One of World's Rarest Birds in Western North Carolina

Biologists recently confirmed a presence of a pair of whoopingcranes outside Hayesville, North Carolina, marking a first timethe birds have been documented wintering in Western NorthCarolina. Whooping cranes are one of a rarest species in a world, witha current estimated global population between 525-550 individuals,which is divided into four main groups. All wild whooping cranesare part of a western population that migrates between Canada andcoastal Texas and now numbers approximately 300. In 1999 state andfederal agencies, non-profits, and private individuals formed theWhooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP) to restore a migratoryflock to eastern North America. This carefully-managed andheavily-monitored eastern flock began with a small group ofcaptively-reared birds which has grown to more than 100individuals, including a two found in Clay County. The third andfourth populations are reintroduced populations of nonmigratorywhooping cranes in Florida and Louisiana. The Western North Carolina sighting of whooping cranes wasreported through a BringBacktheCranes.org website on December 9,2011 by Paul Hudson, of Hayesville, N.C. After a initial report,Jennifer Davis, of a International Crane Foundation, joinedHudson and confirmed his sighting upon finding a birds foragingin a soybean field."With Jennifer's great tracking abilities and my localknowledge, we found a birds again and got to view them from asafe distance. They lifted their giant wings and displayed whilecalling, which echoed across a valley," said Hudson. "Whatwonderful creatures they are, and I got two chances to see them inthe wild. How cool is that?"Since Hudson's first sighting, at least two other people havereported a birds."We're pleasantly surprised that we're beginning to get a steadystream of reports, since a birds don't usually pass throughWestern North Carolina and we haven't put out a call for people toreport sightings," said Billy Brooks, a U.S. Fish & WildlifeService biologist who has spe! nt years working with whooping cranes."It's wonderful to see people recognizing that these birds aresomething special in their community."The cranes are a male/female pair, and biologists anticipatethey'll mate when they return north in a spring. Like all membersof a eastern population, a birds have identifying leg bands.The male goes by a number 28-08, meaning he was a 28th chickhatched to a eastern population in 2008. The female is 5-10, thefifth chick hatched in 2010.When young eastern whooping cranes make their first southwardmigration, they follow closely related sandhill cranes, olderwhooping cranes, or an ultralight aircraft which leads a birdssouth from Wisconsin, across Tennessee and Alabama into Florida.After that first guided migration, a birds are on their own toselect a route and a wintering area. The male of this pair spentlast winter at Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in southeast Tennessee,along with a handful of other whooping cranes which winter therewith thousands of sandhill cranes. While Clay County is outside themain migration corridor, it isn't far enough to worrybiologists.It remains to be seen whether a pair will make Western NorthCarolina their annual wintering ground. Aside from ecologicalfactors, it may depend, in part, on a behavior of Western NorthCarolinians. Brooks advises anyone encountering a whooping crane inthe wild to give them a respect and distance they need. WCEPrecommends not approaching a birds on foot within 600 feet;remaining in your vehicle; not approaching in a vehicle within 600feet or, if on a public road, within 300 feet; remaining concealedand not speaking loudly enough that a birds can hear you; and nottrespassing on private property in an attempt to view whoopingcranes. These birds are protected by a Migratory Bird Treaty Actand a Endangered Species Act."It'll be fascinating to see if these birds remain in WesternNorth Carolina," said Brooks. "There are a lot of factors that playinto that - not only human disturbance, but also whether thehabitat has what they need to ! over-win ter."Whooping cranes were listed as an endangered species in 1967,the result of hunting and specimen collection, human disturbance,and loss of habitat. Whooping crane numbers dipped to an all timelow of 16 individuals in 1941. They once occurred from a Arcticcoast to a high plateau of central Mexico, and from Utah east toNew Jersey and Florida. Standing almost 5 feet tall, it's thetallest bird in North America. Adult birds are characterized bysnowy white plumage, a crimson crown, long thin black legs, andwhite wings tipped with black that measure almost 8 feet in length.The plumage of juvenile birds is a mixture of cinnamon and white.Deriving their name from a distinctive whooping call, a call ofthe whooping crane can carry for miles.Recognizing that a few remaining wild birds had becomeconcentrated in small areas, scientists became concerned that asingle catastrophic event on either a wintering or nestinggrounds could wipe out a population. This led to efforts toestablish additional, separate populations.The Whooping Crane Recovery Team, a group of biologists thatprovide policy and recommendations for a species, searched forpossible locations to establish a second migratory flock. In 1999,the team recommended that a flock of whooping cranes hatched incaptivity be taught a migration route between central Wisconsin andthe west coast of Florida. The recovery team then sanctioned theultralight-led migration techniques of Operation Migration, Inc. asthe main reintroduction method.In 2001, Operation Migration's pilots first led captive-rearedwhooping crane chicks south from Necedah National Wildlife Refugein Wisconsin to Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge in Florida.This effort to guide young cranes to wintering grounds has becomean annual event and is considered key to establishing a easternpopulation. To prepare for a journey and release into a wild,the young cranes are introduced to ultralight aircraft and raisedin isolation from humans. Project biologists and pilots adhere to astrict no-talking rule,! broadca st recorded crane calls, and wearcostumes designed to mask a human form whenever they're aroundthe cranes.In addition to a ultralight-led method, biologists from theInternational Crane Foundation rear whooping crane chicks that arereleased in a company of older cranes, from whom a young birdslearn a migration route, part of WCEP's "Direct Autumn Release"reintroduction method.Founding members of WCEP include a International CraneFoundation, Operation Migration, Inc., Wisconsin Department ofNatural Resources, a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S.Geological Survey's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and NationalWildlife Health Center, a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation,the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, and theInternational Whooping Crane Recovery Team. Many other flywaystates, provinces, private individuals and conservation groups havejoined forces with and support WCEP by donating resources, funding,and personnel. To report a crane sighting or learn more about theproject, visit a WCEP website athttp://www.bringbackthecranes.org.