Manfred

Profile Picture and Leg Ring Combination Code

• Green
• Red
• 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: As a young chick Manfred was incredibly nervous of both costumed parents and other birds, but is gaining confidence and integrating well into the flock of younger cranes.  Manfred is the sibling of Stowford - a pair of brothers.  One of Harry's favourites he has developed the nickname Manfred.  Manfred has been fitted with a state-of-the-art leg mounted GPS datalogger which will track his movements around the moors. January 2014: Manfred 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 December and January does not seem to have had much of an effect on the new cohorts' welfare or integration. May 2014: Manfred, along with another bird - unidentified -  took a trip up to Staffordshire in early May.  Manfred is fitted with a working GPS Eco-tone data logger (which is a good job) as his movements were able to be closely monitored.  He returned after a few days and then remained in with the main non-breeding and non-moulting flock on the Somerset Levels and Moors throughout the year.  His GPS Ecotone logger has been invaluable in recording the location of the birds roosting sites - which sometimes often move in the middle of the night.  July 2015: Manfred flew to Slimbridge in early spring 2015 but soon returned to Somerset where he as spent the rest of the spring and summer spending much of his time on Northmoor (Aller), Northmoor near East Lyng and West Sedgemoor as part of a large non-breeding flock.  February 2016: Manfred  spent all the autumn and winter of 2015/16 on the Somerset Levels and Moors spending time in the main flock largely on Wetmoor, Aller moor, and West Sedgemoor. He appears to have struck up a relationship with Waterwing.  Perhaps the onset of Spring will see the pair head off and make a breeding attempt somewhere.    July 16: Early in the year she was seen with Waterwing on Wetmoor in Somerset but there  is no evidence of nest preparation this season.  Nov 17:   Paired with Diamond and seen holding a territory on West Sedgemoor in April.  Their first nest was confirmed in early May and a visit to the nest after they were thoughts to have abandoned revealed 3 eggs in the nest.  Incubation continued in this nest area but possibly on a second  nest.  On 12th June hatch took place but it was impossible to see how many chicks.  At the end of June it was confirmed that one chick was present.  This chick was caught, ringed  (Red Yellow Green) and radio tagged on 28th July, and DNA testing showed it to be female.  She has been named ManDi after Manfred and Diamond, her parents.  The family have joined the flock for the winter.     Sept 18:  Seen with Diamond with the flock during Jan & Feb and occasionally on territory. Flooding prevented occupation of territory through March.  Incubation started on/around 16th April. Hatch took place from11th May and they were observed with 2 chicks 16th May.  Chicks were lost shortly afterwards – predation assumed.  The pair were not observed to have made another breeding attempt.Sept 2019:   Observed with Diamond in Broadway area of West Sedgemoor, Somerset. with a possible start of incubation on 22nd March.  The nest failed 6th April – cause unknown.  Incubation of the second nest began on 22nd April with hatching between 22nd and 26th May.  Unsure whether there were two chicks but one survived and was seen in flight, during an attempt to catch for ringing – on 27th July.  The family was observed with the flock in late August.      2020:    Observed on his West Sedgemoor territory with Diamond on 17th March and was believed to have started incubating around then with a changeover at the nest witnessed on 22nd.  The nesting attempt failed to produce any chicks.  No further attempts were recorded.  The pair have been regularly with the flock on West Sedgemoor during the Autumn.   Sept 2021:  Manfred and Diamond were observed feeding together on West Sedgemoor, Somerset up to 27th March and still feeding on 1st April.  A nest was confirmed on 8th April with incubation starting c 4th April.  On 6th May there was possible hatch activity but by May 7th they appeared to have failed. A second attempt was confirmed on 29th May but the was no evidence of chicks once incubation was over.  They were observed on territory and with the flock on West Sedgemoor in September.   Autumn 2022: Manfred and Diamond were observed on West Sedgemoor, Somerset Levels and Moors during the winter and the breeding season and made two breeding attempts.  One lasted only 6 days and the other also failed, cause unknown.  No further attempts were made and the pair are seen regularly on their territory.                            

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Photos of Manfred

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