SALINE COUNTY -- Two visitors spent a good portion of the last week of March in Saline County, though they pretty much stayed in one spot and kept to themselves.
The visitors in this case were migrating whooping cranes, two of only about 600 such birds that exist today. In the 1940s, the population of wild whooping cranes had been reduced to 15 birds, but through years of hard work and research along with the support of private and governmental groups, the numbers slowly have increased.
On March 26, a Saline County resident noticed the two large birds in a rural area and texted a picture to Cathy DeNeal of Harrisburg. DeNeal thought the birds in the images might be whooping cranes and traveled to the location, where she confirmed the identification. She then reported the location and identification information to the International Crane Foundation, which tracks the movement of whooping cranes.
"I was in awe, seeing these cranes here in Saline County," DeNeal, who has been an avid birder for many years, said.
Researchers fit colored bands in a unique pattern to identify each crane. A small radio transmitter used for tracking also is attached.
Saline County's visitors were determined to be 5-12, dubbed "Henry" by researchers, and 30-16.
This is not the first time whooping cranes have been seen in the county. In 2015, five first-year birds apparently got lost as they migrated northward from Florida.
When whooping cranes are found, those who find them are encouraged not to widely broadcast exact whereabouts for the safety of the cranes. While most observers keep their distance, observing with binoculars and taking photos with long camera lenses, occasionally those who view whooping cranes aren't so kind. For example, in early 2017, a female whooping crane was found shot to death in a rural area where it had been observed. Several of the birds have been illegally killed by individuals in recent years, despite the threat of steep fines and federal prison time for killing an endangered species.
According to another group dedicated to preserving cranes, Operation Migration, the birds found in Saline County had stopped there after a long trip from Florida.
An observer had watched 5-12 and 30-16 leave St. Mark's National Wildlife Refuge in Wakulla County, Fla. three days before they turned up in Saline County.
"This means in the three days since they left St. Mark's, the two cranes covered close to 600 miles," a report from Operation Migration said.
There has not been an update since the two birds left Saline County early Saturday morning.
