The prairies and marshes of southwestern Louisiana once supported both migrant and resident populations of Whooping Cranes and, as a result, supported more Whooping Cranes than any region in North America. Draining of wetlands on the breeding grounds as well as shooting eliminated the migrant population by around 1918. The last bird from the resident flock was captured in 1950 at what is now the White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area (WLWCA) near Gueydan, Louisiana. Since that time, the wild flock of Whooping Cranes has been placed on the Endangered Species list. To facilitate recovery, reintroduction programs have been ongoing for the last few decades. Research conducted by the Louisiana Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit evaluated habitats for potential reintroduction sites in Louisiana. A preferred site was identified and ultimately selected for potential releases. In February 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, along with numerous partners, approved reintroduction of Whooping Cranes to WLWCA. This population is designated as "experimental non-essential", thus providing them with full protection of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, but limited protection under the Endangered Species Act.

In March 2011, 10 Whooping Cranes, raised in captivity by costumed keepers (i.e., keepers wear a Whooping Crane costume at all times around the birds) at the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, were released at WLWCA. Subsequent releases by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries include 16 birds in December 2011 and 14 birds in December 2012. Upon arrival in Louisiana, the birds are first placed in a top-netted pen to acclimate to their new environment. Within the first few days, all birds are color-banded and fitted with a GPS satellite transmitter; some birds also receive a VHF transmitter as well to facilitate behavior studies and location of dead birds or those with a failed GPS transmitter. After several weeks, birds are released into a larger non-top netted pen. Food is provided for about 6 weeks; typically the birds leave immediately after food is removed. Currently, there are 28 birds scattered throughout southwest and south central Louisiana.

The Louisiana Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit has been closely involved in this project, even during the pre-project evaluations. During the pre-project period, researchers from the Louisiana Unit addressed Recovery Team questions by evaluating migration routes of wintering Sandhill Cranes in the area and also by assessing food availability at White Lake throughout the annual cycle. Since the release of the birds, Unit scientists have lead responsibility for monitoring and research of the released birds.

Researchers are conducting several studies evaluating behavior in the pen as well as evaluating habitat use and time-activity budgets within various habitat types. Researchers would like to know whether pen behavior, such as the time spent on alert, is correlated with long-term survival. If so, this could have implications to the type of rearing techniques used for Whooping Cranes. In addition, researchers are assessing the 350,000 ? 450,000 acres of rice and crawfish aquaculture in southwestern Louisiana that provide important habitat for the released Whooping Cranes. Scientists are trying to determine how these birds are using available habitats and how various management activities are influencing crane use and behavior. Similar studies in marsh habitats are also being conducted, but due to low visibility and difficult accessibility, the marsh environments are substantially more challenging.

To date, the reintroduction project has proceeded fairly smoothly. However, only 2 of the 10 birds in the original cohort survived. The mortalities included 2 that were shot and one euthanized as a result of a lung disease. Had the two shot cranes not been killed, the first year survival of released cranes would have been close to the expected 50%. The second cohort still has 12 of 16 birds alive and all of the birds released in January of this year are still alive as of March. Survival will likely not be the major issue determining the success of the project. Successful reproduction has been limited in previous reintroduction efforts and it may be the bottleneck in the Louisiana project as well. However, because Whooping Cranes do not reach sexual maturity until 3-5 years of age it will be at least one or more years before reproductive success can be evaluated along with potential factors affecting that success. Scientists will be developing studies to evaluate the factors affecting reproductive success in the coming year.

The Unit scientists work closely with and under the direction of LDWF, the lead agency, but also maintain close working relationships with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, International Crane Foundation, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, and the LSU Agricultural Center. Numerous granting agencies, private donors, and other partners provide monetary and/or technical support for this project.

As a new resource in 2013, the ONB will include articles from Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units across the country. Working with key cooperators, including WMI, Units are leading exciting, new wildlife research projects that we believe our readers will appreciate reading about.