What do the numbers in the cranes’ identifiers mean, such as L7-11? The “L” stands for the Louisiana population. If a “W” follows, this means the crane hatched in the wild. The number after the “L” represents the order in which the crane hatched. The last two numbers are the year they hatched, in this case, 2011.
Whooping Cranes 31-16 and W2-21 prepare for fall migration in Green Lake County, Wisconsin, in early September 2022.
Below is the most recent update for the Eastern Migratory Population of Whooping Cranes. In the last month, cranes have mostly stayed on their territories. A huge thank you to the staff of the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Departments of Natural Resources of flyway states, the International Crane Foundation and all the volunteers who help us keep track of the cranes throughout the year. We appreciate your contribution to the recovery of the Whooping Crane Eastern Migratory Population. This report was produced by the International Crane Foundation.
Update Spring 2022: The proposed Sandhill Crane hunt in Wisconsin did not move forward during the 2022 legislative session, but it may be discussed and voted on this fall. We remain focused on helping farmers solve crop depredation on their farms, knowing that a hunting season will never solve this problem.
Only 20 Whooping Cranes remained in North America in the 1940s due to unregulated hunting, massive wetland drainage and feather collecting for the millinery trade. Today, in 2022, over 650 Whooping Cranes live in the wild across two flyways and two non-migratory populations. We credit this population growth to the dedicated efforts of many conservation partners who have sought to rebuild the fragile populations and protect the habitats on which these birds rely.
Female 79-19 was the first confirmed Whooping Crane to return to Wisconsin this spring (Dodge County). We were waiting for her friend 16-11 to return too, and guess what? We haven’t confirmed if these two are an official pair, but so far it looks hopeful! Photo by Doug Pellerin.
Below is the most recent update for the Eastern Migratory Population of Whooping Cranes. In the last month, most Whooping Cranes have stayed on their wintering grounds, while some have started to head back north. A huge thank you to the staff of the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Departments of Natural Resources of flyway states, the International Crane Foundation, and all the volunteers who help us keep track of the cranes throughout the year. We appreciate your contribution to the recovery of the Whooping Crane Eastern Migratory Population. This report is produced by the International Crane Foundation.
Below is the most recent update for the Eastern Migratory Population of Whooping Cranes. In the last month, most Whooping Cranes have stayed on their wintering grounds, and some have even moved further south! A huge thank-you to the staff of the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Departments of Natural Resources of flyway states, the International Crane Foundation and all the volunteers who help us keep track of the cranes throughout the year. We appreciate your contribution to the recovery of the Whooping Crane Eastern Migratory Population. This report is produced by the International Crane Foundation.
