CRANES BOUNCING BACK (WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM THEIR FRIENDS) AS A UK BREEDING SPECIES

Happy times for cranes (photo courtesy WWT)

A TOTAL of three young cranes have been raised at a nature reserve in Gloucestershire.

The birds  have been practising flying at WWT Slimbridge where, as part of an ongoing re-introduction, project  93 cranes were initially  hand-reared in captivity, then released into the wild on the Somerset levels.


Since their release, the birds have spread out across the South-west, and five breeding pairs have made the Slimbridge reserve their home thanks to judicious habitat creation.


Says reserve manager Dave Paynter: “We are extremely pleased.


 “Now that the young birds can fly, they are less vulnerable to natural predators.


“This is a boost to the future of our growing UK population of the species.”


The UK’s tallest bird, cranes were widespread across the country up until the early 17^th Century but were driven to extinction by loss of wetlands and hunting.


Comments RSPB conservation officer Damon Bridge: “The number of second generation birds is slowly building.


“There are now 17 second generation birds in the founding flock - some of which will themselves be breeding next year.”