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Countdown: Hatch Day -1 COUNTDOWN: HATCH DAY - 1
IN ONE DAY, THIS EGG BECOMES A WHOOPING CRANE!

In one day, this egg becomes a whooping crane.
Photo by Nelson Beyer, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

After resting for a day or more, the chick will begin to chip away at the star pip until he's made a hole about the size of a dime. This is called the hole pip. We can see the chick's beak and part of his face through this hole, and we can see him breathing. He also sounds much louder when he peeps. Once the chick has opened up the hole pip, he'll then methodically chip away at the large end of the shell in a line around the egg, turning completely around as he goes. He's cutting the top of the egg off, the way you would if you were eating a soft-boiled egg. It looks like this would be the hardest job of hatching, removing the top of the whole egg, but most chicks finish this task in less than an hour, then kick their way out.  This is how a cut-out egg looks:

After resting for a day or more, the chick will begin to chip away at the star pip until he's made a hole about the size of a dime. This is called the hole pip. We can see the chick's beak and part of his face through this hole, and we can see him breathing.
Photo by Nelson Beyer, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
Cool Facts:
 
The splotchy color of the egg provides natural camouflage against the russet colors of the nest. This helps keep it safe from predators. The splotchy color of the egg provides natural camouflage against the russet colors of the nest. This helps keep it safe from predators.
In the wild, whoopers normally lay 2 eggs but usually only one chick survives. In the wild, whoopers normally lay 2 eggs but usually only one chick survives.
At Patuxent, whoopers lay more than 2 eggs so that we can produce more chicks for release. At Patuxent, whoopers lay more than 2 eggs so that we can produce more chicks for release.

See this page for more cool facts each day.
Click on Sound of pipping chick for sound of chick inside egg that is pipped.

Click here to ask questions about our chick or Patuxent's crane program. 

Hatch Day (Click on numbered links to view other egg (negative numbers) and chick days).

-4

-3

-2

-1

 0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

 To check on updates after day 14, go to whooper's home.
General Info on Cranes Why are Cranes Endangered? Frequently Asked Questions Photo Gallery Cool Facts Related Links Whoopers Home

U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, 
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD, USA
URL http://whoopers.usgs.gov
Contact: Jonathan Male
Last Modification: 14-June-2000@15:13 (edt)
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