Buttercup

Profile Picture and Leg Ring Combination Code

• Green
• White
• Yellow

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:

June 2013: Despite her large size, Buttercup tends to avoid any form of conflict with the other chicks, yet seems to crave their company.  Because of this, she is often seen  hanging around at the edge of the group. She is a lone bird, as her sibling was found to be dead within the shell.   After transfer to Somerset, however, she became a good solid member of the group but seemed to stop growing and is now the smallest of this year's cohort. She is very friendly though and often seen in the company of White Green Yellow. January 2014: Buttercup was released in mid September and quickly integrated with the older birds, spending the autumn foraging with the flock on West Sedgemoor, along the Stoke St. Gregory ridge, and the winter on splashy pasture land on Stanmoor near the village of Stoke St. Gregory. The deep and prolonged flooding that affected the Levels and Moors through the winter of 2013/14 did not seem to have had much of an effect on the new cohorts' welfare or integration.  January 2015: Buttercup spent all of 2014 as an integral part of the non-breeding and non-moulting flock on the Levels and Moors and towards the tail end of the year was frequently seen feeding in with a group on Southlake and Aller Moors to the west of Langport. July 2015: Buttercup flew up to Slimbridge at the end of April 2015 and has remained there through the spring and summer.  February 2016: Buttercup remained at Slimbridge all the autumn and through the winter of 2015/16. She does not appear to be paired up with any particular bird - but the onset of the Spring could change all this! Perhaps with Albert. who is male, and unpaired, in the same location! July 16: Remained at Slimbridge and was seen with Albert and with Cookie during February. Albert eventually paired with Wendy. There was no evidence of a definite pairing or nest building this season.  Nov 17:  Resident at Slimbridge but disappeared in late July 2016.  Her remains were found in September 2016  but the cause of death is unknown.  

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Photos of Buttercup

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