Operation Migration

“Where imagination and innovation meet extreme science.” That’s the slogan for Operation Migration, a group devoted to the restoration of the North American whooping crane population. And extreme it is — Operation Migration members play an active role in nearly every aspect of the life cycle of its birds, from teaching chicks to peck for food, to taking part in the migration from Florida to Wisconsin via ultralight plane. Yet, through the whole process, the birds are never aware of their reliance on humans. Participants disguise themselves in white whooping crane costumes and never speak in front of the birds. Operation Migration’s time, effort, and resources have helped turn around the decline of whooping cranes from just 50 in 1973 to 265 today.

So what’s so special about the whooping crane? Here to answer that question is Joe Duff, co-founder of Operation Migration. We also hear an audio report from producer Mark Chenoweth about the group.

Operation Migration website

The New York Times: "Rescue Flight"

(Photo courtesy Tzafrir R via Flickr/Creative Commons)