Journey North Whooping Crane Migration

Photo: Operation Migration

Meet the 2008 Whooping Crane Chicks!
Hatch-year 2008 of the Eastern Flock

Crane # 810

Date Hatched

May 15, 2008

Gender

Male

Egg Source: Wild #313 and #318

Permanent
Leg Bands

(Attached after reaching Florida)

Left Leg		Right Leg

Read about the naming system, hatch place in Maryland, release site in Wisconsin, over-wintering site in Florida, and leg-band codes.

Personality and Training
Notes from the captive breeding "hatchery" at Patuxent WRC in Maryland:
Full sibling to #811. Both were collected as eggs from the parents' abandoned nest at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. He was a quick learner, eating and drinking on his own in a very short time. Barb calls him "very cute but a little lazy in the pool. At times it seems as if he were floating on an inner tube drinking a refreshing ice tea. He needs to move those little legs in the water and get some exercise!"

This little guy was aggressive from the beginning. He was small, but acted like he knew he was ten feet tall! He had many "time outs" by himself from the time he could walk. Once he tried to start a fight with #803 in the pen next to him, and #803 was almost twice his size. On one of his many time outs, Barb said: "I checked on #810 often, only to find him enjoying life, all alone, no one to harass, no one to peck at. At a later date, Barb saw #810 pecking, flapping and jump raking towards his sister, #811 (she was in a pen next to him with plexiglas separating them). "Not a good sign on the aggression factor scale," said Barb, so #810 got some alone time before a later try again with the group.

Photo Chris Gullikson, Operation Migration

Notes from flight school in Wisconsin:
Chick #810 continued his aggressive ways after his cohort (the oldest chicks) was delivered to Necedah NWR. The team was on alert, and quickly saw how his mean behavior put the other chicks at risk. He attacked 3 chicks one evening after he had seemed to be getting along with them enough to be left with the group all day (with frequent checks by the caretakers). He showed once again that he is dangerous to the other chicks. (Two healed from their injuries, but #807 died.) Barb summed up:

"He has given us our share of worry and, although he has caused us and his cohort much grief, he should be recognized for his survival skills. I have no doubt if he and #811 had hatched from that Necedah nest together, #810 would be the survivor. No chance for a set of twins to both survive in that nest."

Meanie #810 was kept apart to prevent further aggression to the other chicks. The team watched him closely and he was allowed to return to the flock about a week later. In early september, pilot Brooke thinks "#810 is fine when in the pen but when out on the strip training, if someone gets out of line, or picks a fight with him, he WILL defend himself and it can escalate..."

The team will need to keep an eye on #810 because of his temper. Biggest in the Class of 2008, he weighed 6.7 kg at the pre-migration health check on Sept. 2.

Last updated: 9/9/08

Back to "Meet the Flock 2008"