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Where are the parents of these twin crane-kids? On April 14 these twin crane youngsters were reported at a migration stopover in South Dakota without their parents. Even more worrisome to an observer, the two seemed a bit tame. Click here to see what USFWS Biologists Tom Stehn and Martha Tacha think. |
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Image: Tammy Sommer Martha said,"There is a that chance mom and dad dumped them during migration. I'd be more concerned if they were alone during fall migration." Tom had a hunch about the twins' identity. He wrote an email to owners of the Johnson Ranch/ near the Texas refuge where cranes spend winter. (You've met them in our slideshow as the real Al and Diane, owners of The Crane House Bed and Breakfast where the crane pair Al and Diane have their winter territory.) Tom wrote:
Will the real Al and Diane be able to identify the crane twins as those belonging to Al and Diane? Tom will keep us posted. It is normal for young cranes to separate from their parents on the spring migration or shortly after returning to the nesting grounds. After all, the parents will likely be very busy, getting ready to hatch a new generation. |