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Class of 2018

This year, the only reintroduction technique used was the Parent-Reared release method. Six of this year’s chicks were captive-hatched and raised by adult cranes in a captive-breeding facility with little human contact. Two of those chicks are biological siblings that were raised at White Oak Conservation Center in Florida and released with their parents in Wisconsin. Two were raised at the International Crane Foundation in Wisconsin and were released by themselves near wild Whooping Crane pairs in hopes that the pairs would learn to migrate with their adoptive parents. The other two were raised at the Calgary Zoo and were released together in Wisconsin in the spring of 2019 after a delay the previous fall.

2018 also had the highest number of fledged chicks from wild-hatched birds! Ten chicks hatched from 23 nests, of which six grew to fledge, and five migrated south with their parents.

Parent-reared Whooping Cranes

75-18

Died Sept ’20

76-18

Died Oct ’18

78-18

Died Nov ’19

Wild-hatched Whooping Cranes

W3-18

Died July ’21

W9-18

Died Sept ’18

W10-18

Not been seen since June ’22

73-18

Sex: Female
Hatch Date: April 26, 2018

First yearChicks 73-18 and 74-18 were hatched and raised by adult Whooping Cranes 16-11 and 18-12 at White Oak Conservation Center, a breeding center for endangered species in Yulee, Florida. 16-11 had been placed in captivity to encourage him to pair with a Whooping Crane after he had mated with a Sandhill Crane on his territory at Horicon Marsh. 18-12 was part of the Direct Autumn Release program, but she was injured before release. She recovered from her injuries but remained in captivity. The two were slated to be released on 16-11’s territory in spring of 2018, but instead, they nested at White Oak and hatched and fledged two chicks, 73-18 and 74-18!

Summer 2018: On August 24th, the whole family (16-11, 18-12, 73-18, and 74-18) was flown to Wisconsin by Windway Captial Corp. On August 25th, the family was released at Horicon Marsh near 16-11’s old territory. The family stayed together the first few days, but soon male 16-11 took female chick 73-18 out over his old territory while female 18-12 stayed near the release site with male chick 74-18.

Close-up of two juvenile Whooping Cranes.
Twins 73-18 and 74-18 after release. Photo: Ted Thousand

Fall 2018: In late September, female 18-12’s remains were found. Male chick 74-18 joined 16-11 and 73-18, and the three spent the fall in 16-11’s territory. On November 18, the family group set out on migration. On November 19, they arrived at Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area in northern Indiana, where they remained throughout the winter.

An adult and two juvenile Whooping Cranes in a marsh
16-11 with his two chicks 73-18 and 74-18 near Horicon Marsh. Photo: Doug Pellerin

Fun fact about twins 73-18 and 74-18: even though she’s only two days older, 73-18 gained whiter feathers much sooner than her brother 74-18. In fact, many people mistook her for an adult during her first fall in Wisconsin!

Spring 2019: Satellite data from 74-18 indicates that the family returned to Horicon Marsh from Jasper-Pulaski on March 12, making them the first Whooping Cranes to return to Wisconsin in 2019! They also brought another young male, 28-17, back with them. The next day, trackers saw that the chicks have already separated from 16-11, though the two remain in the Horicon area together.

Fall 2019: 73-18 was at Horicon Marsh for the summer with her father 16-11 and her brother 74-18. At the beginning of November, they started migrating south and arrived in Jasper County, Indiana. She spent the winter here with other whooping cranes.

Camera trap image of two Whooping Cranes and two Sandhill Cranes in a marsh
Photo: Sabine Berzins

Spring 2020: At the beginning of March, 73-18 was first spotted at Horicon Marsh. She was here for a short time then made her way to Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. Since arriving at Necedah, 73-18 has been associating with male 3-04 after his mate went missing. 73-18 and 3-04 seem to be a new pairing at Necedah and we hope it sticks!

Fall 2020: 3-04 took new mate, 73-18, to his usual wintering spot, where they were first seen in late November in Wayne County, Illinois. Hopefully this spring they will have their first nest together! 

Spring 2021:  73–18 and her mate 3–04 successfully migrated back to Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in late March. In April they began nesting. Although they incubated their egg for approximately a month, they did not succeed in hatching a chick this year.  

Fall 2021: 3-04 and 73-18 spent the remainder of the summer on their territory at Necedah NWR. In early November the pair showed up at their wintering grounds in Wayne County, Illinois. 

Spring 2022: 3-04 and 73-18 migrated back to Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in late March. They began nesting in mid-April and eggs from this nest were collected as part of the forced renesting program, which helps the pair avoid black flies and nest again when black flies are gone. The pair has been hanging around (and working on expanding) their territory in Necedah NWR since then. 

Fall 2022: 3-04 and 73-18 spent the rest of the summer on their territory at Necedah NWR. They migrated to their usual wintering location in Wayne County, IL in late September. They were some of the earliest migrants this year! 

Spring 2023: 3-04 and 73-18 migrated from Wayne County, Illinois in March and were first recorded at Necedah NWR in early spring defending their territory from an intruder! The pair eventually nested but unfortunately, their nest failed in late April, and they continued to reside on their territory.

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74-18

Sex: Male
Hatch Date: April 28, 2018

First year: Chicks 73-18 and 74-18 were hatched and raised by adult Whooping Cranes 16-11 and 18-12 at White Oak Conservation Center, a breeding center for endangered species in Yulee, Florida. 16-11 had been placed in captivity to encourage him to pair with a Whooping Crane after he had mated with a Sandhill Crane on his territory at Horicon Marsh. 18-12 was part of the Direct Autumn Release program, but she was injured before release. She recovered from her injuries but remained in captivity. The two were slated to be released on 16-11’s territory in spring of 2018, but instead, they nested at White Oak and hatched and fledged two chicks, 73-18 and 74-18!

Summer 2018: On August 24th, the whole family (16-11, 18-12, 73-18, and 74-18) was flown to Wisconsin by Windway Captial Corp. On August 25th, the family was released at Horicon Marsh near 16-11’s old territory. Though the family stayed together the first few days, but soon male 16-11 took female chick 73-18 out over his old territory while female 18-12 stayed near the release site with male chick 74-18.

Close-up of two juvenile Whooping Cranes.
Twins 73-18 and 74-18 after release. Photo: Ted Thousand

Fall 2018: In late September, female 18-12’s remains were found. Male chick 74-18 joined 16-11 and 73-18, and the three spent the fall in 16-11’s territory. On November 18, the family group set out on migration. On November 19, they arrived at Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area in northern Indiana, where they remained throughout the winter.

An adult and two juvenile Whooping Cranes in a marsh.
16-11 with his two chicks 73-18 and 74-18 near Horicon Marsh. Photo: Doug Pellerin

Fun fact about twins 73-18 and 74-18: even though she’s only two days older, 73-18 gained whiter feathers much sooner than her brother 74-18. In fact, many people mistook her for an adult her first fall in Wisconsin!

Spring 2019: Satellite data from 74-18 indicates that the family returned to Horicon Marsh from Jasper-Pulaski on March 12, making them the first Whooping Cranes to return to Wisconsin in 2019! They also brought another young male, 28-17, back with them. The next day, trackers saw that the chicks have already separated from 16-11, though the two remain in the Horicon area together.

Fall 2019: 74-18 was at Horicon Marsh for the summer with his father 16-11 and his sister 73-18. At the beginning of November, they started migrating south and arrived in Jasper County, Indiana. He spent the winter here with other whooping cranes. 

Camera trap image of two Whooping Cranes and two Sandhill Cranes in a marsh
Photo: Sabine Berzins

Spring 2020: 74-18 was first observed back in Dodge County, Wisconsin, at the beginning of March with 73-18. The siblings eventually split up and 74-18 stayed at Horicon Marsh. He had been associating with female 79-19, but something changed and he has been associating with 75-18 instead. 74-18, 75-18, 79-19 and 16-11 have spent time together this summer at Horicon.  

Fall 2020: 74-18 and 79-19 left 16-11 and showed up at Goose Pond FWA, Indiana, at the beginning of November. He has been seen there in large groups of young whooping cranes and breeding pairs. 

Spring 2021: 74-18 began the spring with his usual pals, 16-11 and 79-19 plus 16-11’s sandhill mate. He molted mid-spring and has now been spending time with young male W13-20 at Horicon National Wildlife Refuge 

Fall 2021: 74-18 spent the remainder of his summer with young male W13-20 at Horicon Marsh in Wisconsin where they were last seen on the 13th of November. There were no sightings of the pair on migration, but 74-18’s remote transmitter showed that he ended up in Lawrence County, Illinois. In late December we finally got confirmation that both 74-18 and W13-20 made it to Richland County, Illinois.  

Spring 2022: This spring, 74-18 showed up in Jackson County, Wisconsin. He has been spending time there alone. We hope that he will eventually move back to a location with other whooping cranes so that he can find someone to pair with! 

Fall 2022: 74-18 was last seen in September in Jackson County, Wisconsin. He hasn’t shown up on the wintering grounds yet, but he was hard to find last winter too. We hope he will turn up somewhere soon! 

Spring 2023: There have been no sightings of 74-18 this spring. We hope to find out more about his whereabouts soon!

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75-18

Sex: Male
Hatch Date: May 31, 2018

First year: 75-18 was hatched to a pair of cranes in captivity at the Calgary Zoo in Canada. He and 78-18 were slated for release in Wisconsin, but challenges with weather and permitting caused the duo to spend the winter in Canada and miss their first set of migrations. The pair was brought to Wisconsin at the end of May, and released at Horicon Marsh.

Two juvenile Whooping Cranes
75-18 and 78-18 newly released into Wisconsin. Photo: Hillary Thompson

The two spent their first few weeks together, but eventually split to begin exploring the marsh on their own. The goal is for these two to acclimate to their new surroundings, begin associating with other cranes, and migrate south this fall!

Two juvenile Whooping Cranes in flight
Photo: Hillary Thompson
Juvenile Whooping Crane
75-18 near Horicon Marsh. Photo: Mel Mann

In just a few months, 75-18 has lost almost all of his cinnamon feathers! 75-18 and 78-18 eventually came back together and spent the summer exploring their new home. When an early winter set in, the two finally left Wisconsin and headed south!

Two juvenile Whooping Cranes in flight with their legs tucked under their bodies.
75-18 and 78-18 on the day they migrated south. You can see their legs tucked because they are so cold! Photo: Bob Bergstrom

Fall 2019: 75-18 spent his summer at Horicon Marsh in Dodge County, Wisconsin. He spent his time with 78-18 until 78-18 was found dead. 75-18 started migrating south in November and arrived in McLean County, Illinois, by the end of the month. He spent the winter here. 

Spring 2020: 75-18 was first observed back in Wisconsin in April. He was seen in Brown County before making his way back to Horicon Marsh in Dodge County. He has been associating with male 74-18 and sometimes male 16-11 and female 79-19.  Sadly, 75-18 was found dead from lead poisoning, in late September. 

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76-18

Sex: Female
Hatch Date: June 3, 2018

First year: Number 76-18 was hatched and raised by adult Whooping Cranes at the International Crane Foundation. Her nickname is Real Quiet.

She was released in at White River Marsh in Green Lake County, WI near pair 5-12 and 67-15 on October 2nd. She stayed in the marsh out of view the first few days, but eventually started moving. She never interacted with the target pair, but it is believed she associated with young males in the area 30-16 and 3-17.

Unfortunately, the remains of 76-18 were found in a field where 30-16 and 3-17 had also been seen on October 12th. Cause of death was predation.

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77-18

Sex: Male
Hatch Date: June 5, 2018

First year: Number 77-18 was hatched and raised by adult Whooping Cranes at the International Crane Foundation. His nickname is American Pharaoh.

He was released in at White River Marsh in Green Lake County, WI near pair 5-12 and 67-15 on October 11th. He interacted with 5-12 and 67-15 for the first few days after being released, but soon moved south and associated primarily with Sandhill Cranes.

He left Wisconsin for migration on November 13 and visited major crane staging areas in northern Indiana and Tennessee before settling for the winter in Sarasota County, Florida.

Spring 2019: In late April, 77-18’s satellite transmitter showed that he left Florida, and began heading north. He stopped in Livingston County, Michigan. It seems unlikely that he will return to Wisconsin this year, but who knows what he’ll do next?

Fall 2019: 77-18 spent time in Michigan over the summer before heading south. He began migrating in November and passed through Tennessee. He was later observed in Florida.  

Spring 2020: 77-18 was spotted back in Van Buren County, Michigan, in mid-April. He currently remains there as far as we know.  

Fall 2020: 77-18 spent the summer in Michigan and was first seen on his wintering grounds of Polk County, Florida, in late December. He is the only confirmed EMP whooping crane in Florida for the winter. 

Spring 2021: 77-18 is spending the summer in White River Marsh in Wisconsin, sometimes with male 31-16, but early on in the spring he was seen in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan! 

A pure white, adult Whooping Crane stands in tome scrubby vegetation. He looks alert.
77-18 at White River Marsh. Photo by Doug Pellerin

Fall 2021: This fall 77-18 took his usual trip down to Florida alone. Most recently he has been seen in Sarasota County, Florida, with a flock of sandhill cranes. Hopefully, he’ll find a companion on the breeding grounds next spring! 

Spring 2022: This spring, 77-18 migrated back up to White River Marsh in Wisconsin at the end of March. He has been seen associating with fellow bachelor 31-16, however, he also spends time alone. We hope that he continues to associate with young whooping cranes and pairs with a mate someday!  

Fall 2022: 77-18 spent the fall at White River Marsh, hanging out with other Whooping Cranes. In fall, he stopped by Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in Tennessee, on his way to wintering grounds in Manatee County, Florida.  

Spring 2023: 77-18 was spotted back at White River Marsh in Wisconsin in mid-March. He hasn’t been seen for the rest of spring and early summer, so we’re not sure where he got off to. We hope he has a safe fall migration and finds Whooping Cranes to associate with over the winter!

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78-18

Sex: Female
Hatch Date: June 12, 2018

First year: 78-18 was hatched to a pair of cranes in captivity at the Calgary Zoo in Canada. She and 75-18 were slated for release in Wisconsin, but challenges with weather and permitting caused the duo to spend the winter in Canada and miss their first set of migrations. The pair was brought to Wisconsin at the end of May, and released at Horicon Marsh.

Two juvenile Whooping Cranes
75-18 and 78-18 newly released into Wisconsin. Photo: Hillary Thompson

The two spent their first few weeks together, but eventually split to begin exploring the marsh on their own. The goal is for these two to acclimate to their new surroundings, begin associating with other cranes, and migrate south this fall!

Two juvenile Whooping Cranes in flight.
Photo: Hillary Thompson

Fall 2019: 78-18 spent the summer at Horicon Marsh in Dodge County, Wisconsin. She was observed there until November. She died on migration from a powerline collision in Illinois.  

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W1-18

Sex: Female
Hatch Date: May 2018

First year: This youngster was born in Juneau County, Wisconsin to Whooping Cranes 5-11 and 12-11 in May 2018. Her parents are believed to be the only pair that continued to incubate a nest through April’s late snowstorms. She survived to fledge- blood draws revealed that this chick is a girl! W1-18 was the first chick trackers attempted to capture and band this year, but she ended up being the last chick banded. This is the first chick fledged to this pair.

Aerial view of two adult Whooping Cranes and their young chick. The birds are hidden by vegetation.
Can you see chick W1-18 between her parents? Photo: Beverly Paulan

The family group migrated south and was seen in Knox County, Indiana, on November 11.

Spring 2019: W1-18 was first sighted back in Wisconsin in late April. She was in Marathon County, though quickly moved on to Polk County!

Adult Whooping Crane in field.
W1-18 is all grown up! Photo: Brian Collins

Ultimately, she returned to Marathon County for the rest of the summer.

Fall 2019: W1-18 spent her summer in Marathon County, Wisconsin. By mid-October, she was observed at Goose Pond in Indiana. She spent the winter here among other whooping cranes.  

Spring 2020: W1-18 was observed again this spring at the end of May at the McMillan marsh in Marathon County, Wisconsin. Since then, she has moved on to Necedah National Wildlife Refuge and remains there as far as we know.   

Fall 2020: W1-18 was last seen at Necedah NWR in May and wasn’t seen again until she showed up at Goose Pond FWA, Indiana, at the end of October. Since then, she has been seen there in large groups of young whooping cranes and breeding pairs. 

Spring 2021: W1-18 migrated from Goose Pond FWA in mid-March, but instead of going straight to Necedah she was seen at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge in Minnesota with W14-20 for a few months! In June she was spotted back at Necedah.  

Fall 2021: This fall during migration W1-18 made her way from Necedah NWR in Wisconsin to Greene County, Indiana. She had been associating with a large flock of whooping cranes near Goose Pond FWA, but then was seen near two males 74-18 and W13-20 in Richland County, Illinois. We hope she’ll hang out with those two!  

Spring 2022: Unfortunately, there have not been any sightings of W1-18 this spring. She was last seen in late December in Richland County, Illinois. We are hopeful that she will turn up somewhere soon! 

Fall 2022: W1-18 finally turned up this fall and was seen with male W6-18. Maybe they are a new pair? They migrated to Greene County, Indiana, where they are hanging out with a large group of Whooping Cranes. 

Spring 2023: W1-18 left her wintering grounds around early March. She made a very brief stop at the International Crane Foundation headquarters in Gromme Marsh! After her visit, she continued to Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, where she began nesting with W6-18. She laid two fertile eggs, one of which was collected for our captive rearing and release program. They incubated and hatched their remaining egg but unfortunately, this chick only survived a couple weeks. We hope they nest together again next year!

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W3-18

Sex: Female
Hatch Date: May 2018

First year: This chick was born in Adams County, Wisconsin to Whooping Cranes 24-09 and 42-09 in May 2018 and survived to fledge. When trackers captured W3-18 to give her bands, her parents, especially 42-09, were very aggressive and attempted to attack them! Blood draws revealed that this chick is a girl! W3-18 showed a fondness for eating snakes- she was often photographed eating them! This is the second year in a row this pair of parents fledged a chick.

Two adult Whooping Cranes and chick in field.
W3-18 follows parents 24-09 and 42-09. Photo: Doug Pellerin

The family group was last seen on their breeding grounds on November 8, and is believed to have been at the parent’s normal wintering grounds in Hopkins County, Kentucky, on November 12.

Spring 2019: W3-18 was first reported in Wisconsin along with parents 24-09 and 42-09 on March 19, and were first seen on their Adams County territory on March 21! Shortly after, she was kicked out of their territory so they could begin nest building. 

Luckily, W3-18 wasn’t alone for long. In mid-April, she began associating with male 11-15. 11-15 returned to Adams County after he was left by his mate W3-17, W3-18’s older sister! However, the pairing was not to be as the two of them separated as well, and W3-18 began associating with older male 16-04 at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in nearby Juneau County.

Fall 2019: W3-18 was first seen at Goose Pond at the end of November with a gang of 14 other whooping cranes. This group did not include 16-04 who W3-18 had been hanging out with in Spring 2019. She was seen with larger groups of whooping cranes throughout the winter. 

Spring 2020: W3-18 was seen back at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge at the beginning of April. She has since been seen with W19-19 and occasionally W5-18. Hopefully W3-18 and W19-19 will become a new pair! 

Fall 2020: W3-18 left her friends at Necedah NWR and was found at Goose Pond FWA, Indiana, at the end of October. Since then, she has been seen there in large groups of young whooping cranes and breeding pairs. 

Spring 2021: W3-18 made her way north to Necedah National Wildlife Refuge from Greene County, Indiana in mid-March. She was seen alive in May but her body was recovered in late July and the cause of death is unknown.  

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W5-18

Sex: Male
Hatch Date: May 2018

First year: This trickster was born at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge to Whooping Cranes 8-04 and W3-10 in May 2018.Unfortunately, the pair disappeared in mid-June, and the temporary transmitter that had been placed on the chick was found with just a few feathers attached. The team assumed the chick had died- which was why it was such a happy surprise when the whole family reappeared in September with a fully-fledged chick! Blood draws revealed that this chick is a boy! Of special note, W5-18 is the first chick to have fledged to a wild-hatched parent.

The family migrated to Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area, his parent’s normal wintering grounds. They were first sighted at Goose Pond in mid-October.

Spring 2019: W5-18 returned with parents 8-04 and W3-10 to Necedah NWR by early April and was kicked out so they could start building their 2019 nest. 

Fall 2019: W5-18 spent his summer at Necedah National Wildlife refuge. He started migrating south in October and landed in Goose Pond by the end of the month. He spent the winter here with other whooping cranes.  

Spring 2020: W5-18 was first spotted back at Necedah in mid-May. He has spent the summer here, sometimes associating with female W3-18 and W19-19. 

Fall 2020: In the fall, he found an older female he liked, W1-06, and has been seen with her since. W5-18 and W1-06 left Necedah NWR together at the end of October and went to Goose Pond FWA, Indiana. They have still been associating together along with a large group of young whooping cranes and breeding pairs. We hope they will nest in spring and be the first breeding pair who were both hatched in the wild! 

Spring 2021: W5-18 and W1-06 returned to Wisconsin from Goose Pond FWA, Indiana, in mid-March. The two have a territory at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, and were seen copulating this spring, but they did not nest this year. Fingers crossed they will nest together next year! 

Fall 2021: This summer W1-06 was captured and fitted with a new satellite transmitter so we can track her and her mate W5-18. The pair spent three days migrating down to their wintering grounds in Greene County, Indiana. Once they made it to Indiana, they began associating with a large flock of whooping cranes that are also wintering in the area. 

Spring 2022: This spring, W5-18 returned to Necedah NWR where he was captured and fitted with a new GPS transmitter. Soon after their arrival, W5-18 and W1-06 split up and W5-18 re-paired with 36-09, a female from a neighboring territory. This new pair nested in April, but their eggs were removed as part of the forced renesting program, which helps the pair avoid black flies and nest again when black flies are gone. We hope that these birds stick together and nest again next year!  

Fall 2022: W5-18 and his new mate 36-09 spent the rest of summer on his old and her new territory at Necedah NWR. The pair migrated to their usual wintering grounds in Greene County, Indiana in mid-November. They’ve been hanging out in 36-09’s usual area on the wintering grounds. 

Spring 2023: 36-09 and W5-18 spent the remainder of the winter in Greene County, Indiana. In early March they migrated back north to their territory at Necedah NWR and were nesting by the 1st of May. They laid two fertile eggs, one of which was collected for our captive rearing and release program. Unfortunately, their nest failed, and they did not hatch a chick this year. We wish the best for this pair on their fall migration and are hopeful that they will nest again in 2024!

36-09 and W5-18 on their breeding grounds.
36-09 and W5-18 dance together on their breeding grounds. Karen Green

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W6-18

Sex: Male
Hatch Date: June 2018

First year: This chick was born at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge to Whooping Cranes 1-04 and 16-07 in June 2018 and survived to fledge. Blood draws revealed that this chick is a boy! 1-04 fledged a chick with another mate in 2016, but this is the first chick fledged to this pair.

Young Whooping Crane chick with its wings outstretched!
Photo: Sabine Berzins

He and his parents migrated to Lawrence County, Illinois, where they were first spotted in early November.

Spring 2019: W6-18 was spotted at Necedah National Wildlife Refgue in early April without his parents- they kicked him out of their territory so they could begin their new nesting attempt. He spent the summer moving in and around Necedah.

Fall 2019: W6-18 spent his summer at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. He started migrating south and arrived at Goose Pond by the beginning of November. W6-18 spent the winter here among other whooping cranes. 

Spring 2020: W6-18 was first observed back at Necedah at the beginning of April. He has spent most of his summer alone. In July, W1-06 lost her mate and W6-18 quickly swooped in. The two have since been together and will hopefully be our first pair that were both wild hatched birds! 

Fall 2020: W6-18 ended up alone again after female W1-06 left him for W5-18. He was seen at the beginning of November at Goose Pond FWA, Indiana with other whooping cranes. He wasn’t seen again until December in Lawrence County, Illinois, tagging along with pair 10-11 and 27-14.  

Spring 2021: W6-18 headed up to Necedah National Wildlife Refuge from Lawrence County, Illinois in early April. He was mostly alone until July, when he started hanging out with W14-20 and W14-19 

Fall 2021: W6-18 made his way from Necedah NWR in Wisconsin to Greene County, Indiana. He has been associating with a large flock of whooping cranes near Goose Pond FWA. 

Spring 2022: W6-18 arrived back at Necedah NWR in early April and has been paired with W10-18 since. These two first-time parents nested and incubated two eggs together! This is the second instance ever in the EMP that two wild-hatch birds have nested together, the other instance (W1-06 and W10-15) was also this year! This new pair nested this spring, but their eggs were removed as part of the forced renesting program, which helps the pair avoid black flies and nest again when black flies are gone. The pair did not renest but have still been seen as a pair. We are excited that these two attempted to nest and hope that they stay together in the years to come! 

Fall 2022: This fall, W6-18 was seen with W1-18, who we hadn’t seen in a while! We’re not sure where his previous mate, W10-18 is, but we hope she’s okay. W6-18 migrated to Greene County, Indiana, where he has been seen in a large group of Whooping Cranes. 

Spring 2023: W6-18 returned to Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in March. His previous mate, W10-18, has still not been seen, but this spring he paired with female W1-18. They nested together and had two fertile eggs, one of which was collected for our captive rearing and release program. They incubated and hatched their remaining egg, but unfortunately, this chick only survived a couple of weeks. We hope they nest together again next year!

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W9-18

Sex: Unknown
Hatch Date: June 2018

First year: This youngster was born at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge to Whooping Cranes 24-08 and 14-08 in June 2018. Unfortunately, dad 14-08 was last seen on July 2. It is unlikely that he would have just left his long-time mate and chick, especially since this pair fledged a chick the year before. 14-08 is believed to be dead.

However, 24-08 did her best to continue raising W9-18 on her own! Unfortunately, W9-18 was found dead on September 15 by trackers at Necedah. The cause of death was predation, likely by coyotes. W9-18 had not been observed flying before death, but based on age, it is believed to have fledged.

Young Whooping Crane hidden by marsh vegetation.
W9-18 hides in the marsh. Photo: Sabine Berzins

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W10-18

Sex: Unknown
Hatch Date: June 2018

First year: This chick was born at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge to Whooping Cranes 23-10 and 4-08 in late June 2018 and survived to fledge. This is the first chick fledged to this pair.

In early November, the family group was seen at Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area in Indiana- chick W10-18 has completed their first migration!

Spring 2019: W10-18 returned to Necedah NWR with their parents, and though they left the refuge, they remained in Juneau County, Wisconsin.

Fall 2019: W10-18 spent the summer at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. By mid-October, they arrived at Goose Pond in Indiana and spent the winter here with other whooping cranes.  

Spring 2020: W10-18 was first spotted at Necedah at the beginning of June. They spent most of the summer alone, but is currently associating with W1-19. Hopefully the two will become a new pair in the future! 

Fall 2020: W10-18 was found at Goose Pond FWA, Indiana, in early November. Since then, they have been associating with large groups of young whooping cranes and breeding pairs. 

Spring 2021: W10-18 migrated north and ended up at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in March. Since then they have been spending time with W19-19.  

Fall 2021: This fall W10-18 migrated from Necedah NWR in Juneau County, Wisconsin, to Greene County, Indiana. In Indiana they have been part of a large group of young whooping cranes and breeding pairs. Unfortunately, W19-19, W10-18’s companion this summer, has not been seen since July.  

Spring 2022: This spring, W10-18 migrated up through Illinois with W1-06, W5-18, and W10-15. Since early April, she has been paired with W6-18 at Necedah NWR. These two first-time parents nested and incubated two eggs together! This is the second instance ever in the EMP that two wild-hatch birds have nested together, the other instance (W1-06 and W10-15) was also this year! This new pair nested this spring, but their eggs were removed as part of the forced renesting program, which helps the pair avoid black flies and nest again when black flies are gone. The pair did not renest but have still been seen together. Previously, we were unsure of the sex of W10-18. However, since she and male W6-18 incubated fertile eggs, we can now confirm that W10-18 is a female. We are excited that these two attempted to nest and hope that they stay together in the years to come! 

Fall 2022: W10-18 was last seen in June with her mate W6-18. Later in the summer or early fall, W6-18 was seen with another female, W1-18. W10-18 hasn’t been seen again since June and hasn’t shown up on the wintering grounds. We hope she is okay and will turn up somewhere soon! 

Spring 2023: W10-18 has not been seen since June of 2022. She is now considered long-term missing and presumed to be dead.

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