Update on Amethyst. Our local, rare whooping crane

1 News, Stockbridge,

by Suzi Greenway
After reading SCN’s story in July on Amethyst, one of four rare whooping cranes who summers in Michigan, local reader Suzi Greenway grew concerned that she hadn’t seen Amethyst this year. Greenway wrote to the International Crane Foundation.

“I am looking for information on 72-17 named Amethyst. He has spent two previous summers in my area of White Oak Township, Ingham County, Michigan, 2018 and 2019. Amethyst would at times feed in the field behind my house or across the street, and in surrounding fields in an area of about 5 miles. I have not seen him at all this year and am concerned as to where he is. We rather love him in our area! He usually was seen with three or four other Sandhill Cranes, or with a larger group after harvest of wheat and soybean fields.”

Good news. Hillary Thompson, North America Program Crane Analyst, responded: “72-17 [Amethyst] was moving all over the place this spring. He went to Michigan, then flew across Lake Michigan and was in Wisconsin for a bit, then flew back to Michigan and was last seen in Saginaw County this spring. His GPS transmitter has stopped working, so I don’t know if he’s still in Saginaw County, but he was there in mid-May. Hopefully he will turn up soon! You can read more about him here if you like:

Amethyst “went to Michigan, then flew across Lake Michigan and was in Wisconsin for a bit, then flew back to Michigan and was last seen in Saginaw County this spring,” according to the International Crane Foundation. Photo courtesy of local resident and photographer Dave Alsobrooks.

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