Whooping crane numbers taking flight!

[Daktari JG]

Whooping Crane | International Crane Foundation

that's up from 757 a year ago- a 12% increase.

The Canadian and Lousiana flocks are both doing quite well. The Wisconsin
flock "seems" to be getting over the hump. The Florida flock is pretty much a failure.

 

[birdsandbats]

The Florida flock is pretty much a failure.

The Florida non-migratory flock was a mistake anyway.

 

[Jana]

The Florida non-migratory flock was a mistake anyway.

Why?

 

[birdsandbats]

Why?

As I understand it, that flock was literally a mistake. It was their first attempt at Whooping Crane reintroduction. They put the birds in Florida in winter hoping they would migrate north. They didn't.

 

[Daktari JG]

Bad year in Louisiana for nesting
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries - Whooping Cranes

As I understand it, that flock was literally a mistake. It was their first attempt at Whooping Crane reintroduction. They put the birds in Florida in winter hoping they would migrate north. They didn't.

No that is incorrect. The flock was intended to be nonmigratory. And it was the second attempt. The first was at Grey's Lake in Idaho where they had the not so bright idea of putting whooper eggs in sandhill nests. It never really made sense that they didn't try it again with the same technique they used in Wisc.

The Florida flock faltered because the nests were too heavily predatored.

 

[Daktari JG]

whooping it up. 37 fledglings from 36 nests from the main flock.
37 Fledglings Counted During Whooping Crane Survey On Wood Buffalo National Park - Friends of the Wild Whoopers