little fella acts first then thinks. When the gates to the wet pen were first opened to allow them access, he charged out then a half hour later he seemed reluctant to step over the wooden 2×4 threshold to get back inside the dry pen where their feeders are.

Eventually, his nature became similar to #3-17. A bit less aggressive and more confident. But very quick to follow 3-17’s lead to attack

Number 4-17 is a full sibling to number 6-17 and both came from eggs collected at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge under the forced re-nesting study where all first eggs are collected to encourage the crane parents to re-nest when black flies are no longer an issue.

The parents of whooping cranes 4-17 and 6-17 are Mom #32-09 and Dad #7-07.

Fall 2017: In late November, the decision was made to separate/split up the cohort in hopes doing so would disrupt their social structure and encourage them to migrate south. Number 1-17, along with 2-17 and 8-17 were left at White River Marsh, while cranes 4-17 and 6-17 were moved southwest to an area along the Wisconsin River, which held thousands of Sandhill cranes. Additionally, cranes 3-17 and 7-17 were also relocated and two days later, these two flew south to Fulton County, Kentucky, over 200 miles away!

Juveniles 4-17 & 6-17 spent the winter in Fulton County, Kentucky and on March 31st began heading north.

On April 22nd these two siblings were spotted by the OM team about a half mile from their camp at White River Marsh! They made it home!

Whooping cranes 4-17 and 6-17 in Green Lake County, WI. Photo: H. Ray

The duo did a little bit of spring wandering throughout Wisconsin, even spending some time near International Crane Foundation headquarters! This was near the area on the Wisconsin River where they were translocated the previous fall, so it seems they remember both their original release location and area of translocation. After circling eastern Wisconsin, they decided to settle down for the summer in Brown County, Wisconsin

Fall 2018: In mid-November, 4-17 and 6-17 migrated to southeast Missouri together, but later hopped over the Mississippi River to the southern tip of Illinois. In early January, they moved south to western Kentucky. Who knows where they will go next?

Spring 2019: 4-17 and 6-17 returned to Wisconsin in late March and set up for the summer in Adams County. They later moved to Sauk County, where they associated with male 24-17. 

Three Whooping Cranes in a marsh
Photo: Hillary Thompson

Fall 2019: 24-17, 6-17, and 4-17 spent the summer together in Sauk County, Wisconsin, just a few miles from ICF headquarters. The trio were spotted in Hickman County, Kentucky, in December. There were little observations of them over the winter.  

Spring 2020: The trio arrived back in Sauk County, Wisconsin, in March. We did find they had a nest, although, we are unsure who the two biological parents are because all three birds were seen on the nest at some point. However, 6-17 was regularly chased off by 4-17 and was usually seen alone. They hatched one chick, W4-20, who almost fledged but unfortunately did not make it. It will be interesting to see how they interact next nesting season. 

Adult Whooping Crane standing in a marsh
Photo: Lindsey Broadhead

Fall 2020: 4-17, 24-17, and 6-17 were last seen in Sauk County, Wisconsin together at the end of November. On their migration they first stopped in Lee County, Illinois and then in Mississippi County, Missouri, just over the boarder of Kentucky. Their final stop was Hickman County, Kentucky. 

Spring 2021: 4-17, 24-17, and 6-17 made it back to Sauk County, Wisconsin from Kentucky in early March. 4-17 was fitted with a new satellite transmitter soon after they arrived back in Wisconsin. As breeding and nesting season progressed, quite a bit of drama was had between this trio! 4-17 and 24-17 frequently chased off 6-17 and were paired off together. 24-17 and 4-17 began incubating their nest in mid-March and 6-17 stuck around in the area occasionally foraging or associating with the pair. They stopped incubating for unknown reasons and did not attempt a re-nest. We hope they try again next year!  

Fall 2021: After their dramatic breeding season, 4-17, 24-17, and 6-17 spent the remainder of their time in their territory near Baraboo, Wisconsin. There was an attempt to relocate 6-17 to White River Marsh to find a mate, but, after a day or two in her new home, she decided to head back to her original territory with 4-17 and 24-17. Together the trio migrated down to their wintering grounds in Hickman County, Kentucky. 

Spring 2022: 4-17 and 6-17 migrated back to Baraboo, WI together in early March and were without 24-17 for a couple weeks. The two were paired up and observed copulating during this time until 24-17 returned later that month. 4-17 then paired up with 24-17 while 6-17 still hung around third-wheeling. Surprisingly, 6-17 found her way to Necedah NWR in April, leaving 4-17 and 24-17 behind as they began nesting! We collected one egg from their 2-egg clutch to send to a captive rearing facility in Louisiana where the chick will be costume-reared for release back into the wild. The remaining egg hatched in mid-May, but unfortunately did not survive to fledging. 4-17 and 24-17 did not attempt a renest and have been hanging out on their territory since then. 

Fall 2022: 4-17 and 24-17 spent the rest of the summer on their territory in Sauk County, Wisconsin. During fall, they took a strange route, but ended up back at their normal wintering grounds in Hickman County, Kentucky. Eventually, 6-17 joined them there again this winter, even though she hadn’t been with them all summer. We hope in spring 6-17 will return to Necedah again, where she has more opportunities to find a mate! 

Spring 2023: 4-17 and 24-17 returned to Sauk County, Wisconsin in early March. The pair began nesting in early April and laid two fertile eggs. One of these eggs was collected and transported to a nest in the Louisiana population. The other egg was incubated and hatched by the parents. Unfortunately, this chick died before it was able to fledge. We hope the pair will be able to raise a chick to adulthood next year. The pair has continued to spend time in the area, hopefully getting prepared for a smooth fall migration!

Two Whooping Crane forage in a harvested field.

4-17 and 24-17 forage in fields on their breeding grounds. Mary Louise.

Click here to jump to the top of this page.


Crane #6-17

Photo captured June 19 by Dr. Glenn Olsen

Sex: Female
Hatch Date: May 2, 2017

Personality and Characteristics: She is independent to the max! She goes off exploring on her own. She can also be a pain in the butt as she initiate challenges and “face-off’s” with others in the small group.

Number 6-17 is a full sibling to number 4-17 and both came from eggs collected at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge under the forced re-nesting study where all first eggs are collected to encourage the crane parents to re-nest when black flies are no longer an issue.

The parents of whooping cranes 4-17 and 6-17 are Mom #32-09 and Dad #7-07.

Colleen describes #6-17 as “sweet easy going. Go with the flow.”

Fall 2017: In late November, the decision was made to separate/split up the cohort in hopes doing so would disrupt their social structure and encourage them to migrate south. Number 1-17, along with 2-17 and 8-17 were left at White River Marsh, while cranes 4-17 and 6-17 were moved southwest to an area along the Wisconsin River, which held thousands of Sandhill cranes.

Juveniles 4-17 & 6-17 spent the winter in Fulton County, Kentucky and on March 31st began heading north.

On April 22nd these two siblings were spotted by the OM team about a half mile from their camp at White River Marsh! They made it home!

Whooping cranes 4-17 and 6-17 in Green Lake County, WI. Photo: H. Ray

The duo did a little bit of spring wandering throughout Wisconsin, even spending some time near International Crane Foundation headquarters! This was near the area on the Wisconsin River where they were translocated the previous fall, so it seems they remember both their original release location and area of translocation. After circling eastern Wisconsin, they decided to settle down for the summer in Brown County, Wisconsin

Fall 2018: In mid-November, 6-17 and 4-17 migrated to southeast Missouri together, but later hopped over the Mississippi River to the southern tip of Illinois. In early January, they moved south to western Kentucky. Who knows where they will go next?

Spring 2019: 6-17 and 4-17 returned to Wisconsin in late March and set up for the summer in Adams County. They later moved to Sauk County, where they associated with male 24-17. 

Three Whooping Cranes in a marsh.
Photo: Hillary Thompson

Fall 2019: 24-17, 6-17, and 4-17 spent the summer together in Sauk County, Wisconsin, just a few miles from ICF headquarters. The trio were spotted in Hickman County, Kentucky, in December. There were little observations of them over the winter.  

Spring 2020: The trio arrived back in Sauk County, Wisconsin, in March. We did find they had a nest, although, we are unsure who the two biological parents are because all three birds were seen on the nest at some point. However, 6-17 was regularly chased off by 4-17 and was usually seen alone. They hatched one chick, W4-20, who almost fledged but unfortunately did not make it. It will be interesting to see how they interact next nesting season. 

Fall 2020: 4-17, 24-17, and 6-17 were last seen in Sauk County, Wisconsin together at the end of November. On their migration they first stopped in Lee County, Illinois and then in Mississippi County, Missouri, just over the boarder of Kentucky. Their final stop was Hickman County, Kentucky. 

Spring 2021: 4-17, 24-17, and 6-17 made it back to Sauk County, Wisconsin from Kentucky in early March. As breeding and nesting season progressed, quite a bit of drama was had between this trio! 4-17 and 24-17 frequently chased off 6-17 and were paired off together. 24-17 and 4-17 began incubating their nest in mid-March and 6-17 stuck around in the area occasionally foraging or associating with the pair. Since the 24-17 and 4-17 abandoned their nest and did not renest, the trio has had friendly relations and often are seen all together.  

Fall 2021: After their dramatic breeding season, 4-17, 24-17, and 6-17 spent the remainder of their time in their territory near Baraboo, Wisconsin. There was an attempt to relocate 6-17 to White River Marsh to find a mate, but, after a day or two in her new home, she decided to head back to her original territory with 4-17 and 24-17. Together the trio migrated down to their wintering grounds in Hickman County, Kentucky. 

Spring 2022: 4-17 and 6-17 migrated back to Baraboo, WI together in early March and were without 24-17 for a couple weeks. The two were paired up and observed copulating during this time until 24-17 returned later that month. 4-17 then paired up with 24-17 while 6-17 still hung around third-wheeling. Surprisingly, 6-17 found her way to Necedah NWR in April, leaving 4-17, 24-17, and all the drama behind. She has been exploring her potential new stomping grounds and was even spotted with 18-03 a couple times. A new prospect perhaps? Needless to say, 6-17 is onto bigger and better things, and we’re all rooting for her and this new chapter of her life.  

Fall 2022: 6-17 spent most of the summer and fall at Necedah by herself. Right before migration, she was hanging out with 42-09 and 37-07 and was seen with them at the start of migration, but then showed up on the wintering grounds in Hickman County, Kentucky with 4-17 and 24-17. We hope in the spring she will go back to Necedah where she will have more opportunities to find a mate! 

Spring 2023: Over the winter, 6-17 began associating with 19-09 and these two migrated back to Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in late March! They nested in early May and laid two fertile eggs, one of which was collected for our captive rearing and release program. Unfortunately, the pair was seen off their nest in early June, and we were unable to confirm what happened to their egg. Since then, the pair have continued their daily activities at Necedah, and we wish them the best on their migration!

Click here to jump to the top of this page.


Crane #7-17

Photo taken June 19 by Dr. Glenn Olsen

Sex: Female
Hatch Date: May 3, 2017

Personality and Characteristics: This young girl crane was very clingy while at Patuxent. She is very alert and can appear nervous and fidgety at times.

She has gone for a swim several times in the large pond at White River Marsh.

She came from an egg collected at Necedah NWR under the forced re-nesting study and her parents are male #9-05 and female #13-03.

As this young crane developed over the summer, Colleen described #7-17 similar to #6-17: “sweet easy going. Go with the flow. Nondescript.”

Fall 2017: In late November, the decision was made to separate/split up the cohort in hopes doing so would disrupt their social structure and encourage them to migrate south. Number 1-17, along with 2-17 and 8-17 were left at White River Marsh, while cranes 4-17 and 6-17 were moved southwest to an area along the Wisconsin River, which held thousands of Sandhill cranes before flying south to Fulton County, Kentucky, over 200 miles away!

Cranes 3-17 & 7-17 spent the winter at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge near Decatur, Alabama.

Spring 2018: In early April, they began heading north along with #69-16. They arrived about a week later in Juneau County and spent a couple of weeks in and around the refuge before heading east. On April 25th 3-17 & 7-17 were confirmed in Marquette County, WI ~ 18 miles from White River Marsh where they were raised.

On the left is Whooping Crane 7-17 and right, 3-17. Photo: B. Pennypacker

Aerial view of two Whooping Cranes in a marsh.
3-17 and 7-17 in early spring. Photo: Beverly Paulan

On May 2nd, Heather spotted #7-17 along the flooded Fox River in Princeton, WI and she was with male Whooping crane #4-14!

Female 7-17 is on the right and Peanut (#4-14) is on the left. Photo: H. Ray

Summer 2018: 7-17 and 4-14 spent their summer together near the Fox River in Green Lake County.

Two Whooping Cranes take flight.
4-14 and 7-17 take off. Photo: Doug Pellerin

Fall 2018: On November 9, 7-17’s GSM tracker showed she had departed Wisconsin and had moved to northern Henderson County, Kentucky, right on the edge of the Ohio River. 4-14 was later confirmed to be with her. In early January, they moved south to northwest Hopkins County, Kentucky.

Two Whooping Cranes
4-14 and 7-17 prior to fall migration. Photo: Doug Pellerin

Spring 2019: In April, 7-17 returned to Green Lake County, Wisconsin with male 4-14.

7-17 and mate 4-14 were seen nesting building on pilot Bev Paulan’s flight on April 16. However, the nest failed and they were seen off the nest on Bev’s flight on May 3. They spent the rest of the summer together on their territory in Green Lake County, Wisconsin.

Fall 2019: 7-17 and mate 4-14 spent the summer together in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. At the end of October, the pair arrived on their wintering grounds in Winnebago County, Illinois. They moved throughout Illinois during the winter.  

Spring 2020: 7-17 and 4-14 arrived back in Green Lake County, Wisconsin, in April. The pair may have had a nest, but we were never able to confirm this. They have spent the summer together on their territory.  

Fall 2020: 4-14 and mate 7-17 left their territory in Wisconsin and were seen in northern Illinois in October. They ended their migration in Webster County, Kentucky. 

Spring 2021: 7-17 and her mate 4-14 migrated back to Green Lake County, Wisconsin and were first spotted on their territory in late March. No nest attempt was confirmed for this pair. 4-14 and 7-17 have spent the summer together on their normal territory 

Fall 2021: After spending their summer together, 4-14 and 7-17 headed south for the winter. They were last spotted in Lee County, Illinois, in October. We are interested to see if they find their way back down to Kentucky! 

Spring 2022: 7-17 and her mate 4-14 wintered in Henderson County, Kentucky. They returned to their territory in Green Lake County, Wisconsin in late March or early April and were soon on the nest. In mid-May they hatched one chick, known as W7-22. Sadly, their chick disappeared not long afterwards. 

Fall 2022: 7-17 and her mate 4-14 spent the rest of the summer on their territory in Green Lake County, Wisconsin. They were seen in Lee County, Illinois on migration, but haven’t yet been spotted on their wintering grounds. This isn’t too unusual for this pair since their wintering area is tricky to get to or see into, but we hope someone will get lucky and spot them soon! 

Spring 2023: Having never been seen on their wintering grounds this year, 4-14 and his mate 7-17 returned safely to their territory in Green Lake County, Wisconsin in late March. This year we never confirmed a nest for this pair, however, we wish them luck for next year!

Click here to jump to the top of this page.


Crane #8-17

Photo taken June 19, 2017 by Dr. Glenn Olsen

Sex: Female
Hatch Date: May 3, 2017

Personality and Characteristics: Hatched the same day as #7-17. Her parents are EMP whoopers 12-03 & 29-09. As a very tiny crane chick, she was cute and happy and loved to play in the grass.

She could, at times, be uncooperative about coming out of her chick run but that seemed to be a phase and she got over it soon enough.

The smallest of the group – noticeably. Colleen described this female as “pugnacious yet timid to a point then could get an attitude. Initially afraid of water. Stuck to the costume the longest. Very clingy. Definitely bottom of the pecking order in terms of the social structure.

Fall 2017: In late November, the decision was made to separate/split up the cohort in hopes doing so would disrupt their social structure and encourage them to migrate south. Number 1-17, along with 2-17 and 8-17 were left at White River Marsh, while cranes 4-17 and 6-17 were moved southwest to an area along the Wisconsin River, which held thousands of Sandhill cranes before flying south to Fulton County, Kentucky, over 200 miles away!

Cranes 1-17, 2-17 and 8-17 were eventually captured and relocated to Goose Pond in Greene County, Indiana. Brooke and Colleen drove overnight so the cranes were not stressed terribly by the move. They were released at Goose pond and 30 minutes later the trio took flight and flew south to Talladega County, Alabama where they spent the winter.

Spring 2018: On March 31st, all three Whooping cranes began heading north. By the beginning of May it became apparent cranes 1-17, 2-17 and 8-17 were lost. These three cranes were transported last fall from Wisconsin to Greene County, Indiana and therefore, did not know the way back to Wisconsin.

The trio flew north to Sangamon County, Illinois where they stayed for several weeks before 1-17 and 2-17 headed northwest to Iowa. When they arrived, 8-17 was not with them. 8-17 was last sighted May 8.

Summer 2018: 8-17’s whereabouts are unknown

Fall 2018: On November 16, 8-17 surprised everyone by arriving at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama! We never learned where she spent her summer, but we’re very glad to see she’s still alive! However, she did not stay at Wheeler too long- on December 15, she was reported in Meigs County, Tennessee- why is she moving north? She was only reported in Tennessee for two days, and then her whereabouts were unknown until January 16- when she showed up in Crisp County, Georgia, with a large group of Sandhill Cranes! This bird is certainly doing her best to give trackers a run for their money!

A Sandhill and Whooping Crane spar in a marsh.
8-17 checks out a Sandhill in Crisp County, Georgia. Photo: Mark McShane

Spring 2019: After a long period of not hearing 8-17’s whereabouts, we finally learned where she spends her summers! In July, a Whooping Crane was reported in Winnebago County, Iowa! Bands later confirmed this mystery bird was 8-17.

Fall 2019: 8-17 spent the summer in Adams County, Wisconsin. She was first observed in Jasper County, Indiana, in the beginning of December. She remained there for the winter.  

Spring 2020: From February to July 8-17 wasn’t seen but once our pilot Bev Paulan got back in air, she found her and male 28-17 in Marquette County, Wisconsin, where they stayed for the rest of the summer. 

Fall 2020: 8-17 and 28-17 were first seen on their wintering grounds in Jasper County, Indiana, in mid-November. They have stuck together and occasionally have been seen with other whooping cranes in this area. 

Spring 2021: 8-17 and 28-17 headed to Wisconsin from Jasper County, Indiana in late February and were spotted in Waukesha County Wisconsin on their way to Grand River Marsh. They got right to work incubating a nest starting in late March. The pair sat on their nest far past when it would be due to hatch, with no results sadly. This is great parenting behavior and we hope they carry that enthusiasm into next year!  

Fall 2021: 8-17 and 28-17 were last seen on their breeding grounds in mid-October, and they showed up on their wintering grounds in Jasper County, Indiana in late November. In Indiana they’ve been seen in association with other cranes in the area including 66-15. 

Spring 2022: This spring, 8-17 migrated up from Indiana in late March with mate, 28-17.  The two have spent the spring in Marquette County and were seen nest building and incubating from mid-April to the beginning of May. However, this pair was unsuccessful in hatching a chick this year. We are glad that this duo is still going strong and are hopeful that they will try for a nest again in the future! 

Fall 2022: 8-17 and 28-17 were seen periodically this summer on their territory in Green Lake County, Wisconsin, however, it is a really tricky place to see into! This fall, her mate 28-17 showed up on migration with a different female, 24-17. We hope 8-17 is okay and turns up somewhere soon! 

Spring 2023: 8-17 and 28-17 were seen together in December in Jasper County, Indiana. Following what was no doubt an interesting winter, 8-17, 28-17, and interloper 27-14 were all seen back in Marquette County, Wisconsin. Since returning to Wisconsin, 27-14 has been keeping to herself, and 8-17 and 28-17 continue to be paired. The pair, however, did not nest and it is unclear if they will stay paired long-term due to 28-17’s recent injury. We hope the best for both members of this pair and are curious to see what fall migration has in store. Life for a Whooper sure can get complicated!

Whooping Crane 8-17 standing in a harvested corn field.
8-17 in Marquette County, Wisconsin. Matthew Faltz

Click here to jump to the top of this page.


Crane #19-17

Sex: Male
Hatch Date: May 17, 2017

Personality and Characteristics: This fella is the oldest in the Parent-Reared group of 2017 – Oldest by 2 days. He was transported to Wisconsin on September 12th.

The same day they arrived they were banded by Richard Urbanek and given a brief health exam by Patuxent’s Dr. Glenn Olsen. Once this was complete he was placed in a temporary holding pen for two days to allow him and the others to recover from the stress of being moved from Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland to Wisconsin.

Whooping crane #19-17 and another male #25-17 were transported to Marathon County, WI on September 14th and released near two adult female cranes, #28-05 and #2-15.

Over the next few weeks these two formed a bond with the two females and actually followed them south on migration!

Fall 2017: By the end of November this foursome of Whooping cranes had arrived in a lovely wetland in Jackson County, Alabama – some 700+ miles to the southeast!

Spring 2018: Over the winter, these two young male Whooping cranes continued to associate with the two female cranes 2-15 & 28-05 as well as a third male crane, number 37-07. On April 8th the two young cranes began their northward migration and we spotted in Christian County, Kentucky by Craniac Cyndi Rutledge, who sent along the following photograph of the two.

On April 24th #19-17 and his pal #25-17 had flown north and were spotted in Dakota County, Minnesota. Clearly these two are in no rush to return to the area they were released in last fall.

Summer 2018: In mid-May, 19-17 and 25-17 returned to Marathon County, Wisconsin where they were released in 2017. They moved a little way northwest to Clark County, Wisconsin, where they associated with female 36-17. However, they left her behind when they returned to Minnesota in August- this time, Scott County on the Minnesota River!

Fall 2018: In late September, 19-17 and 25-17 crossed the border back into Polk County, Wisconsin where they remained until October 15 when they flew south to Kane County, Illinois. They remained in Kane County until early November, when they returned to their previous wintering grounds in Jackson County, Alabama. They were later joined here by pair 37-07 and 17-11. On January 18, 19-17’s companion 25-17 was euthanized after hitting a powerline.

Spring 2019: 19-17 returned to Marathon County, Wisconsin where he was originally released in early April. He is now associating with 28-05 and 2-15, the females he was released with! 

Unfortunately, in May, 19-17 was found dead in Marathon County. Cause of death is suspected to be powerline collision, same as his companion 25-17.

Click here to jump to the top of this page.


Crane #24-17

Sex: Female (originally thought to be male!)
Hatch Date: May 19, 2017

Personality and Characteristics: This young male crane also arrived in Wisconsin on September 12th. Following a quick health check and procedure where he received his permanent legbands, he was placed in a pen for a week until a release location could be found.

Number 24-17 was released September 20th in Dodge County, Wisconsin in a marsh where adult female whooping crane #66-15 had been spending time. All Parent-Reared cranes were released at roost locations so that they would have safe roosting areas overnight and until they formed associations with the target release cranes.

OM’s Heather Ray monitored this crane post-release and reports that over the many hours he was observed he was only ever seen with Sandhill cranes and never with the target release adult, number 66-15.

Juvenile Whooping Crane in flight.
This was the first flight this young male crane made. Photo: H. Ray

Three days after this young crane was released he left the marsh for the first time (photo above). He began to associate with a Sandhill pair that had one chick of their own so perhaps they were more open to taking in a second youngster. Each day he flew to a field approximately 4 miles away to forage and then he would return to a small pond to roost. The pond was not too far from the marsh he was released at.

Fall 2017: Number 24-17 migrated south in mid-November and flew to Jasper County, Indiana. This is an area frequented each fall and spring by thousands of Sandhill cranes who congregate at the Jasper Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area. But get this – He was seen with two adult Whooping cranes!

It seems that somewhere along the way, or perhaps when he arrived, he managed to find #71-16 and male #63-15. Here’s a photo of the three of them together in Jasper County, Indiana.

Three Whooping Cranes with several Sandhill Cranes.
Parent-Reared crane #24-17 on the left with adults 71-16 and 63-15 on the right. Photo: Gary Soper

In late December adult #63-15 led this young crane southwest to Kaskaskia Island – his usual wintering location. The adult female these two had been associating with carried on to Jackson County, Indiana.

Spring 2018: By early April, number 24-17 was heading north! His pal, number 63-15 returned to Wisconsin about a month earlier so 24-17 is traveling on his own.

Summer 2018: 24-17 spent most of the summer in Rock County, Wisconsin with Sandhill Cranes.

Fall 2018: In mid-November, 24-17 migrated to Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area in Indiana with Sandhill Cranes. He remained there until the end of November, when his PTT transmitter showed that he moved south to Alachua County, Florida!

Spring 2019: 24-17 returned to Wisconsin in early April. He initially arrived in Lafayette County, but in late April moved to Sauk County. Cranes 4-17 and 6-17 joined him for the summer.

Three Whooping Cranes in a marsh.
Photo: Hillary Thompson

Fall 2019: 24-17, 6-17, and 4-17 spent the summer together in Sauk County, Wisconsin, just a few miles from ICF headquarters. The trio were spotted in Hickman County, Kentucky, in December. There were little observations of them over the winter.  

Spring 2020: The trio arrived back in Sauk County, Wisconsin, in March. We did find they had a nest, although, we are unsure who the two biological parents are because all three birds were seen on the nest at some point. However, 6-17 was regularly chased off by 4-17 and was usually seen alone. They hatched one chick, W4-20, who almost fledged but unfortunately did not make it. It will be interesting to see how they interact next nesting season. 

Fall 2020: 4-17, 24-17, and 6-17 were last seen in Sauk County, Wisconsin together at the end of November. On their migration they first stopped in Lee County, Illinois and then in Mississippi County, Missouri, just over the boarder of Kentucky. Their final stop was Hickman County, Kentucky. 

Spring 2021: 4-17, 24-17, and 6-17 made it back to Sauk County, Wisconsin from Kentucky in early March. As breeding and nesting season progressed, quite a bit of drama was had between this trio! 4-17 and 24-17 frequently chased off 6-17 and were paired off together. 24-17 and 4-17 began incubating their nest in mid-March and 6-17 stuck around in the area occasionally foraging or associating with the pair. They stopped incubating for unknown reasons and did not attempt a re-nest. We hope they try again next year! We re-tested 24-17’s blood to determine if they were male or female this spring. Originally, 24-17 tested as male, however they are fairly small and seemed to be paired with male 4-17, so we re-tested and found 24-17 is a female! She also sustained an eye injury this spring which seems to have healed but we are not sure if she is able to see out of that eye. Good thing she has 4-17 to look out for her!

Fall 2021: After their dramatic breeding season, 4-17, 24-17, and 6-17 spent the remainder of their time in their territory near Baraboo, Wisconsin. There was an attempt to relocate 6-17 to White River Marsh to find a mate, but, after a day or two in her new home, she decided to head back to her original territory with 4-17 and 24-17. Together the trio migrated down to their wintering grounds in Hickman County, Kentucky. 

Spring 2022: 4-17 and 6-17 migrated back to Sauk County, WI together in early March and were without 24-17 for a couple weeks. The two were paired up and observed copulating during this time until 24-17 returned later that month. 4-17 then paired up with 24-17 while 6-17 still hung around third-wheeling. Surprisingly, 6-17 found her way to Necedah NWR in April, leaving 4-17 and 24-17 behind as they began nesting! We collected one egg from their 2-egg clutch to send to a captive rearing facility in Louisiana where the chick will be costume-reared for release back into the wild. The remaining egg hatched in mid-May, but unfortunately did not survive to fledging. 4-17 and 24-17 did not attempt a renest and have been hanging out on their territory since then. 

Fall 2022: 4-17 and 24-17 spent the rest of the summer on their territory in Sauk County, Wisconsin. During fall, they took a strange route but ended up back at their normal wintering grounds in Hickman County, Kentucky. Eventually, 6-17 joined them there again this winter, even though she hadn’t been with them all summer. We hope in spring 6-17 will return to Necedah again, where she has more opportunities to find a mate! 

Spring 2023: 4-17 and 24-17 returned to Sauk County, Wisconsin in early March. The pair began nesting in early April and laid two fertile eggs. One of these eggs was collected and transported to a nest in the Louisiana population. The other egg was incubated and hatched by the parents. Unfortunately, this chick died before it was able to fledge. We hope the pair will be able to raise a chick to adulthood next year. The pair has continued to spend time in the area, hopefully getting prepared for a smooth fall migration!

Whooping Cranes 4-17 and 24-17 forage in fields on their breeding grounds.
4-17 and 24-17 forage in fields on their breeding grounds. Mary Louise

Click here to jump to the top of this page.


Crane #25-17

Sex: Male
Hatch Date: May 20, 2017

Personality and Characteristics: Number 25-17 arrived in Wisconsin on September 12th along with four other Parent-Reared cranes.

The same day they arrived they were banded by Richard Urbanek and given a brief health exam by Patuxent’s Dr. Glenn Olsen. Once this was complete he was placed in a temporary holding pen for two days to allow him and the others to recover from the stress of being moved from Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland to Wisconsin.

Whooping crane #25-17 and another male #19-17 were transported to Marathon County, WI on September 14th and released near two adult female cranes, #28-05 and #2-15.

Over the next few weeks these two formed a bond with the two females and actually followed them south on migration!

Fall 2017: By the end of November this foursome of Whooping cranes had arrived in a lovely wetland in Jackson County, Alabama – some 700+ miles to the southeast!

Spring 2018: Over the winter, these two young male Whooping cranes continued to associate with the two female cranes 2-15 & 28-05 as well as a third male crane, number 37-07. On April 8th the two young cranes began their northward migration and we spotted in Christian County, Kentucky by Craniac Cyndi Rutledge, who sent along the following photograph of the two.

On April 24th #25-17 and his pal #19-17 had flown north and were spotted in Dakota County, Minnesota. Clearly these two are in no rush to return to the area they were released in last fall.

Summer 2018: In mid-May, 25-17 and 19-17 returned to Marathon County, Wisconsin, where they were released in 2017. They moved a little way northwest to Clark County, Wisconsin, where they associated with female 36-17. However, they left her behind when they returned to Minnesota in August- this time, Scott County on the Minnesota River!

Fall 2018: In late September, 25-17 and 19-17 crossed the border back into Polk County Wisconsin, where they remained until October 15 when they flew south to Kane County, Illinois. They remained in Kane County until early November, when they returned to their previous wintering grounds in Jackson County, Alabama. They were later joined here by pair 37-07 and 17-11.

Unfortunately, on January 18, 25-17 was seen injured. When biologists went to check on him, it was determined that he had likely hit a powerline and was not going to recover from his injuries, and thus was euthanized.

Click here to jump to the top of this page.


Crane #26-17

Sex: Female
Hatch Date: May 21, 2017

Personality and Characteristics: This young female crane was released in Marquette County, Wisconsin on September 18th along with male #28-17. She was pretty much a home body and didn’t move around much at all. She was never seen associating with the two adult target cranes: Male #10-11 and female #27-14, however, in late October, she was spotted with two male Whooping cranes, #4-14 and #11-15.

Three Whooping Cranes amid a flock of Sandhill Cranes.
Two males: 11-15 & 4-14 land very close to Parent-Reared female chick #26-17 in Marquette County, WI. Photo: H. Ray, Operation Migration

This young female crane migrated south, possibly with the two adult male cranes, #4-14 and 11-15 to Wabash County, Illinois. Sadly, this young female crane was found dead mid-December in Wabash County, Indiana.

Click here to jump to the top of this page.


Crane #28-17

Sex: Male
Hatch Date: May 23, 2017

Personality and Characteristics: Released in Marquette County, Wisconsin on September 18th along with female #26-17 and immediately began a game of hide and seek. The two came out of their crates side-by-side but never associated with each other.

The day after this young male was released he began a game of hide and seek and was never seen again by trackers. He was spotted a couple of times by Wisconsin DNR pilots during aerial surveys and then by a birder in Walworth County, Wisconsin in late November.

This was the only Whooping crane chick in the 2017 cohort that did not receive a remote tracking device so we have to rely on public sightings like the one above to verify his identity.

Winter 2017/18: Whooping crane 28-17 finally appeared in south Florida in late January 2018. He was associating with three Sandhill cranes but he wasn’t too far from the area where 16-12 is known to be. A bit further south is another young Parent-Reared Whooping Crane, #72-17. Here’s hoping the three of them actually find each other!

Spring 2018: At the end of May, this young crane was spotted in Dodge County, Wisconsin.

Summer 2018: 28-17 was observed in June by DNR scientists a few times at Grand River Marsh, where he was originally released. However, he was on the move a lot and was difficult to keep track of!

28-17 hangs out near International Crane Foundation Headquarters before migration. Photo: Ted Thousand

Fall 2018: At the end of September, 28-17 began staging with a large group of Sandhills in Sauk County, Wisconsin right down the road from International Crane Foundation Headquarters! In mid-November, he was seen near Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area in northern Indiana, where he remained throughout the winter. He has frequently been seen associating with 39-17. Both birds have mainly associated with Sandhill Cranes since being released, so hopefully these two will stay together!

28-17 and 39-17 dance in Jasper County, Indiana. Photo: Gary Soper

Spring 2019: 28-17 was first seen at Horicon Marsh on March 13 with male 16-11. He likely departed Jasper-Pulaski with 16-11 and his chicks 73-18 and 74-18 the day before, making him one of the first Whooping Cranes to return to Wisconsin in 2019! The chicks separated immediately, though 28-17 and 16-11 stayed together a few days before 16-11 went off in search of a mate. Will 28-17 remain at Horicon Marsh this summer? 

Fall 2019: 28-17 was seen at Horicon Marsh in March, but was not observed for the rest of the summer. We are unsure of his whereabouts during this time. In November, he was observed in Jasper County, Indiana. He remained here for the winter.  

Spring 2020: From February to July 28-17 wasn’t seen but once our pilot Bev Paulan got back in air, she found him and female 8-17 in Marquette County, Wisconsin, where they stayed for the rest of the summer. 

Fall 2020: 8-17 and 28-17 were first seen on their wintering grounds in Jasper County, Indiana, in mid-November. They have stuck together and occasionally have been seen with other whooping cranes in this area. 

Spring 2021: 28-17 and 8-17 headed to Wisconsin from Jasper County, Indiana in late February and were spotted in Waukesha County Wisconsin on their way to Grand River Marsh. They got right to work incubating a nest starting in late March. The pair sat on their nest far past when it would be due to hatch, with no results sadly. This is great parenting behavior and we hope they carry that enthusiasm into next year! 

Fall 2021: 8-17 and 28-17 were last seen on their breeding grounds in mid-October, and they showed up on their wintering grounds in Jasper County, Indiana in late November. In Indiana they’ve been seen in association with other cranes in the area including 66-15. 

Spring 2022: This spring, 28-17 migrated up from Indiana in late March with mate, 8-17.  The two have spent the spring in Marquette County and were seen nest building and incubating from mid-April to the beginning of May. However, this pair was unsuccessful in hatching a chick this year. We are glad that this duo is still going strong, and are hopeful that they will try for a nest again in the future! 

Fall 2022: It has been an interesting fall for male 28-17! After spending the summer with his mate 8-17 on their territory at Grand River Marsh, 28-17 was seen during fall in Jasper County, Indiana with female 27-14! We don’t know what happened to 28-17’s previous mate 8-17, but we hope she is okay. Then 27-14’s GPS transmitter showed that she migrated back to Wisconsin! She was hanging out on 28-17’s territory, so we assume they were together, but we never were able to get eyes on them to confirm. They stayed in Wisconsin until December when there was quite a bit of snow on the ground, so we were getting a little worried. Then 27-14’s transmitter showed she migrated back to her normal wintering area in Lawrence County, Illinois, but 28-17 wasn’t with her. We hope 28-17 is ok and that he shows up somewhere soon. Fingers crossed! 

Spring 2023: 8-17 and 28-17 were seen together in December in Jasper County, Indiana. Following what was no doubt an interesting winter, 8-17, 28-17, and interloper 27-14 were all seen back in Marquette County, Wisconsin. Since returning to Wisconsin, 27-14 has been keeping to herself, and 8-17 and 28-17 continue to be paired. The pair, however, did not nest and it is unclear if they will stay paired long-term due to 28-17’s recent injury. Sometime around February, 28-17 appeared to have an injured leg, possibly a break. However, he seemed to be in high spirits and was still moving around and foraging, so there was hope he would heal without intervention. Unfortunately, 28-17’s injury persisted, and in late March he was seen with only one leg, and it is assumed the injured leg fell off naturally. His leg healed well, and he continued to move around, forage, and defend his territory alongside his mate, despite his injury. We wish the best for both members of this pair as they migrate, and we will be keeping a close eye on 28-17.

Click here to jump to the top of this page.


Crane #30-17

Sex: Female
Hatch Date: May 26, 2017

Personality and Characteristics: This young female Whooping crane arrived with the second shipment of cranes from Patuxent Wildlife Research Center on October 3rd.

A couple of days after she arrived she was moved to Winnebago County, Wisconsin to be released in the same wetland as #72-17 was spending time following his release a couple of weeks earlier.

Number 30-17 hid for a couple of days but eventually came out from her hiding spot and began associating Sandhill cranes. Jo-Anne Bellemer monitored this crane for several weeks and only ever saw her by herself, or with a small group of Sandhills.

During the first week of November, she began heading southwest and arrived at a location along the Mississippi River. She stayed at this location until the middle of the month and then continued south – and continue she did. All the way to the southernmost tip of Louisiana!

Take a look at her migration map:

She is in a coastal area of Louisiana that is very remote and her tracking device allows us to keep tabs on her location so we’ll update this as soon as she decides to head north in the spring.

Spring 2018: Unfortunately, the carcass of 30-17 was recovered in late April during migration in Lake County, Illinois. The cause of death is believed to be predation.

Click here to jump to the top of this page.


Crane #36-17

Sex: Female
Hatch Date: June 8, 2017

Personality and Characteristics: This young female was raised by adult Whooping cranes at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland. She was shipped to Wisconsin with four others on October 3rd when they were banded upon arrival and placed in a temporary holding pen.

Two days later, she and female PR #37-17 were transferred to north Marathon County, WI and released in the vicinity of two male yearling cranes. Numbers 29-16 and 39-16 were Parent-Reared cranes from the 2016.

These two juvenile cranes were monitored by interns with the International Crane Foundation and they reported they observed a “loose association” with the two yearling males.

They were observed in the same area several times but a bond didn’t seem to form and the two males flew south to the wintering location they used last year – leaving the two young female cranes behind.

Number 36-17 began heading south along with 37-17 on November 12. Both have GSM remote tracking devices so we are able to see when/where they are with good accuracy.

Unfortunately, the remains of 37-17 were collected by Necedah National Wildlife Refuge biologist Brad Strobel on November 13th from Necedah, Wisconsin where it appears she collided with a powerline.

Whooping crane 36-17 continued south and flew to Jasper Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area in northern Indiana. She remained there until the 2017/18 polar vortex moved south and she then flew further south to the panhandle area of Florida where she remained for the winter.

Spring 2018: 36-17 returned to Clark County, Wisconsin near the area was she was released in May, but she did a bit of exploring first! Her satellite transmitter showed that when she headed north, she kept going north- until she came to the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior! After a few days there, she decided she didn’t want to cross the lake and turned around to head back to Clark County after a few detours. For much of the summer, she associated with 19-17 and 25-17, but she did not follow them when they returned to Minnesota in August.

Fall 2018: In October, 36-17 moved east to Marathon County where she began associating with female-female pair 28-05 and 2-15. In mid-November, the group of three migrated first to southeast Indiana, then continued further south.

Unfortunately, 36-17’s remains were recovered in late November after the group of three was roosting on a farm in Kentucky. Cause of death is currently unknown, but a powerline collision is suspected.

Click here to jump to the top of this page.


Crane #37-17

Sex: Female
Hatch Date: June 16, 2017

Personality and Characteristics: This young female was raised by adult Whooping cranes at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland. She was shipped to Wisconsin with four others on October 3rd when they were banded upon arrival and placed in a temporary holding pen.

Two days later, she and female PR #36-17 were transferred to north Marathon County, WI and released in the vicinity of two male yearling cranes. Numbers 29-16 and 39-16 were Parent-Reared cranes from the 2016 release and had been hanging out in the Marathon County location for approximately 3 weeks.

These two juvenile cranes were monitored by interns with the International Crane Foundation and they reported they observed a “loose association” with the two yearling males. They were observed in the same area several times but a bond didn’t seem to form and the two males flew south to the wintering location they used last year – leaving the two young female cranes behind.

Number 37-17 began heading south along with 36-17 on November 12. Both have GSM remote tracking devices so we are able to see when/where they are with good accuracy.

Unfortunately, the remains of 37-17 were collected by Necedah National Wildlife Refuge biologist Brad Strobel on November 13th from Necedah, Wisconsin where it appears she collided with a powerline.

Click here to jump to the top of this page.


Crane #38-17

Sex: Female
Hatch Date: June 18, 2017

Personality and Characteristics: She was hatched at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland and transported to Wisconsin on October 3rd. She and number 39-17 were released at the same location on Horicon National Wildlife Refuge in Dodge County, Wisconsin on October 5th in hopes they would find adult crane #63-15.

The two did not stay together for long and number 38-17 soon moved a bit southwest of her release location, while #39-17 moved to the east side of the refuge. Both spent time with Sandhill cranes.

Number 38-17 was associating with a couple of Sandhill cranes – One appeared to have a broken wing and couldn’t migrate south.

See the Sandhill in the middle? Note the droopy wing? Photo: Doug Pellerin

By the end of December one of the Sandhill’s had left and number 38-17 and the bird with the broken wing were still at Horicon despite frigid temperatures. A plan was worked out to capture the young Whooping crane, however, only the Sandhill crane was captured. It was taken to a rehab facility for examination and to determine if the wing could be repaired.

Meanwhile, number 38-17 continued to spend time at Horicon and as of January 8, 2018 she was still there. Several capture attempts have been made but she has managed to evade capture so far. ICF’s Hillary Thompson reports 38-17 appears to be eating the corn at the bait station and she is likely eating snow for water. She ended up surviving the cold Wisconsin winter and never migrated south!

Spring 2018: In mid-March #38-17 was joined by two Sandhill cranes. Let’s hope she finds a Whooping crane at the marsh this year and actually migrates south this coming fall.

Summer 2018: After spending most of the summer with Sandhill Cranes, 38-17 joined Whooping Crane 63-15 at the end of November! We are all hoping she will continue to stick with him and migrate south this fall!

38-17 and new friend 63-15 hang out in Dodge County. Photo: Doug Pellerin

Fall 2018: On November 21, 38-17’s GSM tracker shows she has left Wisconsin! On November 26, the transmitter shows she arrived at 63-15’s wintering grounds in Randolph County, Illinois. Shortly after, the two of the were confirmed to be together. We’re very excited that 38-17 decided to migrate!

Spring 2019: Satellite data from 38-17 indicates that she departed Illinois and returned to Horicon Marsh on March 24. We are so glad that she has completed her first migration! Shortly after arriving, it was confirmed that she was still with male 63-15. 

63-15 and 38-17 dance together. Photo: Doug Pellerin

Fall 2019: 38-17 and mate 63-15 spent the summer at Horicon Marsh. The two started migrating in November and arrived at Kaskaskia Island in Illinois by the mid-November. The two spent the winter here.  

Spring 2020: The pair were first observed back at Horicon Marsh at the end of March. 38-17 and 63-15 nested for the first time this year. The two hatched a chick, W13-20, which is the first chick to hatch at Horicon Marsh! So far, the pair have proved to be good parents and we hope that continues into the future.  

Fall 2020:  38-17 and 63-15’s chick, W13-20, fledged in early August. They all migrated in mid- November to their usual spot in Randolph County, Illinois and are doing well. 

Spring 2021: This Spring 38-17, her mate 63-15, and chick W13-20 returned home to Horicon Marsh in late March after spending the winter in Randolph County, Illinois. The pair quickly ran off W13-20 and began nesting. By the 11th of May, they had two chicks. Although one chick died soon after hatch, the other chick survived until early July. 

Fall 2021: This fall 63-15 and 38-17 migrated from Dodge County, Wisconsin, to Randolph County, Illinois. They made this journey in just one day! So far, they’ve been keeping to themselves while down on the wintering grounds. 

Spring 2022: 38-17 and her mate 63-15 left Randolph County, Illinois and arrived at Horicon NWR in Wisconsin in mid-March. They hatched a chick in late May, known as W9-22, which sadly disappeared shortly afterwards. 

Fall 2022: 38-17 and her mate 63-15 spent the rest of summer on their territory at Horicon National Wildlife Refuge in Dodge County, Wisconsin. They migrated to their usual wintering grounds in Randolph County, Illinois during fall. In early winter, they were joined by their son, W13-20! 

Spring 2023: 38-17 and her mate were frequently seen with their chick from a few years ago, W13-20, on their wintering grounds until the end of February. By early March, they were back on their territory at Horicon National Wildlife Refuge, and W13-20 found his own territory elsewhere on the refuge. The pair was sitting on a nest by early April and welcomed chick W2-23 on May 7. Unfortunately, this chick passed away two months later due to a bacterial infection and a leg wound.

38-17 feeds her chick, W2-23, while her mate 63-15 observes.
38-17 feeds her chick, W2-23, while her mate 63-15 observes. Lesley Haven

Click here to jump to the top of this page.


Crane #39-17

Sex: Female
Hatch Date: June 22, 2017

Personality and Characteristics: She was hatched at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland and transported to Wisconsin on October 3rd. She and number 38-17 were released at the same location on Horicon National Wildlife Refuge in Dodge County, Wisconsin on October 5th in hopes they would find adult crane #63-15.

This young crane flew off shortly after release and roosted approximately 300 meters from 38-17. The following day, Heather was able to get a visual on both of them and confirmed they were alright.

Over the next few weeks, this young Whooping Crane traveled to the east side of the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge with a small flock of Sandhill cranes. She was never observed with another Whooping crane.

On December 9th, number 39-17 began heading south and in one day covered approximately 200 miles before arriving at Jasper Pulaski State Fish and Wildlife Area in Jasper County, Indiana.

As of mid-January, she is still at this location.

Spring 2018: This young crane headed north – unfortunately, into Michigan!

Whooping crane 39-17 ventured north into Michigan. We’ll have to wait to see if she heads back south to go around the lake and into Wisconsin.

Spring 2018: Thankfully, in late April, 39-17 changed course and came back around Lake Michigan into Wisconsin. On April 29th, she settled in Outagamie County, Wisconsin.

Summer 2018: 39-17 remained for most of the summer in Outagamie County, Wisconsin with Sandhill Cranes.

Fall 2018: On November 13, 39-17 migrated to Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area in northern Indiana, where she spent all last winter. She has frequently been associated with male 28-17. Both birds have mainly associated with Sandhill Cranes since being released, so hopefully these two will stay together! In February, a cold snap sent her south to Jackson County, Indiana.

28-17 and 39-17 dance in Jasper County, Indiana. Photo: Gary Soper

Spring 2019: In late March, 39-17 returned to Wisconsin . . . and kept going, all the way to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan! She has so far spent April moving between the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan, and even crossing into Canada!

Unfortunately, 39-17 was found dead of a gunshot wound on Manitoulin Island in Ontario, Canada on May 5. The case is currently under investigation by Canadian authorities. Anyone with information concerning the shooting should contact the Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). The Whooping Crane Conservation Association and International Crane Foundation are offering a $3,000 reward for information leading to the suspect’s arrest.

Click here to jump to the top of this page.


Crane #72-17

Sex: Male
Hatch Date: May 23, 2017

Personality and Characteristics: Number 72-17 was hatched and raised by adult Whooping Cranes at the International Crane Foundation. His nickname is Amethyst.

He was released in Winnebago County, WI on October 6th and the next day was observed with Sandhill Cranes exploring the surrounding area.

Release of 72-17! Photo by Hillary Thompson

About a week later #30-17 was released near him but the two were never observed associating.

He began heading south on November 16th and only 4 days later he arrived in central Florida – some 1200 miles south.

Winter 2017/18: Whooping Crane 72-17 is confirmed in Okeechobee County, FL along with Sandhill cranes.

Spring 2018: Whooping crane 72-17 began heading north in early April. Four days later, he took a right turn over north Kentucky and eventually ended up in Michigan. We’ll have to see if he eventually finds his way back to Wisconsin where he’ll have a much better chance at finding other Whooping cranes.

As of June, this young Whooping crane is still in Michigan.

Summer 2018: 72-17 remained in Ingham County, Michigan for the summer

Fall 2018: On November 20th, 72-17’s transmitter showed he was heading south! He was in Jay County, Indiana, for a few days before arriving in Jefferson County in northeast Tennessee on the 29th, where he remained for the winter.

Spring 2019: On March 12, satellite data from 72-17 shows that he has returned to Michigan! He spent most of the spring wandering around the lower part of the state, but settled in Saginaw County.

Fall 2019: 72-17 spent the summer exploring Michigan. In December, he was still in Jackson County, Michigan. By January, 72-17 was finally spotted in his wintering grounds in Okeechobee County, Florida.  

Spring 2020: 72-17 was spotted heading north in March with a stop in Indiana. From looking at his remote transmitter data we saw that he made a large circle starting in April in Michigan, going over Lake Michigan to Wisconsin, and then returning to Michigan in May. Typically cranes fly around this big lake, but 72-17 decided to fly right over it.. Twice!   

72-17’s unique migration across Lake Michigan!

Fall 2020: In September, 72-17 was spotted still in Saginaw County, Michigan. As of January, we aren’t sure where he is wintering. 

Spring 2021: 7217 was last seen October of 2020 and his remains were discovered in Michigan in March 2021Cause of death has not been confirmed but was possibly a powerline collision. 

Click here to jump to the top of this page.


Crane #W3-17

Sex: Female
Hatch Date: May 2017

Personality and Characteristics: This youngster was born to Whooping cranes 24-09 and 42-09 in May 2017 and survived to fledge. The Monitoring and Management team was unable to capture the young crane to place identifying legbands on it and to draw blood to determine gender so we’re not sure if it’s a boy or a girl crane.

It flew south with its parents to their traditional wintering area in Hopkins County, Kentucky and then returned north with them in April of 2018. The adults promptly and not very politely kicked her out of their territory so that they could breed. This youngster will need to find its own mate and territory!

Summer 2018: W3-17 spent the summer in Adams County after being kicked out by her parents, only about a mile away from their nesting territory. In early July, she was captured and was given leg bands and a radio transmitter for tracking purposes. And yes, the blood test showed that she was a girl!

She spent most of the summer with male 39-16 (who died during the summer) or Sandhill Cranes.

Fall 2018: W3-17 began associating with male 11-15. In mid-November, the two showed up at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama where they spent the winter- a new pair?

W3-17 hangs out with new friend 11-15 and some Sandhills in the fall. Photo: Doug Pellerin

Spring 2019: W3-17 left Wheeler NWR with a group of 5 other birds in early March. They were seen passing through northern Illinois, and arrived at White River Marsh by the end of the month. She remains with male 11-15.

W3-17 separated from 11-15 in late April, and instead began associating with male 30-16! This pair is the first wild-hatched/parent-reared pair.  

W3-17 nested with new mate 30-16 at White River Marsh in April. This was the first nest between a parent-reared bird and a wild-hatched bird- the first nest where neither parent was raised by costumes! Despite the young ages of the parents, they produced a fertile egg. The pair was seen off nest in mid-May. Eggshell fragments were found on the nest, but no chicks were seen so it is inconclusive whether a hatch occurred. 

Fall 2019: W3-17 and 30-16 spent the summer at White River Marsh in Green Lake County, Wisconsin. They were first observed on their wintering grounds in December, at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. They spent the winter here with other whooping cranes. 

Spring 2020: W3-17 and mate 30-16 were first observed back at White River Marsh at the end of March. We assume the pair nested since W3-17 was seen alone and the two spent a lot of time in one area, but we were never able to confirm a nest.  

Fall 2020: 30-16 and mate W3-17 left White River Marsh in December and went to Wheeler NWR, Alabama. They are wintering with other whooping crane pairs at the refuge. 

Spring 2021: W3-17 and 30-16 appeared back at White River Marsh at the end of March and were incubating eggs on a nest less than a month later. They hatched their chick (the first to hatch at White River Marsh!), but it sadly went missing in the middle of May. 

Fall 2021: 30-16 and W3-17 hung around in Wisconsin up until late November. They migrated down to Wheeler NWR in Alabama, and they have been associating with several other whooping cranes in the area. 

Spring 2022: After spending the winter in Alabama, W3-17 and her mate, 30-16, migrated back to White River Marsh by the end of March. They were quick to nest shortly after their arrival and were seen incubating in early April. This nest unfortunately failed due to egg predation, and the pair did not attempt a renest. W13-17 and 30-16 have continued hanging out at White River Marsh since then.  

Fall 2022: 30-16 and his mate W3-17 spent the rest of the summer on their territory at White River Marsh. During fall, W3-17 showed up on the wintering grounds at Wheeler NWR in Alabama without 30-16. We hope he will turn up soon! 

Spring 2023: W3-17 spent her winter at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama without her mate 30-16. She did, however, associate with other Whooping Cranes in the area, and after migrating back to White River Marsh State Wildlife Area in Wisconsin in Marsh, she has been seen with W2-21. The pair was even reported unison calling! Fingers crossed for a nest next year!

Click here to jump to the top of this page.


Crane #W7-17

Sex: Female
Hatch Date: June 2017

Personality and Characteristics: This youngster was born at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge to Whooping Cranes 24-08 and 14-08 in June 2017 and survived to fledge. Blood draws revealed that this chick is a girl!

W7-17 at Necedah with one of her parents. Photo by Bev Paulan

She flew south to Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama, her parents usual wintering spot. They were first seen on the refuge November 26th.

Spring 2018: In early March, the family group began heading back north and was seen in Edwards County in southern Illinois. However, 14-08 and 24-08 left W7-17 there as they continued to migrate north back to Necedah! On her own, W7-17 seemed to get a little lost as she next showed up in Wright County, Minnesota!

Summer 2018: W7-17 spent the summer associating with Sandhill Cranes in Minnesota.

Fall 2018: W7-17 left Minnesota in mid-October, and was the first Whooping Crane to arrive at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama on October 24th! She may not have known how to get back to Wisconsin, but she clearly knows how to get back to her wintering grounds. She mainly associates with male 3-17, so hopefully he can bring her back to Wisconsin in 2019.

Spring 2019: W7-17 left Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge with a group of 5 other birds, including male 3-17. They were seen migrating together in Illinois, but when he was first seen at White River Marsh in Wisconsin, he had a new mate. What happened to W7-17? In early May, she reappeared in Burnett County, in far northern Wisconsin!

After a long period of no sightings in the spring, W7-17 resurfaced in Sherburne County, Minnesota! While trackers were hoping she would stay in Wisconsin this year, she had spent all last summer in this area so it’s not a big surprise that she would return.  

Fall 2019: W7-17 spent her summer in Burnett County, Wisconsin. At the beginning of November, she was spotter on her wintering grounds at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama. She spent the winter here among other whooping cranes.  

Spring 2020: W7-17 was spotted in Fayette County, Illinois, throughout the month of March. She has not yet been seen in Wisconsin.  

Fall 2020: W7-17 has still not been seen since March. We are hoping she will turn up on the wintering grounds at Wheeler NWR, but she’s getting close to being considered long-term missing. 

Spring 2021:W7-17 is officially long-term missing and is presumed dead. 

Click here to jump to the top of this page.