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Who's in Charge? Did you notice . . . ? Some of the cranes are chasing, nipping at, or jumping up and clawing at other birds (called jump-raking). Certain birds stand taller and try to appear larger than the others. Some birds appear to lower their heads or move out of the way of the more aggressive birds. Here's what's happening: The group is setting up a "linear" pecking order. The most dominant bird can peck (bother) any bird in the group and never receives a peck from others in the group. The most submissive bird never pecks another bird, but can receive pecks from all others in the group. Usually, the birds don't go out of their way to attack. When a group has an established pecking order (by 50 to 100 days of age), it doesn't usually change. Each bird knows its place! How do you think this instinctive behavior help whoopers survive? (Share your ideas with a partner before clicking ahead.) >>   This Season Teachers Kids Orientation Registration Search Copyright 1997-2008 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Questions or comments? Contact us.