Earlier this week, conservation and animal welfare groups filed a formal request to expand protected habitat for the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. The petition, filed with the National Marine Fisheries Service, demonstrates scientific support for expanding existing critical habitat in areas that are essential to feeding, mating, calving, nursing and migration for the fewer than 400 North Atlantic right whales remaining in existence.
NMFS has publicly stated that the death of a single right whale may contribute to the species' extinction. Researchers predict right whales are certain to go extinct if the current rate of mortality and serious injury continues. However, saving just two female right whales a year could put the species on a positive path for recovery.
"Every single right whale counts when it comes to ensuring this species' survival," said Sharon Young, marine issues field director for The Humane Society of the United States. "Protecting the right whale's vital feeding, nursery and migratory habitat is the most basic, common-sense step toward moving this species out of the emergency room and onto the path to recovery."
The groups charge that current critical habitat boundaries are inadequate to provide for the survival and recovery of one of the most endangered animals on the planet. Once an area is designated as critical habitat, federal agencies must ensure that their actions will not adversely modify or destroy such habitat.
"Saying you're protecting right whales without sufficiently protecting their habitat is akin to saying you are going to protect sunfish while you drain the pond," said Regina Asmutis-Silvia, senior biologist with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society. "Without protecting the places where right whales live, we cannot, in reality, save the species."
"Expanding critical habitat for right whales will ensure that we make intelligent, well-informed decisions about how we use and share our country's marine resources," said Sierra Weaver, attorney with Defenders of Wildlife. "This isn't about walling off the ocean, but rather about looking closely at the impacts of our actions on one of our most iconic wildlife species."
The groups request that three areas used by North Atlantic right whales for essential life functions be added as critical habitat. The petition seeks to expand critical habitat in the whales' only known calving grounds off the coast of northern Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, and in the whales' feeding and nursery grounds throughout the Gulf of Maine. The petition also calls for adding the migration route between the calving and wintering grounds as critical habitat.
"The current critical habitat designated for right whales only protects bits and pieces of the most essential feeding and nursery habitat for the species, and doesn't protect migratory habitat at all," said Andrea Treece, senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. "If we're going to save the right whale, we have to provide a way for right whale mothers to safely shepherd their young between feeding and nursery grounds."
Despite being listed as endangered since the early 1970s, right whales continue to face serious threats throughout their range. Fishing gear entanglement and vessel strikes are the two most significant threats, killing or injuring at least 18 whales since 2004. Other threats include noise from vessel traffic, marine construction and sonar; offshore energy development; global warming; ocean acidification; and pollution.
"In an increasingly busy ocean, the survival and recovery of the North Atlantic right whale depends on the protection of its essential habitat areas," said Vicki Cornish, director of Marine Wildlife Policy with Ocean Conservancy. "Our demand for ocean resources is increasing, and we must consider the impact we have on the animals that call the ocean home. Protecting the most vital places for the survival of the North Atlantic right whale will help protect the species for generations to come."
The Endangered Species Act requires NMFS to respond to the groups' request within 90 days.
Facts:
The petition for expanded right whale critical habitat was filed on behalf of The Humane Society of the United States, Defenders of Wildlife, Center for Biological Diversity, Ocean Conservancy and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.
The North Atlantic right whale is a critically endangered marine animal once hunted to near extinction by whalers. The population has struggled to recover, and now fewer than 400 North Atlantic right whales remain.
Adult female right whales reproduce slowly — they give birth to one calf every three to four years and do not reach reproductive maturity until age 8.
Maps of the proposed critical habitat areas are available from the media contacts.
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Showing posts with label migration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label migration. Show all posts
Friday, September 18, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Songbirds Fly Three Times Faster than Expected
A York University researcher has tracked the migration of songbirds by outfitting them with tiny geolocator backpacks – a world first – revealing that scientists have underestimated their flight performance dramatically.
"Never before has anyone been able to track songbirds for their entire migratory trip,” said study author Bridget Stutchbury, a professor of biology in York’s Faculty of Science & Engineering. “We’re excited to achieve this scientific first.” Songbirds, the most common type of bird in our skies, are too small for conventional satellite tracking.
Stutchbury and her team mounted miniaturized geolocators on 14 wood thrushes and 20 purple martins, breeding in Pennsylvania during 2007, tracking the birds’ fall takeoff, migration to South America, and journey back to North America. In the summer of 2008, they retrieved the geolocators from five wood thrushes and two purple martins and reconstructed individual migration routes and wintering locations.
Data from the geolocators indicated that songbirds can fly in excess of 500 km (311 miles) per day, reports Stutchbury in the Feb. 13 issue of the journal Science. Previous studies estimated their flight performance at roughly 150 km (93 miles) per day.
The study, funded in part by the National Geographic Society, found that songbirds’ overall migration rate was two to six times more rapid in spring than in fall. For example, one purple martin took 43 days to reach Brazil during fall migration, but in spring returned to its breeding colony in only 13 days. Rapid long-distance movement occurred in both species, said Stutchbury.
“We were flabbergasted by the birds’ spring return times. To have a bird leave Brazil on April 12 and be home by the end of the month was just astounding. We always assumed they left sometime in March,” she said.
Researchers also found that prolonged stopovers were common during fall migration. The purple martins, which are members of the swallow family, had a stopover of three to four weeks in the Yucatan before continuing to Brazil. Four wood thrushes spent one to two weeks in the southeastern United States in late October, before crossing the Gulf of Mexico, and two other individuals stopped on the Yucatan Peninsula for two to four weeks before continuing migration.
The geolocators, which are smaller than a dime, detect light, allowing researchers to estimate birds’ latitude and longitude by recording sunrise and sunset times. The devices are mounted on birds’ backs by looping thin straps around their legs. The weight of the geolocator rests at the base of the bird’s spine, so as not to interfere with its balance.
Stutchbury credits researchers with the British Antarctic Survey for miniaturizing the geolocators. “They hadn’t really been thinking of [attaching them to] songbirds, but when I saw the technology, I knew we could do this,” she said.
The study also uncovered evidence that wood thrushes from a single breeding population did not scatter over their tropical wintering grounds. All five wood thrushes wintered in a narrow band in eastern Honduras or Nicaragua.
“This region is clearly important for the overall conservation of wood thrushes, a species that has declined by 30 percent since 1966,” said Stutchbury. “Songbird populations have been declining around the world for 30 or 40 years, so there is a lot of concern about them.”
She emphasized the importance of this research not only to protect at-risk species of songbirds, but also to gauge environmental concerns.
“Tracking birds to their wintering areas is also essential for predicting the impact of tropical habitat loss and climate change,” she said. “Until now, our hands have been tied in many ways, because we didn’t know where the birds were going. They would just disappear and then come back in the spring. It’s wonderful to now have a window into their journey.”
The study, “Tracking long-distance songbird migration using geolocators,” was co-authored by Tyler Done, Elizabeth Gow and Patrick Kramer (York University graduate students), John Tautin (Purple Martin Conservation Association), and James Fox and Vsevolod Afanasyev (British Antarctic Survey).
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"Never before has anyone been able to track songbirds for their entire migratory trip,” said study author Bridget Stutchbury, a professor of biology in York’s Faculty of Science & Engineering. “We’re excited to achieve this scientific first.” Songbirds, the most common type of bird in our skies, are too small for conventional satellite tracking.
Stutchbury and her team mounted miniaturized geolocators on 14 wood thrushes and 20 purple martins, breeding in Pennsylvania during 2007, tracking the birds’ fall takeoff, migration to South America, and journey back to North America. In the summer of 2008, they retrieved the geolocators from five wood thrushes and two purple martins and reconstructed individual migration routes and wintering locations.
Data from the geolocators indicated that songbirds can fly in excess of 500 km (311 miles) per day, reports Stutchbury in the Feb. 13 issue of the journal Science. Previous studies estimated their flight performance at roughly 150 km (93 miles) per day.
The study, funded in part by the National Geographic Society, found that songbirds’ overall migration rate was two to six times more rapid in spring than in fall. For example, one purple martin took 43 days to reach Brazil during fall migration, but in spring returned to its breeding colony in only 13 days. Rapid long-distance movement occurred in both species, said Stutchbury.
“We were flabbergasted by the birds’ spring return times. To have a bird leave Brazil on April 12 and be home by the end of the month was just astounding. We always assumed they left sometime in March,” she said.
Researchers also found that prolonged stopovers were common during fall migration. The purple martins, which are members of the swallow family, had a stopover of three to four weeks in the Yucatan before continuing to Brazil. Four wood thrushes spent one to two weeks in the southeastern United States in late October, before crossing the Gulf of Mexico, and two other individuals stopped on the Yucatan Peninsula for two to four weeks before continuing migration.
The geolocators, which are smaller than a dime, detect light, allowing researchers to estimate birds’ latitude and longitude by recording sunrise and sunset times. The devices are mounted on birds’ backs by looping thin straps around their legs. The weight of the geolocator rests at the base of the bird’s spine, so as not to interfere with its balance.
Stutchbury credits researchers with the British Antarctic Survey for miniaturizing the geolocators. “They hadn’t really been thinking of [attaching them to] songbirds, but when I saw the technology, I knew we could do this,” she said.
The study also uncovered evidence that wood thrushes from a single breeding population did not scatter over their tropical wintering grounds. All five wood thrushes wintered in a narrow band in eastern Honduras or Nicaragua.
“This region is clearly important for the overall conservation of wood thrushes, a species that has declined by 30 percent since 1966,” said Stutchbury. “Songbird populations have been declining around the world for 30 or 40 years, so there is a lot of concern about them.”
She emphasized the importance of this research not only to protect at-risk species of songbirds, but also to gauge environmental concerns.
“Tracking birds to their wintering areas is also essential for predicting the impact of tropical habitat loss and climate change,” she said. “Until now, our hands have been tied in many ways, because we didn’t know where the birds were going. They would just disappear and then come back in the spring. It’s wonderful to now have a window into their journey.”
The study, “Tracking long-distance songbird migration using geolocators,” was co-authored by Tyler Done, Elizabeth Gow and Patrick Kramer (York University graduate students), John Tautin (Purple Martin Conservation Association), and James Fox and Vsevolod Afanasyev (British Antarctic Survey).
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Thursday, January 15, 2009
Ultralight-led Whooping Cranes Winging Toward Southwest Georgia
Fourteen endangered whooping crane chicks and their surrogate parents – four ultralight aircraft – are headed toward southwestern Georgia on their 1,285-mile migration from Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in central Wisconsin to Chassahowitzka and St. Marks national wildlife refuges along Florida's Gulf Coast.
These majestic birds, the tallest in North America, began their migration from Necedah on Oct. 17. In Georgia, the planned route will take them from Clay County almost due south through Decatur County in the coming days. Stopovers are scheduled in both counties. The cranes and crew landed in Pike County, Ala., on Monday and will move toward Clay County at the Alabama/Georgia state line as weather allows.
There are 68 migratory whooping cranes in the wild in eastern North America, thanks to the efforts of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership, an international coalition of public and private groups that is reintroducing whooping cranes in the species’ historic range.
Mike Harris, Nongame Conservation Section chief for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division, said the impressive work is bringing back an eastern migratory population of the imperiled cranes “from scratch.”
Harris said historic records show whooping cranes used to migrate through Georgia, possibly even wintering here. “Once the population is restored, we hope we’ll have places where they stop regularly during migration.”
The ultralight-led flock from Necedah National Wildlife Refuge has made its way through Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee. For the first time, the route went through southern Illinois and Alabama, clipping the corner of Georgia instead of cutting north to south through the state as before. Increased weather delays and safety risks with crossing the Appalachian Mountains prompted the ultralight migration team and project partner Operation Migration to develop the more westerly route that goes around the mountains instead of over them. Last year’s journey lasted 97 days.
In addition to the 14 birds being led south by the ultralights, six other birds were released in the company of older cranes in the hope that they can learn the migration route from the more experienced birds. This is part of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership’s “Direct Autumn Release” program and is conducted by the International Crane Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The International Whooping Crane Recovery Team has set the target for this reintroduction at 125 birds, including 25 breeding pairs. Once these numbers are reached the population could be considered self-sustaining. With 68 birds in the wild and another 21 scheduled for release soon, the effort has passed the halfway point and “whoopers” are again migrating over eastern North America after a 100-year absence.
Whooping cranes, named for their loud unison calls, were on the verge of extinction in the 1940s. Today, there are only about 350 in the wild and 500 in existence.
Aside from the 68 Wisconsin-Florida birds, the only other migrating population nests at Wood Buffalo National Park in the Northwest Territories of Canada and winters at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Texas coast. A non-migrating flock of about 30 birds lives in central Florida. The remaining 150 whooping cranes are in captivity in zoos and breeding facilities.
The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership asks that anyone who encounters a whooping crane in the wild please give them the respect and distance they need. Do not approach on foot within 200 yards, remain in your vehicle if possible and do not approach in a vehicle within 100 yards. Please stay concealed and do not speak loudly enough that the birds can hear you. Finally, do not trespass on private property in an attempt to view the cranes.
Each fall, Operation Migration pilots lead a new generation of whooping cranes behind their ultralight aircraft to wintering grounds in Florida. The cranes will make the return flight on their own to the upper Midwest in the spring.
The birds are tracked and monitored year-round. They live and breed in wetland areas, where they feed on crabs, clams, frogs and seeds. They are distinctive animals, standing 5 feet tall, with white bodies, black wing tips and red crowns on their heads.
Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership founding members are the International Crane Foundation; Operation Migration Inc.; Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the U.S. Geological Survey’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and National Wildlife Health Center; the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin; and the International Whooping Crane Recovery Team.
Many other flyway states, provinces, private individuals and conservation groups have joined forces with and support the partnership by donating resources, funding and personnel. More than 60 percent of the project’s budget comes from private sources in the form of grants, public donations and corporate sponsorship.
Go to www.bringbackthecranes.org for more information on the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership. A map of the route is at www.operationmigration.org/mile_makers.htm#map.
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These majestic birds, the tallest in North America, began their migration from Necedah on Oct. 17. In Georgia, the planned route will take them from Clay County almost due south through Decatur County in the coming days. Stopovers are scheduled in both counties. The cranes and crew landed in Pike County, Ala., on Monday and will move toward Clay County at the Alabama/Georgia state line as weather allows.
There are 68 migratory whooping cranes in the wild in eastern North America, thanks to the efforts of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership, an international coalition of public and private groups that is reintroducing whooping cranes in the species’ historic range.
Mike Harris, Nongame Conservation Section chief for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division, said the impressive work is bringing back an eastern migratory population of the imperiled cranes “from scratch.”
Harris said historic records show whooping cranes used to migrate through Georgia, possibly even wintering here. “Once the population is restored, we hope we’ll have places where they stop regularly during migration.”
The ultralight-led flock from Necedah National Wildlife Refuge has made its way through Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee. For the first time, the route went through southern Illinois and Alabama, clipping the corner of Georgia instead of cutting north to south through the state as before. Increased weather delays and safety risks with crossing the Appalachian Mountains prompted the ultralight migration team and project partner Operation Migration to develop the more westerly route that goes around the mountains instead of over them. Last year’s journey lasted 97 days.
In addition to the 14 birds being led south by the ultralights, six other birds were released in the company of older cranes in the hope that they can learn the migration route from the more experienced birds. This is part of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership’s “Direct Autumn Release” program and is conducted by the International Crane Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The International Whooping Crane Recovery Team has set the target for this reintroduction at 125 birds, including 25 breeding pairs. Once these numbers are reached the population could be considered self-sustaining. With 68 birds in the wild and another 21 scheduled for release soon, the effort has passed the halfway point and “whoopers” are again migrating over eastern North America after a 100-year absence.
Whooping cranes, named for their loud unison calls, were on the verge of extinction in the 1940s. Today, there are only about 350 in the wild and 500 in existence.
Aside from the 68 Wisconsin-Florida birds, the only other migrating population nests at Wood Buffalo National Park in the Northwest Territories of Canada and winters at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Texas coast. A non-migrating flock of about 30 birds lives in central Florida. The remaining 150 whooping cranes are in captivity in zoos and breeding facilities.
The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership asks that anyone who encounters a whooping crane in the wild please give them the respect and distance they need. Do not approach on foot within 200 yards, remain in your vehicle if possible and do not approach in a vehicle within 100 yards. Please stay concealed and do not speak loudly enough that the birds can hear you. Finally, do not trespass on private property in an attempt to view the cranes.
Each fall, Operation Migration pilots lead a new generation of whooping cranes behind their ultralight aircraft to wintering grounds in Florida. The cranes will make the return flight on their own to the upper Midwest in the spring.
The birds are tracked and monitored year-round. They live and breed in wetland areas, where they feed on crabs, clams, frogs and seeds. They are distinctive animals, standing 5 feet tall, with white bodies, black wing tips and red crowns on their heads.
Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership founding members are the International Crane Foundation; Operation Migration Inc.; Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the U.S. Geological Survey’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and National Wildlife Health Center; the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin; and the International Whooping Crane Recovery Team.
Many other flyway states, provinces, private individuals and conservation groups have joined forces with and support the partnership by donating resources, funding and personnel. More than 60 percent of the project’s budget comes from private sources in the form of grants, public donations and corporate sponsorship.
Go to www.bringbackthecranes.org for more information on the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership. A map of the route is at www.operationmigration.org/mile_makers.htm#map.
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Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Southern Company Sponsoring Operation Migration USA; Unique Program Helps Conserve Whooping Cranes
PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In a new alliance that extends efforts to restore bird populations in the Southeast, Southern Company is sponsoring Operation Migration USA, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the conservation of migratory species, including the Whooping crane.
The three-year grant to Operation Migration USA was made through the Power of Flight, a partnership between Southern Company and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to protect birds through habitat and species restoration and environmental education.
The support will help Operation Migration USA to increase the number of Whooping cranes it raises and leads south by ultralight aircraft from the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin to the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge in Florida.
"Operation Migration, working in association with the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership, has been instrumental in saving the Whooping crane, which once was near extinction," said Chris Hobson, Southern Company senior vice president for research and environmental affairs. "We are pleased that this ongoing effort to ensure the Whooping crane's survival is now among the many outstanding bird conservation programs that are Power of Flight grantees."
Operation Migration hopes to increase the number of new Whooping cranes released annually to 24, with the goal of helping the flock reach a self-sustaining population level in four to five years.
"Operation Migration has a new route this year that will take our team of aviculturists and pilots leading Whooping cranes through Alabama and Georgia on our way to Florida. We are delighted to welcome Southern Company as a major sponsor. Southern Company's commitment of financial support will help ensure we can continue our important work with the endangered Whooping crane," said Joe Duff, Operation Migration USA co-founder and chief executive.
"We are extremely proud to be part of Operation Migration's critical work in restoring the Whooping crane population through our partnership with Southern Company," said Jeff Trandahl, executive director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. "This is a resounding example of how strong support and leadership from Southern Company and focused conservation investments through the Power of Flight program are achieving meaningful and significant benefits in the southeastern United States for wildlife and the habitats on which they depend."
The cranes for this project are hatched at the U.S. Geological Survey Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland. They are taught to follow a specially designed ultralight aircraft before being shipped to Wisconsin at 50 days of age. Eventually, they follow a team of four ultralight aircraft on their first migration from Wisconsin to Florida.
Once the birds learn the migratory route they can return, on their own, the following spring. Each year a new generation is taught this route and released. Once this flock reaches 125 birds, including 25 breeding pairs, it can be considered self-sustaining.
This year, Operation Migration's ultralights will travel 1,285 miles through seven states, including three -- Alabama, Florida and Georgia -- that are served by Southern Company. The cranes are expected to begin their flight in mid October; their arrival date depends on the weather but the trip is expected to take at least 50 days. Progress reports on the flight are updated regularly and posted on Operation Migration USA's Web site at www.operationmigration.org/Field_Journal.html .
Since 2001, Operation Migration has played a leading role in the reintroduction of endangered Whooping cranes into eastern North America. During the 1940s only 15 birds survived in the world, although the species was not declared endangered until 1971. The primary reason for the birds' disappearance was the destruction of its natural habitat; however, thanks to conservation efforts, more than 500 whooping cranes survive today.
Operation Migration USA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the conservation of migratory species through innovative research, education and partnerships. Launched in 2001, the organization has played a leading role in the reintroduction of endangered Whooping cranes into eastern North America. Operation Migration is a founding partner of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP), the coalition of non-profit organizations and government agencies behind the project to safeguard the endangered Whooping crane from extinction. For more information, visit www.operationmigration.org .
A nonprofit established by Congress in 1984, The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) sustains, restores and enhances the nation's fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Through leadership conservation investments with public and private partners, NFWF is dedicated to achieving maximum conservation impact by developing and applying best practices and innovative methods for measurable outcomes. Since its establishment, NFWF has awarded over 10,000 grants to more than 3,500 organizations in the United States and abroad and leveraged - with its partners - more than $600 million into over $1.5 billion for conservation.
With nearly 4.4 million customers and more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE:SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast, one of America's fastest-growing regions. A leading U.S. producer of electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are significantly below the national average. Southern Company has been listed the top ranking U.S. electric service provider in customer satisfaction for nine consecutive years by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Visit our Web site at http://www.southerncompany.com/ .
The three-year grant to Operation Migration USA was made through the Power of Flight, a partnership between Southern Company and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to protect birds through habitat and species restoration and environmental education.
The support will help Operation Migration USA to increase the number of Whooping cranes it raises and leads south by ultralight aircraft from the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin to the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge in Florida.
"Operation Migration, working in association with the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership, has been instrumental in saving the Whooping crane, which once was near extinction," said Chris Hobson, Southern Company senior vice president for research and environmental affairs. "We are pleased that this ongoing effort to ensure the Whooping crane's survival is now among the many outstanding bird conservation programs that are Power of Flight grantees."
Operation Migration hopes to increase the number of new Whooping cranes released annually to 24, with the goal of helping the flock reach a self-sustaining population level in four to five years.
"Operation Migration has a new route this year that will take our team of aviculturists and pilots leading Whooping cranes through Alabama and Georgia on our way to Florida. We are delighted to welcome Southern Company as a major sponsor. Southern Company's commitment of financial support will help ensure we can continue our important work with the endangered Whooping crane," said Joe Duff, Operation Migration USA co-founder and chief executive.
"We are extremely proud to be part of Operation Migration's critical work in restoring the Whooping crane population through our partnership with Southern Company," said Jeff Trandahl, executive director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. "This is a resounding example of how strong support and leadership from Southern Company and focused conservation investments through the Power of Flight program are achieving meaningful and significant benefits in the southeastern United States for wildlife and the habitats on which they depend."
The cranes for this project are hatched at the U.S. Geological Survey Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland. They are taught to follow a specially designed ultralight aircraft before being shipped to Wisconsin at 50 days of age. Eventually, they follow a team of four ultralight aircraft on their first migration from Wisconsin to Florida.
Once the birds learn the migratory route they can return, on their own, the following spring. Each year a new generation is taught this route and released. Once this flock reaches 125 birds, including 25 breeding pairs, it can be considered self-sustaining.
This year, Operation Migration's ultralights will travel 1,285 miles through seven states, including three -- Alabama, Florida and Georgia -- that are served by Southern Company. The cranes are expected to begin their flight in mid October; their arrival date depends on the weather but the trip is expected to take at least 50 days. Progress reports on the flight are updated regularly and posted on Operation Migration USA's Web site at www.operationmigration.org/Field_Journal.html .
Since 2001, Operation Migration has played a leading role in the reintroduction of endangered Whooping cranes into eastern North America. During the 1940s only 15 birds survived in the world, although the species was not declared endangered until 1971. The primary reason for the birds' disappearance was the destruction of its natural habitat; however, thanks to conservation efforts, more than 500 whooping cranes survive today.
Operation Migration USA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the conservation of migratory species through innovative research, education and partnerships. Launched in 2001, the organization has played a leading role in the reintroduction of endangered Whooping cranes into eastern North America. Operation Migration is a founding partner of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP), the coalition of non-profit organizations and government agencies behind the project to safeguard the endangered Whooping crane from extinction. For more information, visit www.operationmigration.org .
A nonprofit established by Congress in 1984, The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) sustains, restores and enhances the nation's fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Through leadership conservation investments with public and private partners, NFWF is dedicated to achieving maximum conservation impact by developing and applying best practices and innovative methods for measurable outcomes. Since its establishment, NFWF has awarded over 10,000 grants to more than 3,500 organizations in the United States and abroad and leveraged - with its partners - more than $600 million into over $1.5 billion for conservation.
With nearly 4.4 million customers and more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE:SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast, one of America's fastest-growing regions. A leading U.S. producer of electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are significantly below the national average. Southern Company has been listed the top ranking U.S. electric service provider in customer satisfaction for nine consecutive years by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Visit our Web site at http://www.southerncompany.com/ .
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