Whooping Crane Nesting Grounds Discovered

For many years the location and whereabouts of the whooping crane nesting grounds of the only wild flock of whooping cranes remained elusive and unknown. Whooping crane observers only knew that the birds migrated from “somewhere” in Canada to the Texas Coast. As pressure mounted to protect and manage the birds, it was important to locate their nesting grounds so these essential habitats could be protected before it was too late to save the whooping crane from extinction. In 1954 the whooping crane nesting grounds in Wood Buffalo National Park were discovered.

This past spring and early summer saw warm temperatures and little rain at Wood Buffalo National Park, resulting in wildfires within the park’s boundaries. In 1954 when the nesting grounds were discovered, conditions were similar and if it hadn’t been for one of these fires and one observant forester, the nesting grounds may not have been discovered in time to save our beloved and majestic whooping cranes.

Dr. William A. Fuller is often given credit for the discovery of the whooping crane nesting grounds but FOTWW invites you to read his account, in his own words, of this historic discovery and whom he believes should be given credit for it.

DISCOVERY OF THE NESTING GROUND OF THE WHOOPING CRANE

by Dr. W. A. Fuller

I have received a lot of credit for the discovery in 1954 of the only whooping cranes in Canada, but if it hadn’t been for the fire and an observant forester named George Wilson, I might never have gone out to identify the birds. The last nest of a whooping crane had been seen in about 1926 in Saskatchewan. Members of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USWS) and others had searched from central Saskatchewan to the delta of the Mackenzie River without success. The USWS was interested because whoopers migrated to Texas. In 1945, I spent the summer working on fish in Lake Athabasca. At the end of the summer I decided that I would never return to the north. However, in 1946 I signed up to spend the summer at Great Slave Lake. The following winter I put together all the data that had been gathered over several years on the “Inconnu” (Stenodus leucichthys) and submitted the result as my masters thesis for the University of Saskatchewan. Convocation took place in early May.

Whooping crane nesting grounds.
Whooping crane at Wood Buffalo National Park. photo by Klaus Nigge

A few days after the ceremony, I turned 23, and on the last day of May I married the young lady who is still my wife. I had previously applied for one of two jobs advertised by the federal government, and I was approved for the one based in Fort Smith, NWT. I found the north gets under your skin, and my wife Marie and I landed in Fort Smith on June 5. My duties centerd on mammals in the south half of the Mackenzie District and in Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP), part of which is in Alberta. In those days, the United States sent a bird guy, Bob Smith, and an assistant down to the Arctic Ocean. They flew out of Fort Smith for two or three days, and I usually took them up on their invitations to go on their sorties. Bob was a great guy, as well as a good pilot and a good bird man. Although waterfowl were the main target, they kept their eyes open for other birds, such as whooping cranes. As late as 1954 they had not made a sure discovery of whoopers, although on an earlier flight with them, one thought he had spotted a crane, but by the time Bob swung the plane around, whatever had been seen had disappeared.

In June 1954, a fire broke out in the northern part of  Wood Buffalo Park. On June 30, the fire crew radioed to Fort Smith that one of their pumps was out of order. The forestry guy, George Wilson, went out to the site of the fire in a whirlybird piloted by Don Landells. I was in my office around 4:00 p.m. when a message came in from the plane to the effect that George and Don had seen a few big white birds, which they suspected were whooping cranes. Furthermore, Landells was to make another trip on the same route with a new pump, and if Bill Fuller was at the landing spot at 5:00 p.m., he could go back with Don and the pump.

Bill Fuller was at the landing and ready to go at 5:00 p.m. Don took us back on about the same route he had flown earlier, and we did see some large white birds, which were certainly whoopers. There were young birds as well as adults, so there was reason to believe that the nesting grounds were not too far away. I think we saw about nine birds on that first trip. I sent a telegram to the head office in Ottawa later that evening.

Ottawa’s reply the next morning asked me to keep an eye on the birds whenever there was a chance. I made several trips on an ordinary prop plane. On one such trip I counted thirteen birds, which was just over half of the birds (21, I think) counted in the Texas flock at that time.

Whooping crane nesting grounds./Wood Buffalo National Park.
Two adults and one juvenile whooping crane.Photo: John McKinnon / ©Parks Canada /Wood Buffalo National Park.

The Whooping Crane Society and the USWS were very excited about the discovery, and soon there was talk about a ground survey in 1955. Canadian and American scientists would carry it out. However, the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) did not want to commit to that until there was proof of nesting, so I was to take a look next spring as early and as often as possible.

In those days, light aircraft landed on skis in winter and on pontoons in summer. The changeover was made in Edmonton in spring and fall, so it was difficult to find transportation just when I needed it. While our government plane was in Edmonton, I got a ride with a pilot from Yellowknife on his way to Edmonton. I got another ride in a plane owned by the RCMP in Fort Smith. On that flight I saw what could only be a crane sitting on a nest. So the ground survey was on. Robert P. Allen of the National Audubon Society was to lead it. When Allen arrived in Fort Smith, we made one flight over the area so I could show him the location of the known nests.

I made other flights, and I think I found a few more nest sites, but when the ground survey came on, I was at a conference in Alaska. The attempted ground survey is a story of its own. In 1956  I moved to Whitehorse in the Yukon, and Ernie Kuyt of the CWS took over work on the cranes. I had flown over the region of the first sightings a number of times. I had noted the tracks in the mud and searched my brains for a mammal that would make such a trail in the soft mud of the lake bottoms. Big birds never crossed my mind until I saw the cranes there in 1955. So who discovered the nesting ground? Wilson and Landells, who saw the big white birds? Me, because I saw young birds as well as mature birds on my sorties in 1955 and was also the first to see a female on a nest in the spring of 1956? It doesn’t really matter. The important point is that an important nesting ground was found. Each year for several more years, Ernie Kuyt found new nests. The total number of cranes in the Texas/WBNP flock has continued to increase in most, if not all, years since 1955.

* Published in Wild Lands Advocate, The Alberta Wilderness Association, December 2004 • Vol.12, No. 6, pages 16 and 17.

friendsofthewildwhoopers.org logo
friendsofthewildwhoopers.org

***** 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.

Share

Wildfire Hazards Reduced in Wood Buffalo National Park

Parks Canada reports that there are currently 17 wildfires in Wood Buffalo National Park, nesting habitat of the endangered whooping cranes. Friends of the Wild Whoopers was advised that the fires are not a threat to the whooping cranes. Significant rain in parts of the park have helped fire suppression efforts. However, Parks Canada fire management personnel remain vigilant looking for new starts and will continue monitoring existing fires. 

Due to the reduced wildfire hazard, Fire Information Updates from Parks Canada will no longer be produced daily, but rather as the situation warrants. The latest Wood Buffalo National Park wildfire information is always available through the Fire Information Line at (867)872-0107.

To read the entire Fire Information Update report, click on following link:   FIU July 7 2014

The Wood Buffalo National Park Fire Status Map is available online at:  http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/nt/woodbuffalo/plan/plan2/data2.aspx

 Fire on Wood Buffalo National Park Canada. photo by John McKinno

Fire on Wood Buffalo National Park Canada. photo by John McKinno

***** FOTWW’s mission is to protect the Aransas/Wood Buffalo population
of wild whooping cranes and their habitat
. *****

friendsofthewildwhoopers.org logo
friendsofthewildwhoopers.org

 

Share

Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada Fire Update

Fire Information Update—June 27, 2014

There are currently 13 wildfires in Wood Buffalo National Park. Fires 3, 7 and 8 are within the whooping crane nesting area but currently pose no threat to the cranes. Friends of the Wild Whoopers is providing this information in cooperation with Parks Canada for our Canadian viewers who may be visiting the park in the near future.

Fire 1 is located in the Caribou Mountains 5 kilometres to the west of Isidore Lake. It is currently 21,000 hectares. It is being monitored and currently poses no threat to values at risk.

WBNP Fire 2 is located four kilometres north of Pine Lake and to the immediate west of the Pine Lake Road and covers 43,267 hectares. A Parks Canada Incident Management Team and additional Parks Canada fire crews are working with local WBNP Fire Management. This fire and fires 4 and 5 are being managed as the Fire 2 Complex. Fire fighting activities along the Pine Lake Road and north of Pine Lake continue. Fire crews are monitoring and extinguishing hot spots and conducting controlled burnout operations to reduce high-risk fuels that could present a threat to Pine Lake Road. High volume sprinklers have been deployed to Pine Lake for facility protection should it be required.

Fire 3 is a 200 hectare fire located approximately 10 kilometres south of NWT Highway 5 and 75 kilometres west of Fort Smith. It is being monitored and currently shows little fire activity.

Fire 4 is a 4684 hectare fire located 12 Kilometres south of Highway 5 and 45 kilometres to the west of Fort Smith. Growth on this fire is currently low, but a plan to keep the fire well to the south of the highway has been implemented. The plan involves small-scale strategic burnouts to remove volatile fuels and refreshing the cat guard along the northern park boundary to assist with containment. This fire poses no threat to Highway 5 at this time.

Fire 5 is a 43 hectare fire located 35 kilometres southwest of Fort Smith and 20 kilometres south of Highway 5. Is it being monitored and currently poses no threat to any values at risk.

Fire 6 is a small spot fire located in a remote area in the west of the park about 12 kilometres north of the Caribou Mountains. It is being monitored and currently poses not threat to values at risk.

Fire 7 is a small spot fire located 20 kilometres north of Highway 5. It is being monitored and currently poses no threat to any values at risk.

Fire 8 is a small spot fire located in the extreme northern end of the park. It is being monitored and currently represents no threats to any values at risk.

Double click on the following link to read about the fires and to view maps of fire locations.      FIU June 27 2014 (2)

 ***** FOTWW’s mission is to protect the Aransas/Wood Buffalo population
of wild whooping cranes and their habitat
. *****

friendsofthewildwhoopers.org logo
friendsofthewildwhoopers.org

 

Share

Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada Wildfire Update – June 20, 2014

The Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP) portion of the Pine Lake Road, the Parson’s Lake Road and the Pine Lake Recreation Area remain closed to all visitation and traffic until further notice due to a wildfire currently burning out of control in the vicinity.

WBNP Fire 2 is located four kilometres north of Pine Lake and to the immediate west of the Pine Lake Road and covers 35,665 hectares. A Parks Canada Incident Management Team and additional Parks Canada fire crews are working with local WBNP Fire Management in managing this fire.

A burn-out operation was carried out by Parks staff June 17 which reduced the volatile fuel sources between the fire and key values at risk in the area, including the Pine Lake Recreation Area and Pine Lake Road. The northern flank of the fire has entered an area that burned last year, which has limited growth in that direction. A high volume sprinkler system has been deployed to the Pine Lake area to use for facility protection should it be required. Today’s Danger Level and Fire Status Map.

This fire poses no threat to the community of Fort Smith. Friends of the Wild Whoopers was advised that the fire presents no harm to the wild whooping cranes that are currently nesting in the area.

Wildfire in the distance.
Fire in the distance. Photo provided by John McKinnon. Parks Canada

FOTWW would like to give a special thank you to John David McKinnon of Parks Canada for providing us with this aerial photograph of WBNP.

***** FOTWW’s mission is to protect the Aransas/Wood Buffalo population
of wild whooping cranes and their habitat
. *****

friendsofthewildwhoopers.org logo
friendsofthewildwhoopers.org
Share