Whooping Crane Family-Part VII

Happy reunion!

When the chick's health check was complete (see Nov 1 post), he was released again to his parents and immediately ran to the water to escape.

Adult whooping cranes are wading birds, but their young are capable of swimming as a natural defense against predation. One of the many important functions of wetlands to this species, whooping cranes build their nests on elevated platforms in the water, making the chick less vulnerable to predation from the shore. Adult whooping cranes also roost in water so that the sound of a splash can wake them if a predator approaches.

The two-day old chick you see here could swim much faster than he could run in the grass. As the chick matures, his legs will rapidly grow taller and the webs on his feet will disappear. Below the male stands guard as the female forages for food to feed the chick.

Still stressed, the chick initially swam rapidly around the open water. The female gains his attention and offers food. Feeding helps to restore calm to the family.

She watches as he swallows the food she offered him.
The chick soon climbs out of the water and is surrounded by attentive parents eager to feed and sooth him.
Throughout my observations, attentiveness was evident in the way the parents stayed close to their chick, watched over him and offered him food, tirelessly and without pause. I enjoy the larger images that show habitat, that offer a larger understanding of the species ecology and the story of their lives. And then there are the close ups, the images that allow you to see into their eyes, to look more deeply into the bond between parent and chick. (Have I ever mentioned how much I love photography?) Within a short time, former peace is restored to the whooping crane family and the parents return to a tranquil pace of foraging and feeding their young chick.
Don't miss the whooping crane chick video! Click the link to see the entire Whooping Crane Family series (start at the bottom where it begins!) Also check out the whooping crane ultralight migration and the whooping crane's recovery.
Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #10, at Birdfreak.com, raising bird conservation awareness.

Whooping Crane Family--Part VI

When peace is disturbed.
For several hours, on the morning of the whooping crane chick's second day, I was alone in the exhibit observation area at the International Crane Foundation.
The parents' attentive behavior, fluid movements and purring brood calls soothed me into a peaceful state as securely as it bonded them with their chick. (see chick video)
Deeply absorbed in this tranquil scene, my reaction was nothing short of alarm when suddenly the parents launched their heads into the air and began a guard call.
This was immediately followed by a frenzy of activity.
Below you see the reason for the disturbance.
Notice the tiny chick begins to swim to escape the intruders. This is part of the natural protection that wetlands provide the young. Though these new parents practiced rearing a sandhill crane chick during the previous year and had proven themselves to be good parents, every whooping crane chick is valuable to the survival of the species. Aviculturalists in captive programs must periodically check the health of the chick to insure that it is gaining weight and free of disease or developmental malformations.
In the photo above, notice the head-down threat posture of the male in front. The red patch of bare skin on the top of a whooping crane's head is important to its communication. When excited or disturbed, the whooping crane can engorge this patch with blood to make it brighter and larger.
Above you see the patch in a calm state.
And here you see another crane who is agitated and has engorged the skin patch.
The patch-forward posture of his head is a warning of more aggression to come if not heeded.

With its large size, razor sharp beak, the ability to jump and rake intruders with sharp claws and a tenacious temperament, the whooping crane is a formidable opponent.

Two handlers hold brooms in a manner that will keep the parents at a safe distance while a third positions himself to grab the chick. Needless to say, the parents did not win this skirmish and the chick was safely scooped up and wisked away for its health examination.

What followed touched me deeply. An empty silence engulfed the wetland. It was impossible for me to discern whether I was feeling anthromorphic empathy or sensing a loss that is universally shared among parents prematurely separated from their young.

The parents resumed their purring contact calls and stayed close to each other. Above the male stands tall and stretches his wings to demonstrate his size.

The parents reclaim their territory and reinforce their pair bond with a unison call.

Next: The family's reunion.
Click the following links to see the entire Whooping Crane Family series and to learn about the ultralight migration project that has helped re-introduce whooping cranes to eastern North America.

Whooping Crane Family--Part V

Wetland Buffet. Considered omnivores, whooping cranes spend most of their time walking and foraging for food. While many of the foods they eat are found in wetland areas, they also eat seeds, berries, grains and nuts found in fields, prairies, savannas and uplands.
Whooping crane parents bring their chick a variety of foods to teach him what to eat and provide the nourishment he needs for rapid growth.At ICF's Amoco Whooping Crane Exhibit, I watched as the male presented the chick with a food item, such as this whole crayfish, then dropped it to the ground and broke it into smaller pieces before offering it to him to eat.


A tadpole?The offering below appears to be a minnow. (You have to look closely.)

The chick above is two days old. While most young birds must mature rapidly in order to fledge in time for migration, the whooping crane chick has a long way to grow, from four inches to the nearly five feet he achieves before fledging.Here you see the same chick at four weeks (above and below). Photos by Richard Van Heuvelen, sculptor and pilot for Operation Migration .
And below, you see the chick at eight weeks. Photo by Sara Zimorski, aviculturists at ICF.
A young whooping crane chick may grow an average of one inch per day and be ready to fledge sometime between 78-90 days of age. Migration begins mid to late October for most whooping cranes. The juveniles below were photographed in late September and each practice flight increases their strength, endurance and skill at coordinating their seven-foot wing span.

Aren't they amazing?!
And just three months ago, they looked like this...

This year's fledgling class of re-introduced whooping cranes are scheduled to begin their ultralight-led migration on Oct 17, weather permitting. To read the daily progress of these young whooping cranes who will fly from Wisconsin to Florida on their first migration, visit Operation Migration's field journal. Youth and teachers will also enjoy Journey North's informative pages and updates on the migration.

Click here to watch the whooping crane chick video. To see all my Whooping Crane Family posts, click here. A special thanks to the International Crane Foundation (ICF) for the opportunity to view this family and to Sarah and Richard for sharing their photos.

Whooping Crane Family--Part IV

In the first days of its life, a whooping crane chick quickly attaches to and follows his parents through an instinct called imprinting. But following is an effort that takes practice.
A lot of stumbling takes place until the chick develops strength and awareness of both his body and his environment. And the parents do their best to help.

While they are watching out for the chick, foraging and bringing him food, they spread their toes and use their feet to flatten the grasses around the chick's path. ICF biologists at the exhibit speculated that this grass-pressing behavior helps the parents keep up with the chick in the tall grass and enables them to better see predators. It also enables the chick to move about more freely.

Brian Johns, Whooping Crane Coordinator for the Candian Wildlife Services confirmed for me that this behavior is also observed in the wild. Wild birds build a platform for their nest in the water so that the chick can get out of the water but still be away from the shore and predators. But since the wild birds are constantly on the move there is also no extensive grass pressing or platform building in any one area.
As you can see in the chick video posted on October 7, within a couple of days the chick has gained strength and coordination and follows his parents with more ease...

and is even running...and flapping his wings!

Related links: whooping crane ultralight migration, Operation Migration. A special thanks to the International Crane Foundation for the opportunity to view this family. For other posts on the Whooping Crane Family click here.