During the summer of 1988, 7 greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) hatched from 15 eggs collected at Seney National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Michigan, were isolation-reared at Welder Wildlife Refuge (WWR) near Sinton, Texas, and fitted with radio transmitters prior to fledging. Because of severe drought conditions on WWR. 3 surviving juveniles were moved to Laguna Atascosa NWR (LANWR) in south Texas and released on 27 January 1989. On 12 March 1989 they left LANWR with 3 wild cranes. They were relocated on 4 April in Rosebud, Texas. The 3 cranes were captured and transported to Grand Island, Nebraska. and fe-released on 7 April. They left the Platte River on 21 April with a large flock of wild cranes and migrated at least 160 km north before I lost radio contact with them. They reappeared in Waco, Texas, on 22 May, and in June they were 30 km from WWR. On 11 August, 2 surviving cranes returned to WWR; they were recaptured and transported to LANWR. In the absence of wild migrant cranes, the 2 remaining cranes began associating with domestic animals and humans. On 8 March 1990 they were removed from the wild because they displayed no intention to migrate with wild cranes. These birds showed a strong affinity for their natal area (WWR), suggesting that isolation-reared cranes should be released on breeding grounds rather than on wintering grounds
