Planes Train Endangered Cranes To Migrate

npr. ^ | January 23,

[Flycatcher]

I knew this second population of cranes (as opposed to the Aransas cranes) called north-central Florida home, but I didn't know exactly where.

Thanks.

When I visit, maybe I can see Tim Tebow too!

[Flycatcher]

The Aransas (Texas) population of whoopers goes to Wood Buffalo National Park in northern Alberta in spring/summer.

So what you probably saw in Alaska were sandhill cranes.

But they're spectacular birds too. This august, I was in the Great Basin of Oregon and had the pleasure to watch more than 300 sandhill cranes circle overhead. The sound of "karooo karooo" was almost deafening.

Quite the experience.

[deport]

If anyone is interested the following link is about the Texas Whooping Cranes which winter each year. Hopefully these birds will hang on and return from near extinction.

Texas Whooping Cranes

[green pastures]

See JoePro’s post at 18. The Alaskan cranes were probably not whooping cranes.

There might also be more information at the International Crane Foundation website: www.savingcranes.org

They’re located in WI...

[Flycatcher]

Nice. Thanks!

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

I took this one last year when they were in our area.

[Western Phil]

Thanks for the post. Their daily adventures are posted here: http://www.operationmigration.org/Field_Journal.html

One of their stops on their new route is about 10 miles from here (Champaign Illinois area). Went to see them off last year (2008), but they were too high to get a good picture. Missed them this year. Its a long haul following the ultralights. Took them from the middle of Oct. to the middle of Jan. The older ones flying on their own could do it in a few days.

[mikrofon]

Crane 2 to sibling: "At least we don't have to carry an ugly human around like Mama does..."

[calex59]

The most abundant cranes are Sandhill cranes I believe. They migrate yearly and usually are mistaken for geese by people on the ground watching them.

[Charles Henrickson]

When we lived in Nebraska in the ‘90s, we went out near Kearney for a couple days one spring to witness the sandhill crane migration—thousands of them flying in and landing for a stay and flying off. It was quite a sight!

[Western Phil]

They may look like geese from a distance, but they do not sound like geese.

[Western Phil]

They may look like geese from a distance, but they do not sound like geese.