On September 1st we will observe the 100 year anniversary of the extinction of the Passenger Pigeon. Just a few decades after the Passenger Pigeon’s demise, another North American bird species, the Whooping Crane, declined to just 21 birds in the wild. Loss of habitat and hunting pressures nearly caused the same fate as the Passenger Pigeon’s.
Author: Sara
Visualizing Conservation through GIS
This summer, ICF received an in-kind donation from the ESRI Conservation Program of over $9,500 that allows us to maintain our GIS (Geographic Information System) software and provides technical support when we need it most.
ICF's Sarus Cranes Contribute to Breeding Goals One Egg at a Time
Recently, we learned from the Sarus Crane Studbook keeper that Majnu, our 51 year old male Indian Sarus Crane, along with Chandini, a 12 year old female on loan to ICF from the Gulf Breeze Zoo in Florida, are not only a good genetic pair, but there is a need for their offspring in captivity.
Visitors to ICF May See Rare Hooded Crane Chick
Wasabi, a rare Hooded Crane, hatched at the International Crane Foundation on June 6, 2014. But even before that, its journey was a colorful one. Eggs produced by ICF’s captive flock are either destined for release into the wild – like those of Whooping Cranes – or play an important role as captive breeding birds to protect wild cranes for future generations.
DAR Whooping Cranes Are Headed to Louisiana
The four Direct Autumn Release (DAR) Whooping Crane chicks are headed to Louisiana! This year’s DAR chicks will be released in the non-migratory Whooping Crane population at the White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area in southwest Louisiana instead of with the eastern migratory population (WCEP population) in central Wisconsin.
Travels with George: Mongolia 2014
On a wide plain beside the town of Binder in northeast Mongolia, the nation’s first Crane Festival was held on June 13, 2014. Our group and other guests sat comfortably under a large colorful tent with one side open to a field surrounded by other tents, exhibits, games, vehicles, and horses. A sequence of activities unfolded for six hours, including ethnic dancing, singing, dramas, and dances about cranes, along with the three big traditional crowd pleasers — wrestling, horse racing, and archery.
Appeals Court Reverses Decision for Whooping Cranes in Texas
The International Crane Foundation is disappointed that earlier this week the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision that mandated fresh-water inflows to Whooping Crane habitat on the Texas coast. The three judge panel held that legal aspects of the Endangered Species Act were misapplied in the lower court decision, when it found that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality was liable for the deaths of 23 Whooping Cranes in 2008-2009.
Egg Score Card 2014
ICF’s captive Whooping Cranes are laying eggs – breeding season is here! A tradition at ICF is to follow our “Egg Score Card,” which tracks the Whooping Crane eggs from our captive flock, as well as wild Whooping Crane nests in Wisconsin.
USFWS Announces 2013 Shooting of Whooping Crane in Wisconsin
Wisconsin is home to a long legacy of ethical hunters and bird enthusiasts that dates back to before Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac of the mid-1900s. In the spirit of Leopold’s land ethic, we need your help.
An Evening with the Cranes: ICF's Summer Fundraiser
The International Crane Foundation (ICF) will host An Evening with the Cranes, Saturday, June 21, from 5 – 8 pm. Described as a magical evening, ICF brings together delicious food, wines from around the world, live music, and an opportunity to meet the people that are dedicated to saving cranes.