Victoria Advocate reporter Sara Sneath wrote the following article about Friends of the Wild Whoopers project to urge protection, management and development of “stopover habitats” for wild Whooping Cranes on military bases. For details about the project we invite you to read the following entire article.
Two whooping cranes take flight in Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. The endangered birds migrate south to Texas every fall.
An advocacy group is enlisting the help of military bases to give endangered birds places to stop along their 2,400-mile migration.
The only wild flock of whooping cranes has started its annual journey south from Canada to Texas. While an early arrival was seen at San Jose Island this weekend, the remainder of the flock is expected to arrive in late October or early November.
The birds will spend their winter in and around Aransas National Wildlife Refuge and return to Canada in March.
“Stopover places are just as important as wintering and nesting areas because they can’t fly in one trip,” McConnell said.
McConnell and wildlife expert Felipe Chavez-Ramirez, who serves as the science adviser for Friends of the Wild Whoopers, are assessing 45 sites owned by the military that fall in or near the flock’s migration corridor for possible stopover habitat.
***** FOTWW’s mission is to help preserve and protect the Aransas/Wood Buffalo
population of wild whooping cranes and their habitat. ***** Friends of the Wild Whoopers is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization.
Friends of the Wild Whoopers (FOTWW) is delighted with the Whooping Crane stopover study that has just been released by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The study identified numerous actual sites where Whooping Cranes stopover to rest and feed during their 2,500 mile migration between Canada and the Texas coast. There are several major stopover areas that were identified recently by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Whooping Crane Coordinator Wade Harrell. Importantly, the new study identifies those major areas as well as hundreds of additional areas within the migration corridor that serve as valuable stopover sites. Many of these additional sites are on private lands and other public lands.
When viewing the map in the report (see below), FOTWW was pleased to learn that our ongoing project efforts to identify, protect and manage “stopover” habitats is precisely on target. Importantly, the USGS study will enable FOTWW to focus our “stopover” project efforts in the most needed areas.
FOTWW is appreciative to all who were involved in this excellent study. We have placed the abstract of the study below but you are encouraged to read the entire report to learn all the facts. ——————————————————————————
Whooping Crane Stopover Site Use Intensity Within the Great Plains
By Aaron T. Pearse,1 David A. Brandt,1 Wade C. Harrell,2 Kristine L. Metzger,3 David M. Baasch,4 and Trevor J. Hefley5
Abstract
Whooping cranes (Grus americana) of the Aransas-Wood Buffalo population migrate twice each year through the Great Plains in North America. Recovery activities for this endangered species include providing adequate places to stop and rest during migration, which are generally referred to as stopover sites. To assist in recovery efforts, initial estimates of stopover site use intensity are presented, which provide opportunity to identify areas across the migration range used more intensively by whooping cranes. We used location data acquired from 58 unique individuals fitted with platform transmitting terminals that collected global position system locations. Radio-tagged birds provided 2,158 stopover sites over 10 migrations and 5 years (2010–14). Using a grid-based approach, we identified 1,095 20-square-kilometer grid cells that contained stopover sites. We categorized occupied grid cells based on density of stopover sites and the amount of time cranes spent in the area. This assessment resulted in four categories of stopover site use: unoccupied, low intensity, core intensity, and extended-use core intensity. Although provisional, this evaluation of stopover site use intensity offers the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and partners a tool to identify landscapes that may be of greater conservation significance to migrating whooping cranes. Initially, the tool will be used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other interested parties in evaluating the Great Plains Wind Energy Habitat Conservation Plan.
***** FOTWW’s mission is to help preserve and protect the Aransas/Wood Buffalo
population of wild whooping cranes and their habitat. ***** Friends of the Wild Whoopers is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization.
Message to Friends of the Wild Whoopers from Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada:
“It looks like spring is coming early to Wood Buffalo National Park” advises Sharon Irwin, Resource Management Officer. Ms. Irwin explained that: “There was less snow than normal this year and most of it is already melted. Now we just have to wait for the ice to melt off the ponds.”
The first Global Positioning System (GPS) banded Whooping Crane arrived in the park on Friday April 17 advised Irwin. She also explained that: “This is a 4 year old female who was banded in in the park in 2011. Pair bonding may begin with 2- to 3-year olds and the average age for first nesting is 4 years old. This may be the beginning of parenthood for this young crane. However, this crane is likely not the first to arrive in Wood Buffalo as experienced pairs usually arrive first.”
Some of the estimated 316 Whoopers have not yet departed from Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Texas on their 2,500 mile migration to Wood Buffalo. And many others are scattered along the migration corridor. Yet, soon they will all be in Canada for the duration of the nesting/rearing season which will last through September
Friends of the Wild Whoopers will watch with much anticipation as the only wild population of Whooping Cranes build their nests, hatch and care for their young.
For the first time ever, visitors to Wood Buffalo National Park will be able to see the endangered whooping crane in their last natural nesting ground through a new park-guided experience that offers visitors a chance to view these magnificent birds from the air and on the ground. Friends of the Wild Whoopers discussed the new experience with Wood Buffalo official Tim Gauthier who is excited about the park’s new effort. Gauthier explained that, “This experience is one of a series of Northern Iconic Experiences that have been created as part of the National Conservation Plan, which seeks new ways to help Canadians to connect to protected spaces and to highlight world-class conservation success stories.”
The Whooping Crane Iconic Experience is now accepting bookings for the spring 2015 launch of this new offer. Visitors will be able to choose from helicopter or airplane overflights of the whooping crane nesting grounds and an option to hike into carefully situated blinds positioned in viewing distance of crane nests.
Visitors will also have a range of other unique Wood Buffalo experiences included in their package, such as a guided hike to Canada’s only Salt Plains, a landscape unique to Wood Buffalo National Park, a traditional local Aboriginal experience of storytelling, games, and country foods, and a visit to Pine Lake, a unique Caribbean-blue jewel in the heart of the boreal forest. While the cranes are the central focus of this experience, Park staff want to share the many wonders of Wood Buffalo with our visitors so they leave having truly experienced the majesty of Canada’s greatest protected wilderness.
The endangered whooping crane continues to make a remarkable recovery “back from the brink”. Visit their amazing summer nesting grounds in Wood Buffalo National Park and experience first-hand this important conservation achievement.
For the first time ever, visitors will be guided to the secluded summer nesting grounds of the iconic whooping crane. Parks Canada is offering a package tour for those who would like to:
Learn more about the wild WBNP whooping crane flock and the conservation efforts that have kept their population on the rise
Fly over the nesting grounds in a fixed wing airplane or helicopter for a look at the whooping cranes in their unique nesting and rearing habitat with a Parks Canada guide
Land via helicopter in the nesting grounds to see the unique whooping crane habitat up close OR hike to a blind to hopefully view whooping cranes on their nest or see parents and fledglings forage for food
Go flightseeing over the Salt Plains, an ancient inland sea bed, and perhaps see non-nesting whooping cranes
Heli-hike to the Salt Plains largest salt mound for a taste
Play a role in the conservation of Whooping Cranes
All Whooping Crane Experience tours depart from Fort Smith, NT
You can pick your dates
Airplane Flyover Trip
June 1 – 4
August 17 – 20
August 24 – 27
Heli-Flight Trips – land in the nesting ground OR Heli-Hike Trips – hike to a whooping crane blind
May 25-May 28
*These dates are approximate. Please see the Whooping Crane Experience Guide for details and pricing information.
For further information on the Whooping Crane Iconic Experience, please contact the Wood Buffalo National Park Visitor Information Centre at (867) 872-7960.
To obtain more information or to schedule a media interview, please contact Tim Gauthier at 867-872-7957 or at tim.gauthier@pc.gc.ca. Please note that visual support materials are available upon request.
***** FOTWW’s mission is to help preserve and protect the Aransas/Wood Buffalo
population of wild whooping cranes and their habitat. ***** Friends of the Wild Whoopers is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization.
