Eight whooping cranes have arrived at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in Florida, marking the end of their 2013 migration that began in early October.

The whooping cranes arrived at their winter home along the Florida Gulf Coast, on Jan. 5, led by ultralight aircraft. The trip began in Wisconsin, and the cranes traveled through Alabama during December on their way to their final stop. Alabama Power and parent Southern Company help support the nonprofit group Operation Migration and its efforts to expand the population of endangered whooping cranes in the Southeast.

The annual journey of captive-bred, young whooping cranes led by ultralight planes is designed to teach the birds their natural migration pattern. After they are guided on the trek one time, the cranes are able to complete the annual migration, on their own, going forward.

Updated: Here’s a piece NBC ran on Nightly News:

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