Operation Migration teaches birds historic flight route

Ten young whooping cranes have begun their trek across Alabama as part of Operation Migration’s ongoing effort to pull one of the most famous endangered birds in North America back from the brink of extinction.

Alabama Power is a supporter of the Power of Flight grant partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) that has sponsored the annual migration since 2008.

Operation Migration takes a unique approach to restoring the endangered whooping crane population. Each year, new hatchlings are reared and taught a Wisconsin-to-Florida migration route by following ultralight aircraft.

Sunday morning the birds crossed from Tennessee into Alabama, beginning a 324-mile leg across the state that is part of the 1,285-mile migration that began Oct. 9. Depending on weather conditions, rest stops are planned in Franklin, Walker, Chilton, Lowndes and Pike counties as the birds journey across the state.

“Seeing these rare birds in flight is an incredible sight,” said Matt Bowden, vice president of Environmental Affairs for Alabama Power. “We are proud to support Operation Migration’s efforts to share that experience and rebuild the whooping crane’s wild migratory populations.”

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 50 days after hatching. Eventually, they follow a team of four ultralight aircraft on their first migration. Once the birds learn the migratory route, they can return the following spring unassisted. Each year a new generation is taught this route and released. Once this flock reaches 125 birds, including 25 breeding pairs, it is considered self-sustaining. To learn more about Operation Migration, go to www.operationmigration.org.

Power of Flight, which funds projects to conserve birds in the southern United States, is one of several stewardship programs supported by Alabama Power in partnership with NFWF and other supporters. The company also works to restore the South’s longleaf pine ecosystem through the Longleaf Legacy program and supports watershed conservation through Five Star Restoration. Learn more about Alabama Power’s environmental conservation efforts at www.alabamapower.com.

Media Contact: Brandon Glover 205-257-4155 or bglover@southernco.com