News of the Wild

Whooper Stops Over in City

In early May, a lone juvenile whooping crane — a.k.a. Number 18-04 — landed in Chicago’s Washington Park. This wasn’t the first time the federally endangered whoopers have stopped in Chicago Wilderness on their migratory route between their summer homes in Wisconsin and their wintering grounds in Florida. But Number 18-04 was the last of the “Class of 2004” whooping cranes to leave Florida this spring and the only one that had made the southbound trip to Florida without the help of humans (in the form of ultralight aircraft serving as guides).

A veteran Chicago-area birder verified its identity, and two others observed it early the next morning, until it took off sometime after 7 a.m. Later it was seen flying north over Evanston.

Number 18-04 has since been confirmed and photographed in Washington County, Wisconsin. Chicago Wilderness has fine habitat for whooping (and sandhill) cranes, though few would list Washington Park as five-star. As crane populations recover, people here likely will see more of them.

Related Article:

Welcome Back, Whoopers, CW Spring 2002