Posted Friday, September 14, 2012 --- 7:30 a.m.

HORICON, Wis. (AP) -- The Horicon National Wildlife Refuge has six new residents: whooping crane chicks.

The cranes will be released this fall with older birds that will lead them to Florida this winter.

It's part of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership, which is attempting to reintroduce the species in eastern North America.

The chicks range in age from 12 to 15 weeks old and were previously at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Juneau County getting acclimated to wetland habitats and wild cranes.

The biologists that take care of the birds wear costumes that resemble cranes.

Six other whooping crane chicks are currently being conditioned to follow ultralight aircraft by another group, Operation Migration. That's at the White River Marsh State Wildlife Area in Green Lake and Marquette counties.

Copyright 2012. The Associated Press.