Endangered Cranes Killed in Fla. Storms (1 Viewer)

BirdAdvocate · Feb 3, 2007

There are no words to describe this!

All 18 endangered young whooping cranes that were led south from Wisconsin last fall as part of a project to create a second migratory flock of the birds were killed in storms in Florida, a spokesman said.

The cranes were being kept in an enclosure at the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge near Crystal River, Fla., when violent storms moved in Thursday night, said Joe Duff, co-founder of Operation Migration, the organization coordinating the project.

"The birds were checked in late afternoon the day before, and they were fine," he said Friday.

The area of the enclosure was unreachable by workers at night, and all the birds were found dead, Duff said. He speculated that a strong storm surge drew the tide in and overwhelmed the birds. The official cause of the deaths was not immediately known, but he said it may have been drowning.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/03/AR2007020300306.html

lockbreeze926 · Feb 3, 2007

That's a terrible event, but the same storms have claimed at least 19 human lives.

Dave B Smith · Feb 3, 2007

And both great losses. We're Floridians currently working in Calgary so were especially interested in this year's flight as 6 of the young cranes were from a captive breeding program here in Calgary. Anyone who wants to help in this establishment program can contact Operation Migration . I'm sure they'll be working extra hard next year.

timeshadowed · Feb 3, 2007

My heart is breaking with this news, which I read this morning just before going to work. It was so hard to keep my mind focused on my work.

Such a great loss in Fla, both human and otherwise!

emupilot · Feb 5, 2007

One of the birds, previously unaccounted for, has been found alive. I can only imagine what it must feel like for the team that raised them and led them to Florida. Thankfully, the species has recovered to the point that it can afford to lose 17 individuals.

timeshadowed · Feb 5, 2007

emupilot said:
One of the birds, previously unaccounted for, has been found alive. I can only imagine what it must feel like for the team that raised them and led them to Florida. Thankfully, the species has recovered to the point that it can afford to lose 17 individuals.

Good news indeed! But I'm still mourning the loss of the other 17. I'm just too much of a bird lover to not be in a state of mourning.

BirdAdvocate · Feb 5, 2007

timeshadowed said:
Good news indeed! But I'm still mourning the loss of the other 17. I'm just too much of a bird lover to not be in a state of mourning.

I know you're right. The loss showed just how fragile their existence is. :stuck:

A CHAPLIN · Feb 5, 2007

Hi Folks,

When I saw the pictures of the storms in Florida I thought and prayed for the loss of lives and homes of the people there, never thinking of the young Cranes.

This morning the first post I saw was your's Bird Advocate and I am heartbroken. I have supported the Cranes reintroduction programme since it first began. I have followed the youngsters journeys every year and not all have been easy for their human companions, nor the birds, but this is beyond words, I can't find enough sorry. The diary has been fantastic and your fellow countrymen taken the birds to their hearts, one town even closing the day they flew over everyone connected with the Cranes will be devastated I know I am and will now write to the team.

I know the storms hit quickly while people were asleep and thank God there weren't more lives lost.

I hope and pray nature is not so cruel next year.

Ann :egghead: :-C

humminbird · Feb 5, 2007

timeshadowed said:
Good news indeed! But I'm still mourning the loss of the other 17. I'm just too much of a bird lover to not be in a state of mourning.

Not entirely good news. Historically Whooping Cranes that associated with Sandhills have imprinted on Sandhills and this is not what is needed if these birds are to be reestablished in FL. Good news that it survived, but not where.

timeshadowed · Feb 6, 2007

If the funding were made available, is there any way that the number of young chicks hatched in '07 could be increased by 9 so that at least half of the loss in numbers of new chicks could be made up?

deborah4 · Feb 6, 2007

A CHAPLIN said:
everyone connected with the Cranes will be devastated I know I am and will now write to the team.

Good idea, Anne. I too now, have sent an email of support and condolence.

emupilot · Feb 6, 2007

timeshadowed said:
If the funding were made available, is there any way that the number of young chicks hatched in '07 could be increased by 9 so that at least half of the loss in numbers of new chicks could be made up?

It's not a matter of funding so much as productivity of the captive flock. They are careful to maintain genetic diversity of their captive flock (and keep genetically important chicks in captive propagation) while still producing as many birds as they can for wild reintroduction.

humminbird said:
Not entirely good news. Historically Whooping Cranes that associated with Sandhills have imprinted on Sandhills and this is not what is needed if these birds are to be reestablished in FL. Good news that it survived, but not where.

Unlike the Rocky Mountain cross-fostering experiment, all the whoopers in the Wisconsin-Florida flock are raised to fledging by surrogate whooping crane parents, in whooping crane costumes and making whooping crane calls. It is common for young whoopers, once on their own, to associate with Sandhill Cranes, but none of the Wisconsin flock have shown any more than platonic interest in Sandhills. By their third year or so, the whoopers have been pairing up with each other and attempting to nest, with one pair successful this year.

emupilot · Apr 18, 2007

Cause of deaths determined

Operation Migration has released a quick statement about the cause of the death of all but one of the class of 2006 whoopers:

The findings included drowning from the aspiration of salt water into the lungs; trauma; and presumptive electrical shock from a lightning strike as evidenced by diagnostic tissue damage in the heart, kidneys and other organs.

NOAA reports indicate a lightning strike within yards of the pen site at 3:16 AM, shortly after the high tides peaked. It is presumed that the lightning stunned the birds and they drown as a result.

More data has been gathered and will be included in the final report along with recommendations for changes.

Gentoo · Apr 19, 2007

I heard about this and it devested me to hear this news. I always feel for the people in these situations but now a critically endangered species is in the mix.

Question, wasn't there a population of Whoopng Cranes established that migrated from Idaho to New Mexico?

emupilot · Apr 19, 2007

Gentoo said:
I heard about this and it devested me to hear this news. I always feel for the people in these situations but now a critically endangered species is in the mix.

Question, wasn't there a population of Whoopng Cranes established that migrated from Idaho to New Mexico?

The Idaho - New Mexico flock was established by cross-fostering whooping crane eggs in sandhill crane nests. It didn't work because the whooping cranes thought they were sandhill cranes (even producing the only known hybrid between the two) and mortality was high (powerlines and fences IIRC). The last whooper from that flock died a couple years ago.

humminbird · Apr 19, 2007

Gentoo said:
I heard about this and it devested me to hear this news. I always feel for the people in these situations but now a critically endangered species is in the mix.

Question, wasn't there a population of Whoopng Cranes established that migrated from Idaho to New Mexico?

Just to note, the worldwide Whooping Crane population is over 500 birds. Yes, this bird remains on the Endangered Species List, but I can think of other, much more "critically endangered" birds that get very little press. The Attwater's Prairie Chicken is currently represented by fewer than 50 birds in the wild. There are over 200 birds in the one flock of Whooping Cranes.

Endangered Cranes Killed in Fla. Storms (1 Viewer)

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