A rare Aberdeenshire bird has been branded a “supermum” after overcoming incredible odds to raise a chick without any help from its mate.
Animal experts yesterday hailed the “tremendous strength” of the mother crane in raising its male offspring to fledging age successfully in the Buchan area.
The migratory birds normally raise their young together, whether taking turns incubating eggs or feeding them, or teaching them how to find food and protecting them in the skies while they learn to fly.
However, the female crane was left to do all the work herself when the chick was just five weeks old, after its father disappeared.
The young birds take their first flight at about 10 weeks, and their parents are accustomed to fighting off predators such as foxes which come too close to their chicks.
Last night, RSPB Scotland described the mother crane’s achievement as “miraculous”.
Senior conservation officer for RSPB Scotland, Hywel Maggs, said: “It is remarkable that this single crane managed to raise this chick on her own.
“When her mate disappeared, followed the next day by one of the chicks, we thought it would only be a matter of time before the second chick died.
“It’s unheard of in the UK for a single adult to successfully raise a chick and shows tremendous strength. Mother and son have now left Aberdeenshire on migration and we will have to wait until next year to see if she returns with a new mate.
“It’s great to have these iconic birds back in our landscape. I want to say thanks to all the local farmers and residents who have passed on sightings and been so accommodating to the crane families.”
In 2012, the wetland-loving cranes bred in the north-east of Scotland for the time in 400 years.
The mother forms part of a tiny population of only two pairs who have recolonised in Aberdeenshire, according to those who have taken part in the crane scrutiny.
Neale Taylor, operational manager for Scottish Natural Heritage, added: “It is wonderful that a crane chick was raised successfully in Aberdeenshire this year. Maybe this is just the beginning of the return of more of these rare birds to Scotland.”
It is not known exactly where the Aberdeenshire cranes migrate to in winter. However, four days after the mum and son were last spotted in Buchan, an adult crane and its offspring – believed to be the pair – were spotted in Portland Bay in Dorset.