Oct 24, 1997 / Airlie Center / Greater Sandhill Crane
PURPOSE: trying to see if cranes can be taught to migration routes by following ultralight planes AND if they will return on their own. This experiment is surrogate for whooping crane. RELEASE DATE: Date began migration. Arrived Nov 13. Kept semi-captive (penned at night) until Feb 10, '98). MIGRATION TRAINING: 8 followed plane, 6 were trucked along. SELECTION CRITERIA: birds that didn't follow planes were removed from study. SURROGATE: Geese before cranes. 1-YR SURVIVAL: All birds were eventually removed from the wild because they were too tame and approached humans. There was some evidence of attempts at return migration however, which was a reassuring sign. CAUSE OF DEATH: collision with plane propeller.
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Jade McGill
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