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.