조류들의 항로를 인도해줄 초경량 비행기와 함께, 6마리의 멸종 위기에 처한 미국흰두루미(whooping crane)들은 야생 동물 보호지역에 무사히 도착했다. 연구자들은 48일간의 여행을 완성하는 것으로 멸종 위기에 있는 조류를 보호하는데 도움이 될 수 있기를 희망한다.
Flock of Cranes Land at Winter Home
With an ultralight aircraft showing them the way, six endangered whooping cranes landed at a wildlife refuge Monday, completing a 48-day journey researchers hope will help save the endangered bird.
The birds ended the 1,200-mile migration shortly after dawn. A seventh bird that had trouble staying on track arrived by vehicle.
If the experiment works, the birds will return to their northern home in the spring.
``We planted the seed for what hopefully will grow and blossom into the new migratory flock of whooping cranes for Northern America,'' said Heather Ray of Operation Migration, the Canadian group that staged the flight.
The 6-month-old birds left a refuge in Wisconsin on Oct. 17. But the birds were grounded for 23 days because of fog, rain, hail, snow and headwinds. Group leaders had hoped the birds could fly 60 or 70 miles a day, but had to settle for half that distance.
At 5 feet tall, whooping cranes are North America's tallest birds and one of the world's rarest, with only about 400 left. The whooping crane was near extinction in 1941, with only about 20 left.
(소스: http://dailynews.yahoo.com/)
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