Imagine
this: You are a young Whooping Crane on your wintering grounds
for the first time in your life. You've never seen such a place!
Everything
is
different:
the food, the plants . . . and even the water. It tastes salty!
This is where you are going to spend every winter for the rest of your
life, but you have a LOT to learn.
This is exactly what it's like for the young Whooping Cranes that hatch
each spring in Canada's far north and, at a few months
of age, follow their parents 2,500 miles to Texas. It's also what
it's like for some Whooping Crane chicks that
hatch in captivity to be part of the new Eastern flock. They hatch
in Maryland, then fly inside a
plane
to Wisconsin
and then learn to follow an ultralight plane "parent" 1,250
miles to Florida.
What's
Alike? What's Different? Both
groups of cranes are expected to eat a similar diet of blue crabs
and other
small aquatic and near-shore animals, and acorns and other nutritious
plants. Both groups have to learn to recognize new predators and
deal
with new weather situations. But there's a BIG difference between them.
The wild-hatched cranes have their parents to guide them. The captive-hatched
chicks have scientists involved
in the Reintroduction program (WCEP).
The people try to limit contact with the cranes, but also do their
best to teach
the cranes to adapt to the new environment.
What are some differences and similarities between what the two groups
of young cranes face and how they deal with their winter
environment? Let's consider two fictional cranes: Captive-bred Harry
Whooper and wild-bred Hermione Whoop. How do you
think they'll deal with various situations or environmental factors?
Copy the following chart into your journal, or use our handout. Then
make predictions and write them on your chart. As you follow
the season, see how accurate your predictions were.
How
successful are they at: |
Captive-bred
Harry |
Wild-bred
Hermione |
Taking
proper care of their bodies |
|
|
Finding
appropriate food |
|
|
Figuring
out how to eat blue crabs |
|
|
Responding
to motor boats |
|
|
Avoiding
people and pets |
|
|
Finding
shelter in bad weather |
|
|
Avoiding
or dealing with predators |
|
|
Socializing
with other cranes |
|
|
Making
proper vocalizations |
|
|
Preparing
for spring migration |
|
|
Reaching
their summer grounds |
|
|
National
Science Education Standards
- Plants
and animals have life cycles that include being born, developing into
adults, reproducing, and eventually dying.
- An organism's
behavior patterns are related to the nature of that organism's environment.
- Many characteristics
of an organism are inherited from the parents, but others result from
an individual's interactions with the environment.
Journey
North is pleased to feature this educational adventure made possible by
the
Whooping
Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP).
|