Pecky

Profile Picture and Leg Ring Combination Code

• Red
• Blue
• Black

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:

January 2015: During the rearing phase Red Blue Black (Pecky) was an aggressive eater that liked to stab at his food. He is the sibling of the oldest, Red White Black, hatching later on St' Georges day.  He tends to call a lot - and has been known to alarm call when there appears to be no cause for alarm....which is rather odd behaviour - but perhaps he is aware of things that the rest can not see!  He's also as mad as a box of frogs. He has been fitted with a back-pack data logger. He seems to have integrated well and remained with the main flock over the autumn and winter post-release period. July 2015: Pecky has spent the spring and summer mainly feeding on Nortmoor (Aller) and Northmoor near East Lyng, and roosting most of the time on West Sedgemoor.  The whole non-breeding flock appear to be thriving on the Levels and Moors this year. February 2016: Pecky spent a rather unremarkable  autumn and winter of 2015/16 on the Somerset Levels and Moors spending time in a flock that fed on the whole across Wetmoor, Aller moor, and West Sedgemoor. He is likely to remain as part of the non-breeding flock through the coming Spring and Summer.  July16: All the birds in this cohort are 2 years old and too young to breed so there were no nesting attempts. They have been in Somerset as far as can be ascertained but difficult to find an identify during the breeding season.  Nov 17:  Remained in Somerset with the flock all year.    Sept 18:  Remained in Somerset and paired with Regina – five years his senior!  Incubation started on 5th April.  1 chick hatched around 5th May with parents and chick feeding in their territory throughout May. The single chick was lost in June – cause unknown, but foxes were seen in the area.  The pair were seen with flock on Aller moor on 9th August.    Sept 2019: Observed regularly with Regina in last year’s territory in the Hambridge area on West Sedgemoor, Somerset, during March and April.  Possible start of incubation around the 2nd May.  Possible changeover observed 31/5 but it turned out to be hatch taking place.  The juvenile was ringed and radio tagged on 26^th July and fledged in mid August.  Unfortunately it was found dead a few days later within its roosting area.    Sept 2020:   Observed on his West Sedgemoor- Somerset territory with Regina on 16^th March. The pair hatched a single chick but it was lost  at 14 days – cause unknown.   Pecky was observed with the flock on West Sedgemoor in November.    Sept 2021:  Pecky was observed on West Sedgemoor, Somerset with the flock in February.  No further sighting until mid-April when he was identified as Wurzelina’s mate and with one chick.   Wurzelina is a ringed 2nd generation bird, the offspring of Alexander and Swampy, both released as part of the reintroduction project.  The pair had nested on West Sedgemoor.  The chick fledged on 14^thJune and the family was observed with the flock on West Sedgemoor in September.   Autumn 2022    Pecky and Wurzelina were observed on West Sedgemoor, Somerset Levels and Moors over the winter and started incubating in early March but the nest failed at egg stage.  A second incubation started in mid April but also failed at the egg stage.    No further attempts were observed.  The pair have been seen on W Sedgemoor during September and October.

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Photos of Pecky

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