Rare whooping crane rescued from Chicago suburb with a costume and some grapes Barry Adams | Wisconsin State Journal
A young whooping crane took an unlikely route home this week thanks to a conspiracy that involved a costumed researcher, green grapes and alert bird watchers concerned about the crane's safety amid the heavy traffic of suburban Chicago.
Within hours, bird 16-23, hatched at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, was back home Tuesday in the much more bird-friendly environment of Horicon Marsh where it learned to fly last fall.
Hillary Thompson of the International Crane Foundation dressed in a costume to capture a young whooping crane that had separated from its cohorts and was found alone in the Chicago suburb of Wilmette, Illinois.
The female crane had spent its winter in west central Indiana but at some point during this spring's migration north became separated from its group of four other cranes. Online bird forums lit up Tuesday in the Chicago area about the whooping crane's presence, which ultimately drew the attention of the International Crane Foundation.
The bird, referred to as "Animal" during its days at ICF, was first spotted along the Lake Michigan shoreline and then a short time later flew inland to the northern suburb of Wilmette, where it was spotted walking across a residential street.
Whooping Crane 16-23 was released Tuesday into Horicon Marsh. The bird now has on its upper right leg a GPS device powered by solar that will allow researchers at the International Crane Foundation to track its whereabouts for about three years.
The crane is one of just 850 whooping cranes in North America and one of only 75 in the Eastern Migratory Population.
The ICF could have left the bird alone, hoping it would depart and make its way to Horicon on its own. But because of concerns over the bird's safety in the urban environment, and considering the relatively short drive from Baraboo, the decision was made to try and capture the whooping crane and give it a ride back to Wisconsin, according to Anne Lacy, director of the ICF's Eastern Flyway Programs in North America.
"We had to weigh all of the odds," Lacy said Wednesday. "This is a young bird. It's obviously already lost and it's close enough that it's a day trip for us to come down."
Founded in 1973, the ICF is headquartered on a sprawling 240-acre campus that includes exhibits of cranes from around the world, including a pair of whooping cranes, one of the rarest birds in the world. The ICF was instrumental in helping to establish whooping cranes in the eastern U.S. The work, which began in 2001 and partnered with wildlife organizations and government agencies, included rearing young cranes with handlers dressed in crane costumes and migrations led by ultralight aircrafts.
That history became critical to Tuesday's successful mission in Illinois.
Armed with a baggie of green grapes — a favorite snack of cranes — and a costume with a whooping crane puppet head, Hillary Thompson, who has helped rear whooping cranes for over a decade, made the drive to Wilmette along with ICF North American fellow, Alicia Ward.
Thompson donned the costume, slowly approached the bird and began using the beak of the puppet head to toss grapes towards the wayward crane. Crowds were kept away, dog walkers were detoured and lawn maintenance was momentarily halted with help of Illinois wildlife officials. As Thompson inched closer, the crane recognized the puppet head from its days at ICF, which allowed Thompson to eventually reach out and slowly wrap her arms around the young crane.
"The costume disguises the human form and she recognized the puppet head. It was something she recognized and was not freaked out about it," Lacy said. "By being calm and slow, Hillary was able to approach her. You can't rush it because then the bird might flip out and that could lead to a hurt bird. And so, by doing it calm and slow, she was able to get it in hand."
Once secured, a hood was placed over the crane's head to keep it calm. A nearby veterinarian also examined the bird and signed off on a certificate of health to bring the bird back into Wisconsin. The bird was ultimately placed into a cardboard box from U-Haul, placed in an ICF van and driven to Horicon Marsh, where it was released as dusk approached.
"Getting to witness the rescue of a lost and seemingly exhausted young, federally-endangered whooping crane from a residential front-yard in Wilmette today was beyond incredible," said Scott Judd, who photographed the crane's capture and is a member of the Chicago Ornithological Society. "A truly memorable afternoon in Wilmette."
The crane, which previously had an identification tag on its upper left leg, now also has a white GPS unit with a solar charger attached to its upper right leg, which will allow ICF researchers to keep close tabs on the bird for around three years. It's yet to be known if the crane will remain in the 32,000 acre cattail marsh or move on to another location.
"It could have gone wrong in so, so many ways but it didn’t. And a lot of it was luck," Lacy said. A lot of people came together to help, including the birding community that is infatuated with whooping cranes. "It takes a village to save a crane. We're just so grateful that people are aware of this."