Data from: Age and habitat characteristics influence the distance Whooping Crane chicks move away from the nest

The reintroduced Eastern Migratory Population (EMP) of Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) is not yet self-sustaining, and the pre-fledge period represents the highest risk of chick mortality. Whooping Cranes are precocial and leave the nest within a few days of hatching, yet little is known about their movements before fledging. We analyzed observations of 103 wild-hatched chicks collected between 2006 to 2025 in Wisconsin to evaluate factors influencing movement from the nest. The average maximum distance chicks were observed from the nest was 1086.9 ± 827.0 m (range: 0 – 4302 m). We used linear mixed-effects models to assess predictors of movement, compared candidate models using AICc, and generated predictions using model averaging of the top models. Chick age was the strongest predictor of movement; as chicks aged from 7 to 60 days, movement increased by 201.1%. Distance from the nest increased rapidly at younger ages and more gradually at older ages. An increase of 1.95 km in distance from the nest to the nearest agricultural area was associated with a 28.8% increase in chick movement distance, whereas an increase of 146.9 m in distance to the nearest forest was associated with a 19.8% decrease in movement. These patterns may reflect shifts in Whooping Crane habitat use during chick-rearing and can guide habitat management aimed at reducing predation risk during the pre-fledge period.