Chocolo

Profile Picture and Leg Ring Combination Code

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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:

September 2012: Chocolo is the sibling and companion of Midnight.  Although he is the dominant one of the pair of brothers, these two make up a very naughty duo. At Slimbridge they worked together as a pair ganging up on birds and continually playing together in the water channel with food and plants. When you see one of them, you can always guarantee the other will not be far away. During the rearing phase he developed a bowing in his left leg, which had to be splinted for part of his younger life to prevent the abnormality from progressing.  Now though, the curving has been corrected and he can go about life in a normal fashion. Chocolo was renowned for annoying the other birds and waking them up when they were trying to rest.  This behaviour continued down in Somerset, with the 'terrible two' instigating mischief in the release enclosure. January 2013: As autumn turned to winter, the cranes began to flock together to look for food, which they found in plentiful supply in the form of maize left in fields from the harvest.  All 48 have been spending most of their time either feeding in the maize stubble or on Stan Moor, completely unperturbed by the surrounding floodwater.   January 2014: 2013 was a largely uneventful and peaceful year for Chocolo, spending the spring and summer on Aller moor and West Sedgemoor, the autumn feeding in and around the Stoke St. Gregory Ridge and Stanmoor and the winter flood period on Stanmoor pasture, pulling up worms as part of a large flock.  July 2015: In late April 2014 Chocolo was one of a group of four birds (also including Gemma, Midnight and Maple) that turned up at Cotswold water park in Wiltshire and in mid May 2014 Chocolo was identified flying over Cardiff along with Tamsin and a third unidentified bird.   A couple of days later the same three birds were then seen roosting on a wetland area near Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan. Chocolo was recorded back on West Sedgemoor in July 2014 The winter of 2014/15 was spent in Somerset, and by mid March it appeared that Chocolo was paired up with Tamsin.  However, since late March Chocolo has not been seen – but neither has Tamsin.  We await a re-sighting of this pair with interest – have they been somewhere making a breeding attempt? 2015 is however, also the summer that Chocolo is likely to moult, so it is possible that he is moulting somewhere and will turn up soon. February 2016: Chocolo turned up again with Tamsin in the late Autumn, and the birds remained with the main flock through the winter on the Somerset Levels and Moors.  Perhaps he'll have success this year with Tamsin...but where?!! July 16: Seen with Tamsin as a pair in January and turned up at Slimbridge in late March. In April they were seen on West Sedgemoor then later were identified to the west of Cardiff in South Wales, where they were reported to have remained all Spring and into Summer. It is not known if nesting took place or eggs were laid, and when observed in late June there were no chicks present.  Nov 17:  On 10^th March Chocolo and Tamsin were observed back on a site west of Cardiff where they had been seen in 2016,  but were then recorded at WWT Slimbridge at the beginning of April.  On 23^rd April 2 cranes were reported at the Cardiff site, but not indentified.  The pair were then back with the flock on West Sedgemoor at the end of April.  The next observation on 12^th June saw them back at the Cardiff site, and a month later they were still there.  No evidence of breeding was reported.  Chocolo returned to Somerset in the Autumn.    Sept18:  Reported to be back in S Wales with Chocolo in late February but seen later in Somerset during Feb re-sighting. Seen at Slimbridge 16th April.  On 7th June observed sitting on a nest West of Cardiff. Incubation started c 21st May.  One chick was seen about a week old on 26th June – having hatched c. 21st June.  The chick was lost before early August.   Sept 2019: Observed on Whitmoor with Tamsin in the flock on 26^th January and again on 16^th February 2019.  He was observed with Tamsin in March west of Cardiff, but soon after appeared back at Slimbridge with Kia.  On 17^th May he was still with Kia but there was no sign of a breeding attempt.  It was discovered later that Tamsin had sustained an injury which led to her losing one of her feet.  This could be a reason why Chocolo left.    2020:  Chocolo made one breeding attempt at WWT Slimbridge and hatched one chick which was lost – presumed predated at 3 weeks old.  Chocolo has been observed with the flock at WWT Slimbridge during the Autumn.   Sept 2021:  The pair observed together and apart on West Sedgemoor and at WWT Slimbridge in January, February and March.  Kia was hampered by her backpack strap but was free of it by 23rd March.  No evidence of nesting was observed.  The pair were seen at Slimbridge during September

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