A roundtrip long-distance movement within one season by a nonmigratory Whooping Crane (Grus americana)

Abstract

The Whooping Crane (Grus americana) is an endangered species that historically comprised both migratory and nonmigratory populations in North America. Currently, there is one wild migratory and multiple reintroduced (both migratory and nonmigratory) populations of Whooping Cranes. Individual cranes in reintroduced populations are marked with unique color bands and transmitters, allowing for intensive monitoring throughout their lives. In spring 2011, a 6-year-old migratory female Whooping Crane separated from her migratory mate at a wintering site in Alachua County, Florida. She then began associating with a nonmigratory male Whooping Crane originally released in the same area. The 8-year-old nonmigratory male then proceeded to migrate to Wisconsin with the female in April 2011; however, upon returning to her nesting territory, the female returned to her previous mate. The Florida male remained in Wisconsin for ∼12 d before returning to Florida by 5 May, traveling at least 4,451 km in 1 month. The reason for this long-distance move may be that the Florida male crane had recently lost his mate and was hoping to pair with the migratory female. This is the first record of a Whooping Crane completing a roundtrip long-distance movement in 1 season, which raises questions about drivers of migration in cranes.