| Did
you notice . . . |
- .
. . The puppet head that looks like an adult Whooping crane?
Handlers
and pilots call this Robo-crane. They use it
to teach and encourage the chicks. After all, the birds "imprinted"
on the puppet as soon as they hatched. Their instinct tells them
to follow this parent!
|
 |
- Dan
steers the aircraft with his feet so his hands are free to operate
the trigger that drops mealworm treats from Robo-crane's beak.
This gives the chicks another good reason to follow the
trike!
|
|
- The
big round pen helps in early training. The fence protects chicks
from the trike while they learn to follow it.
|
|
- Did
you see the black loudspeaker mounted on the frame of the trike?
Did you hear any crane sounds? Recorded adult crane vocalizations
are played over the speaker to communicate with the little birds.
The message? "It's okay, follow me!"
|
|
- The
ultralight engine is loud, but the chicks are used to the noise.
They've been hearing it since they were inside their eggs! Next,
pilots will add the wing to the trike. The chicks get time to
adjust to each change so they aren't afraid.
|
|
