Whooper separates from others on flight north

Posted 7:41AM on Tuesday 16th April 2002 ( 23 years ago )

One of the five whooping cranes being tracked by researchers on a migratory flight north to Wisconsin separated from the other four as the journey continued this week. The Operation Migration Web site provided updates on the endangered birds that were led by ultralight on a migration from central Wisconsin to Florida last fall. The five cranes began their northward flight on their own a week ago. According to the Web site, the birds left Henry County, Georgia, on Sunday, but one split off and flew to McMinn County in Tennessee while the other four flew to Fentress County, Tennessee. A member of the research team was monitoring the separate bird, which traveled 144 miles, and other researchers were following the other four cranes, which covered 200 miles. On Monday, the group of four cranes flew 238 miles to Johnson County, Indiana, raising their total distance traveled to 866 miles. There was no immediate update on the separate bird. The tracking team has traveled in separate vehicles in case such a separation occurs. The cranes are tracked with the use of radio collars. Last fall, the cranes followed an ultralight from Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in central Wisconsin to the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, near Tampa, Fla. Eight whoopers started on the trip south, but one died after a wind storm on the way and two were killed by bobcats at the Florida refuge. The goal of the project is to establish a flock of at least 25 whooping cranes nesting at Necedah in the summer and wintering at the Florida refuge.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/4/195937