Operation Migration was founded in 1994 as a non-profit charitable organization by Bill Lishman and Joe Duff. That was five years after Bill became the first human to fly with birds, and one year after the two artists, turned biologists, used ultralight aircraft to lead a small flock of Canada geese from Ontario, Canada to Virginia, USA. The unassisted return migration of these geese the following spring garnered world-wide attention that led to the making of the hit movie Fly Away Home with Columbia Pictures. 
To perfect techniques, and ensure that once released, birds conditioned to follow their ultralights would remain wild, several migration studies were conducted with non-endangered Sandhill cranes in subsequent years. The results of these studies were evaluated by the Canada / United States Whooping Crane Recovery Team. Like many birds, Whooping cranes learn their migration route by following their parents. But this knowledge is lost when the species is reduced and there are no longer any wild birds using the flyway. Until Operation Migration was asked by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to spearhead a reintroduction of the world's most endangered cranes, there was no method of teaching migration to captive reared Whooping cranes released into the wild.
In the first five years of the program, approximately 60 birds have been taught a migration route between Wisconsin and Florida. This is 4 times the number that existed in the early 1940's. Operation Migration Inc works in partnership with nine private and government agencies known collectively as the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership.
Become a MileMaker Sponsor and help us lead the 2006 flock of endangered Whooping crane chicks on their 1250 mile migration! Click here to contribute. 
Field Journal 2006
Read our field journal to get the latest update on our flock of Whooping cranes!
Get Involved! You can help! Operation Migration is a non-profit organization in the United States and Canada. Your tax-deductible contributions help keep this exciting wildlife reintroduction literally, "In The Air".
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Last update: June 18, 2006
Editor/publisher: Eileen Potts Dawson epottsdawson@madison.k12.wi.us
Webmaster: webmaster@madison.k12.wi.us