Ever thought of dressing up like a bird, taking off in a flimsy glider, and guiding a flock of whooping cranes on a thousand-mile migration? Pilot Joe Duff thinks about it a lot. In October, the Canadian photographer and glider buff will lead 10 of the endangered birds on a 1,250-mile migration from Wisconsin to their wintering spot at Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge in Florida.

Once Upon a Time... there were thousands of whooping cranes. But by 1940, these large cranes with the loud voices teetered on the brink of extinction. They had lost their wetland habitat, they were being hunted, and their eggs were being collected.

Crane Chronology. Today, due to intense conservation efforts, there is a non-migratory flock of about 86 cranes that lives year round in central Florida and another group of 174 migrating birds.

Those That Migrate... The 174 migrating cranes winter at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas, then fly to spend the summer in nesting areas in Canada's Wood Buffalo National Park near Alaska's Yukon Territory.

What Ifs. Conservation biologists worry that these few cranes could easily be wiped out by natural disasters like hurricanes or lightning, or human disasters like chemical or oil spills or a run-in with a 747 jumbo-jet.

How 'Bout Those Non-Migrating Cranes...? Having a second migratory group of whooping cranes in the East would provide some insurance against disasters while moving the species closer to recovery.

Secret Agent Cranes. But first those cranes need to learn a migration route that is no longer used by cranes. And how can they learn it, if not from other cranes?   Enter, the ultralight.

Crane Mentors. Biologists are training the flock of about 10 young whooping cranes to follow an ultralight across seven states ~ from Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin to Chassahowitska National Wildlife Refuge in Florida.

The Plan, Boss. The Plan. If all goes as planned, the birds will learn the migration route during the trip and return from Florida to Wisconsin on their own next spring. If they can do that, a second migratory whooping crane flock will exist.

Fly the Friendly Skies. That would be the first time in more than a century that whooping cranes have migrated across the skies of eastern North America.

A Bright Crane-ial Idea. This whooping crane migration experiment is modeled on the work of Canadian inventor Bill Lishman. Thirteen years ago, Lishman hatched a flock of Canada geese and taught them to follow an ultralight aircraft. The story was told in the film "Fly Away Home."

Crane Cadets. The experimental flock of newly trained cranes is scheduled to depart in mid-October. They will fly over Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia on their way to Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge.

What the Crane Trainers Say. "What a fitting tribute it would be for the public to be able to see a second population of wild whoopers migrating through our refuges when we celebrate the National Wildlife Refuge System's 100th anniversary in 2003."

World Records. It will be the longest human-led migration in history ~ seven states over a period of four to six weeks.

For the Birds. But for the cranes, a 1000 mile journey is a walk on the beach.

The Ultralight in Question. The tiny plane is "basically a lawn mower with some bedroom sheets attached," said Jay Hestbeck, chief of research at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Centre. It only goes about 35 mph, cruising at an altitude of up to 1,000 feet. Bird-friendly features include a screened cage over the propellers. It also has a "whooper communicator" ~ a black box that sends out different bird calls via a speaker attached to the landing gear. Messages include the brooding call, telling the birds to stick together, and the takeoff call.

Do Cranes Get It? Yes. Though their brains are the size of an acorn, whoopers are "very intelligent birds" with more than 100 ways to communicate through calls and body language, Duff said.

Crane Rest Stops. How can Duff tell when the birds are tired and need to land? They open their mouths and stick out their tongues to cool off.

Crane Boot Camp. At the training field, a leggy whooper gosling runs around a grassy track, following a wingless ultralight aircraft from which the pilot feeds the bird meal worms through a fake crane head attached to his arm.

And That Would Be Because...? The birds need to be conditioned to follow the noisy ultralight into the air, and they have limited attention spans. The activity needs to be fun in order for them to stick with it.

Imprinting. In the 1930s, Nobel Prize-winning scientist Konrad Lorenz discovered that ducks and other birds bond socially to the first moving object they see. This behavior is "imprinting". Making use of this behavior, trainers ~ AKA craniacs ~ dress up like cranes. They wear white-feathered costumes that hide all human features, including their faces. The craniacs become surrogate parents to the cranes.

How the Whooping Crane Got Its Name. It whoops. This particular crane makes a loud , trumpeting call. It's America's best known and rarest endangered species. The species lives and breeds in wetlands, where it feeds upon crabs, clams, frogs, and other aquatic organisms. Whooping cranes are 5 feet tall and white, with black wing tips and a red crown.

Link for More.

Bring Back the Cranes.

Whoopers.

Wild times with cranes.