Photo: Jessica Thompson, ICF	Meet the 2009 Whooping Crane Chicks! Hatch-year 2009 of the Eastern Flock
	(Wild-born) Crane # W1-09
	Date Hatched	June 12, 2009
	Gender	?
	Egg Source	International Crane Foundation [egg put into the nest of wild "foster" parents #212 and #419]
	Permanent Leg Bands Banding the New Flocks Wild-born Chicks: Why? >>	Left Leg Right Leg

Biography
Chick W1-09 is a "foster" chick from an egg laid by a captive Whooping crane at ICF in Wisconsin. The egg was soon to hatch in an incubator when it was discovered that the two eggs in the natural nest of wild parents #212 and #419 were infertile and would not hatch chicks. The "bad" eggs were removed from the nest and replaced with the soon-to-hatch egg. Two days later chick W1-09 hatched! First-time parents #212 and #419 are tending the foster chick and raising it as if it were their own. The little family will migrate this fall and the adults will teach W1-09 the Eastern flock's migration route between Wisconsin and Florida.

Photos Jessica Thompson, ICF Tracker "The chick looked so gangly on July 4," said Jessica, "but when I checked on July 10 it looked really chubby. It was pretty cute walking up the road and flapping its wings to keep up with the adults."

Wild 1-09 was last observed with its foster parents on their territory in Wood County on July 12. When the family was next checked on July 15, the chick had disappeared. This very sad news means that the 2009 breeding season failed to produce any new chicks to add to the new Eastern flock flock's population.

Back to "Meet the Flock 2009"