Cosmo

Profile Picture and Leg Ring Combination Code

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• Red

What is this?

Each crane has a unique combination of 3 coloured rings on their right leg. This marking code helps to identify the crane in the wild.

Character profile:

Summer 2010: When younger, Cosmo was nervous, flighty and ran very fast everywhere.  He looked a bit odd for a while as he had a bald patch on his head! He is very good natured and had the most easy going temperament of all the chicks.  He became quite bold and eventually befriended Minnie, being the only bird that could feed from same bowl as him. He has never shown aggression to any other bird. He has no silbings. September 2010: Despite an earlier friendship with Minnie - Cosmo is now part of Clarence's cohort (although not one of the original core group) and tends to avoid being near Minnie’s group except at the night time roost, or under the auto feeder in the release pen. October 2010: Cosmo had a bit of a limp a while ago due to him getting his leg caught up in some fencing, but he is fighting fit again. He is still a member of the super cohort and is very rarely away from Clarence and Gemma. November 2010: In recent weeks the cranes have all joined forces with Clarence’s group and are now usually moving as a group of 20. Cosmo is usually seen walking around from one side of the group to the other when they are foraging, never staying in one spot for too long and is friendly to the whole group. The group have found new fields to explore and are often found foraging on maize stubbles, which is Cosmo’s new favourite food! January 2011: Cosmo has been part of the overwintering flock that formed towards the end of November,  which has remained a tight-knit group throughout the coldest December on record.   The flock is still a single unit and has been most recently feeding around the Aller Moor area. March 2011:  Cosmo is still within the winter flock and as with all of the others he is somewhat scruffy but his adult plumage can clearly be seem coming through. September 2011:  Cosmo has lost his scruffy appearance now that his adult plumage has nearly all come through.  He has been quite inquisitive with the new 2011 cohort, and shown little fear of the costumed 'parents' even though he hadn’t seen them for months. January 2013: Throughout 2012, Cosmo stayed on the Levels and Moors and was very much part of the flock. April 2013: Cosmo, along with Bart, Gemma and Wendy flew up to Slimbridge on 2nd April.  Cosmo only stayed a day and was seen being quite badly beaten up by some of the other birds.  He returned to Somerset on April 4th. July 2013: Cosmo spent the summer on the Moors, and underwent his first ever full feather moult.  He now has a new set of wing feathers and appears in fine fettle. Jan 2014: Cosmo remained on the moors through the winter, feeding as part of the main flock on Stanmoor. He is a very fine bird, and we hope he will find a partner in the coming weeks.  July 2014:  Cosmo was seen to form a strong pair bond with Pippa – a 2011 female  - in mid February 2014. The pair spent much of March on Westmoor, near Kingsbury Episocopi, but did not make a breeding attempt.  Towards the end of May they moved to a quiet, wet, rushy bit of land where Pippa was presumed to have gone into moult.  Cosmo remained at this site throughout June and in mid July they moved from this area to rejoin the main flock.  We have high hopes for this pair in Spring 2015. July 2015: Cosmo remained part of the main wintering flock in Somerset throughout the winter of 2014/15 and in early spring he went missing.  There were occasional sightings of a pair of unidentified cranes at the quiet rushy site that the Cosmo had been the previous year, and then sightings of single birds (still not id’d) through May.  Cosmo and Pippa were then both re-sighted together in this same location in mid June, without any chicks. We have very strong suspicions that this pair made an unsuccessful breeding attempt at this location.  Fingers crossed for 2016!  February 2016: Cosmo remained in Somerset throughout the winter of 2015/16.  It's not yet clear if he is still bonded with Pippa - but watch this space! July 16: Set up territory on Wetmoor, Somerset. Incubation started on 30 th March but after 6 days the two eggs were predated. The predator is unknown, but corvid predation following adisturbance seems likely from found remains of eggshells . The pair didn’t go on to make anotherattempt, but did go ‘off the radar’ for the months of May, June and July, their whereabouts are to be confirmed. Nov 17:  Observed together with Pippa on Wetmoor in early April but not seen with Pippa again during the summer.  Recorded in May amongst a flock of non-breeding birds.  Unlikely to have attempted to nest. Returned to the flock in September.Sept 18:  Unable to comment since Cosmo has not been observed so far this year.  Sept 19: Not observed since December 2018 so presumed dead.   

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Photos of Cosmo

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