1/18/2005: Ultralight leads cranes south

This is another one of those annually-appearing IotDs, but if you haven't seen it before, it's new to you, right? And this is one worth noticing every year. But for time's sake I will duplicate my entry for it from 2001.

A group of highly-endangered whooping cranes lives in Wisconsin at the Necedah national wildlife refuge. Problem: how to get them to migrate south for the winter successfully - especially to go to a place where they'll be safe.

Answer: LEAD them south via ultralight aircraft.

Details at http://www.operationmigration.org/

If you find this photo/story interesting, I suggest renting the documentary "Winged Migration". It's really amazing and beautiful to watch.

From IMDB - Plot Outline: Documentary on the migratory patterns of birds, shot over the course of three years on all seven continents.

Sounds lame, but it's actually pretty cool.

to echo chainsaw I suggest watching winged migration as well. I also recommend watching the "making of" video as well as it is not exactly a documentary, because the animals in the movie are trained.

Why don't they follow their parents or don't they have any?

quote,UT......[Ultralight leads cranes shouth]
Typo?
Or did i miss something.........

Corrected, thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by capnhowdy quote,UT......[Ultralight leads cranes shouth] Typo? Or did i miss something.........

I hunt waterfowl in Texas and enjoy watching and listening to Sandhill Cranes, a cousin to the Whooping Crane. If you want to watch or listen to them go to http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/publi...anes.htm#video
which has sound and video files. They have a really eerie sound that travels for miles. They are not endangered like the Whooping Crane and they can be hunted in mid winter and are very tasty.

Seems like about every few years or so some uneducated hunter accidentilly shoots a Whooper down here. While whooping cranes are designated as a protected, endangered species under Texas state law, killing one is classified as a Class C criminal misdemeanor carrying a maximum penalty of a $500 fine. Under federal law, killing or transporting an endangered species such as a whooping crane carries a maximum penalty of $100,000 and a year in prison.