WHOOPING CRANE CHICK: DAY 13 |
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We have been releasing juvenile whooping cranes in Florida since 1992 in the hopes of establishing a new, non-migratory flock of whoopers similar to the one that once existed in Louisiana. Some of the released birds have been parent-reared, but the majority are costume or hand-reared. Some have worried that whoopers raised by humans might not successfully reproduce. This year, for the first time in history, two hand-reared whoopers bred in the wild and produced two chicks without any intervention from humans. The female came from the International Crane Foundation, and the male from Patuxent. This picture shows the parents caring for the two young chicks. We hope someday that Tux will join this pair in being a successful wild parent in Florida. As is typical in
the wild, only one chick has survived. However, he is healthy and thriving
and over forty days old. Films taken of the "First Family" show
the parents feeding the chick a wide variety of food, including crayfish,
insects, and snakes. Other whooper pairs have been nest-building in
Florida, however the state has suffered drought conditions for the last
three years, and none of the other nests have been successful. Parenting
is a learned skill, and it is not unusual for new pairs to lose their
first few eggs. Experience may give them the skills to be as successful as
this pair has been. Check our site tomorrow! |
Cool Facts:
See this page for more cool facts each day. |
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).
To check on updates after day 14, go to whooper's
home.