WHOOPING CRANE CHICK: DAY 08

        Photo by Nelson Beyer, 
USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

  
  Photo by Nelson Beyer, 
USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

Patuxent (Tux) is going on a walk for exercise. He's joined by two other chicks close to his age. Tux is the chick on the far right with the white leg band. A technician, walking in front of the chicks, makes sure they keep moving and that they don't start fighting. Crane chicks can be very aggressive toward each other.

The chick with the blue band is Tux's sibling. She's only a day older than he is, but in crane-time that's a big advantage. The chick with the yellow band is a few days younger. Tux's white leg band still fits him, but before too long he'll need a bigger one. Going on walks with other chicks every day will help keep him growing strong. 

The last few days have been very hot, so walking has to be done early in the morning. If the heat continues, we'll take the chicks for a swim instead. Whoopers have thick down to protect them from the cold in northern Canada. Here in Maryland, when the weather gets unseasonably hot, it can be a disadvantage.

Check our site tomorrow!

Cool Facts:

Exercise: Walking. Everyone needs regular exercise to be healthy. Crane chicks are no different. In the wild, chicks walk with their parents in search for food. They cover a lot of ground while foraging, and the steady walking helps the chicks grow those long, straight legs. Chicks being hand-reared don't need to search for food, and even though they have outside pens to wander around in, they can be lazy. To make sure the chicks grow up healthy, the staff takes the chicks out for walks to provide this critical exercise.

 See this page for more cool facts each day.

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