Photo Jennifer Davis, ICF	Meet the Class of 2010 Whooping Crane Chicks! Hatch-year 2010 of the Eastern Flock
	Crane # 18-10 DAR
	Date Hatched	May 24, 2010
	Gender	Male
	Egg Source
	Permanent Leg Bands (Attached before first migration)	Left Leg Right Leg
	Read more about the raising and naming of the DAR chicks. *Scroll to bottom for most recent history.*

Growing! Photo ICF

Personality as a Chick
"Nacho" was this chick's baby name after hatching at ICF. First of the DAR chicks to fledge (August 15).

"He has always been the oldest and for a while, was the biggest. Even though he's been outsized, he still comfortably holds the title of dominant bird. He seems to be the responsible one, leading the others to good foraging grounds. We have likened him to a high school quarter back; he's likable, popular, and the top dog," reports Jen.

The 11 DAR (Direct Autumn Release) Whooping Crane chicks were released October 25 on the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). The young cranes learn the migration route from following older cranes. Biologists from ICF and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service are tracking the released DAR cranes using radio telemetry, picking up radio signals emitted from leg transmitters on the birds. The young DAR cranes are currently still on the refuge, but as they begin the migration south trackers will be monitoring the birds’ movements.

Sadly, #18-10 was killed on the morning of October 30 on Necedah NWR. He and three other DAR juveniles, two adult whooping cranes, and some sandhill cranes were near a small wet depression surrounded by reed canary grass. An unknown predator attacked the group, resulting in a bleeding scratch on the head of #20-10 and death of #18.

Back to "Meet the Flock 2010"