Cranes

This crane, #59-13, named Latka, was the first whopping crane to arrive at the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge wintering ground in Alabama in November 2015. She is part of an effort to establish an Easterm Migratory Flock (EMF) of cranes that was begun in 2000. She is one about 600 wild cranes in existence. The EMF she is in numbers about 100. She was hatched in 2013 from an egg from the Calgary Zoo, costume raised to prevent human imprinting, transferred to the Horicon Marsh in Wisconsin in September, allowed to spend more and more time out of her pen, and was was officially released into the wild adult population in late October to allow her to follow them back to wintering grounds in the south, a program known as Direct Autumn Release (DAR). Eventurally, but quite late in the year, the 2013 DAR birds started their migration but for some reason Latka returned north. Because of severe cold weather a decision was made to capture Latka. She was flown south and released at Wheeler. She learned the migration route when she returned north with a few other cranes the next spring. This is her second year to return to Wheeler unaided. She is quite small for a whooping crane. You can read about her history at www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/crane/13/BandingCodes_latka.html

These cranes are endangered. Only about 600 exist - 400 of them are in the wild. Of those, 300 are in the only naturally migrating flock which is west of the Mississippi and 100 are captive born that are being released into the wild in hopes of establishing another migrating flock east of the Mississippi River. Thirty four of the released birds have been wintering in Alabama, 12 to 14 of them at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Decatur, Alabama where this photo was taken. The birds were quite far away not much more than a white speck to the native eye. However, if I really blow the image up, though blurred, I can see some of the leg bands. Each crane has a distinctively colored band. All the eastern cranes have life histories on the internet. When I have time I will try to find the ones I photo'd. (IMG_7691)

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Decatur, Alabama (IMG_7623)

Wheeler National Wildife Refuge, Decatur, Alabama (IMG_7631)

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Decatur, Alabama (IMG_7612)

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Decatur, Alabama (IMG_7612)

Wheeler National Wildife Refuge, Decatur, Alabama (IMG_7656)

Wheeler National Wildife Refuge, Decatur, Alabama (IMG_7642)

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Decatur, Alabama (DSC02707)