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Ultralight Craft Helps Whooping Crane Migration

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ST. MARKS (CBSMiami/AP) — An ultralight aircraft has helped complete the annual winter migration of endangered whooping cranes to Florida.

Seven young canes arrived Thursday at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge along Florida's northern Gulf coast. They followed two ultralight aircraft for 63 days and 1,100 miles from Wisconsin to St. Marks.

Five cranes followed one ultralight and two followed the other aircraft.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says this is the 14th group of cranes to make the trip as part of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership. The coalition of public and private groups is reintroducing the cranes to their historic North American range.

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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