The end of aircraft led migration - Wisconsin - Journal Sentinel

Federal authorities to end use of ultralights for whooping crane project

Journal Sentinel files

Sandhill cranes follow an ultralight plane as they leave the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge as part of Operation Migration on Oct. 3, 2000.

By Lee Bergquist of the Journal Sentinel

Jan. 23, 2016

 
 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided it will no longer support the use of ultralight aircraft to lead young whooping cranes on their fall migration to Florida.

The decision ends the most visible and expensive strategy since 2001 to bring back the endangered birds to the eastern United States.

Officials announced late Friday that the ultralight-guided flights to the birds' wintering home on the Gulf Coast of Florida — now in their final days for 2015-'16 — will be the last.

The public-private effort has spent more than $20 million to establish a flock that is distinct from a larger, more robust flock of whooping cranes migrating between the Texas Gulf Coast and northern Canada. The western flock does not require similar intervention.

The agency signaled its intent to move away from mechanized migration last year. But it was unclear then whether Operation Migration, the nonprofit group that has led the birds from Wisconsin to Florida for 15 years, would be allowed to have another year or two to teach birds to migrate with ultralights.

The Canadian-based group has opposed the end of ultralights and mounted an online petition drive to generate support for its cause. The group says crane survivorship is better with ultralights than another method, where young cranes pick up cues from other adult cranes and follow them south.

The final decision took place in Baraboo at a meeting of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership, according to Pete Fasbender of the Fish and Wildlife Service, a field office supervisor based in Bloomington, Minn.

"The real short answer is that we felt that this was in the best interest of the birds," said Fasbender, who has oversight responsibility for the flock in the eastern U.S.

The decision was motivated by the lack of success the birds have seen in producing chicks and raising them in the wild.

Since 2001, nearly 250 whooping cranes have been released in Wisconsin. About 93 are currently alive, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service. However, only 10 chicks have survived to fledge.

Many first-time parents are known to abandon their nests. One reason is due to nettlesome black flies at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. But biologists have determined that other factors are probably also at play.

Experts in crane biology and other fields have concluded that the use of aircraft and other human interaction are having a negative effect on the birds. Another worrisome technique is the use of costumed humans who help care for chicks. The practices apparently are not allowing the birds to imprint parenting skills they need to raise their own chicks.

Since 2005, the chicks that fledged and were born in the wild came from only five pairs of adults, according to Fish and Wildlife Service.

"Why aren't the others getting it?" asked Fasbender. "The common thread is this lack of parenting skills."

During meetings last week, there was agreement to end the flights and limit human interaction with chicks, including minimizing interactions with costumed handlers.

The partnership includes Operation Migration and staff from the Baraboo-based International Crane Foundation, the largest crane conservation organization in the world. Barry Hartup, director of veterinary service, said the crane foundation agrees with the changes.

"We have to find ways to reduce the element of artificiality," Hartup said.

The decision is a major setback for Operation Migration, which disagreed with ending the use of ultralights. Staff are currently in northern Florida, just short of the final destination of St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. The ultralight migration this year has lasted more than 100 days, with the birds flying on days when the weather is good and spending nights in pens.

Fasbender and Hartup believe there is a role for Operation Migration, which can use aircraft for field work and continue its efforts in fundraising, outreach and public relations.

The group says that it has used more than $10 million in donations for its crane work.

Joe Duff, chief executive officer of Operation Migration, posted comments on the decision on the group's website on Saturday.

"It is sad to see the end of aircraft led migration," Duff wrote. "There will be many people who will be disappointed, and even a few who will celebrate. But those reactions are all about people and our mantra has always been, it's about the birds."