First crane chick to hatch at centre is thriving with parents
WHAT a difference a month makes.
The first common crane chick to hatch at Wearside’s WWT Washington Wetland Centre has grown from a fluffy bundle into a thriving youngster.
The chick was produced by 15 year old parents who have been at the wetland centre since 2008.
It followed years of unsuccessful breeding attempts for the pair, who came from WWT’s headquarters in Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, during the early stages of the pioneering Great Crane Project, which has now seen the species successfully reintroduced to the UK.
After hatching last month, the chick and its parents were taken to an off-show area for the first two weeks, allowing them time to bond in a safe environment.
The chick was eating well and learning how to feed with its parents. Crane chicks can grow up to four feet in just three months.
So it was important that the youngster got the right amount of exercise to strengthen its legs, and on June 1 it was put back into the centre’s Stream Channel exhibit.
Collection manager Rhys McKie said: “We’re thrilled at how well the chick is doing and how amazing the adults have adapted to life as parents.
“Since the chick hatched, we’ve been doing regular health checks on the chick to make sure it was growing at a healthy rate and was as strong as possible for going into a larger exhibit.
“Crane chicks can grow up to an inch and put on a pound of weight every single day in the early stages. The decision to put the family back out in their exhibit was the right one and at the right time, allowing the chick to explore its new environment, forage in the open and get that all important exercise.
“The crane chick is getting quite brave and the family are moving around the exhibit much more now. They do like the long grass towards the back of Stream Channel for cover; every now and again their heads pop up out of the blue – it’s like Jurassic Park.”
Common cranes spend hours foraging, looking invertebrates such as earthworms, caterpillars and beetles, as well as plant seeds, roots and shoots.
The chick is learning how to forage in the long grasses and stream and, while mum and dad are still gifting food, it is slowly gaining independence.
Common cranes are the UK’s tallest birds. They were once widespread in the UK, but were lost as a breeding species around 400 years ago as a result of hunting for food.