[birdky] Help keep our Whooping Cranes safe

From: Dan Kaiser <dhkaiser@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: IN-BIRD-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:12:19 -0500
Although a bit early, we see the cranes are on the move, both the
Sandhills and the Whooping.  Magnificent birds both, however I will
admit I am partial to the Whooping Cranes.

As a volunteer who helps monitor the WHCR as they migrate through our
area, I am fortunate in that I am able to observe these great birds. And
I have come to appreciate how fragile their existence stands today. The
Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP) is in it's eleventh year of
releasing WHCR, and as of today there are only 102 birds in the eastern
population.

In the last year we have lost an unusual number of WHCR.  Six were shot,
some have succumbed to natural causes and several more have just come up
missing.

I would like to remind everyone of the guidelines for observing and
reporting sightings of WHCR.  The WCEP  have requested reports of
sightings be limited to the county level, not more specific.  There are
very good reasons for this.  Should the location of one or more of these
birds become too public they will certainly draw crowds. Uninformed
people will then approach too close, even feeding the birds.  This has
happed in the past to the bird's determent.

Young naive birds are particularly susceptible, I have witnessed young
WHCR dancing along the side of a highway.  These birds were seen
approaching automobiles, as if to beg for food.  One can easily see the
dangers here.

Should you see a Whooping Crane please do not approach closer than 200
yards,  if in your car 100 yards.  It is requested that we do not speak
loud enough for the birds to hear us.  And do report your sighting to
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/whoopingcrane/sightings/sightingform.cfm

We all enjoy the excitement of seeing the crane migration.  And that
excitement increases when we see a Whooping Crane.  Let's put the
Whooping Crane's safety above our excitement.  Hopefully in the not too
distant future there will be a self sustaining Whooping Crane population
that we all can admire and share with future generations.

 For more information see...

  www.savingcranes.org

 and

 www.operationmigration.org

 Dan Kaiser
 Columbus, IN



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[birdky] Help keep our Whooping Cranes safe

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