The First Family Whooping Crane Fledglings are Flying.

Posted by Rosemary Drisdelle Aug 24, 2006

Visit the Operation Migration Field Journal for a couple of pictures of the twin wild Whooping Crane chicks trying out their wings. We've been following these two famous chicks since July 20 - if you're interested in even earlier pictures, check out the ones posted on June 23 when the chicks had just hatched.

It must be really exciting for the human Operation Migration team, themselves teaching young fledglings to fly, to see the natural process proceeding close at hand. Against tremendous odds, the inexperienced Whooping Crane parents have successfully looked after twin chicks for about seven weeks. It's impossible not to be optimistic that the fledglings will migrate south safely with their parents while the captive reared chicks migrate with humans flying ultra light aircraft.

However, the mortality rate for wild chicks is discouragingly high. In 2005, only about half of the chicks born in the wild Wood Buffalo - Aransas flock arrived safely in Aransas for the winter. Adult birds are also lost every year so, unfortunately, even though 76 chicks were born in Wood Buffalo this year, the flock will probably not grow substantially. I hope the story of the First Family ends happily with all four birds arriving in Florida to join the flock. I'll keep you updated on their progress.