Five whooping cranes being tracked by researchers are nearing the end of their migration from Florida to Wisconsin. The whooping cranes are part of a project to restart a migratory path between the two states. Reestablishing the route is key to the survival of the cranes, which are some of the most endangered birds in North America. Last fall, researchers guided the birds all the way to Florida using an ultralight plane. The birds were left to adjust to life in the wild, and are now flying back to Wisconsin-- on their own. Rachel Jepson Wolf is the Outreach Coordinator for the International Crane Foundation. She's on the line now. Check out the Morning Edition page of our web site later today for additional links about the whopping ctanes, Minnesota Public radio dot org