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Wild Great Bustard chicks hatch (BBC News) (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter BF Newsroom
- Start date
Capercaillie71
Well-known member
Super. The more there are, the wider the global distribution, the better. Full marks to the project.
Capercaillie71
Well-known member
Yes, this breeding success is very good news but there's still a long way to go. I note that the website above refers to a current population of 18 released birds, but figures elsewhere on the site seem to suggest that nearly 70 birds have been released. Perhaps that's a normal level of mortality though?
That equates to a 25 % survival rate, I would suppose that is a fairly good percentage for first year birds to survive into adulthood. I hope.
Gill Osborne
Well-known member
Yes, just been watching them on Springwatch too. Fabulous birds and a bit of good news too :t:
KFC
Ken Tucker
I'm overjoyed. I don't understand why other species (cranes, beavers, cirl buntings) that are generally less threatened globally, receive so much support but that this project hasn't. Well done to all those concerned. I would imagine that the likelihood of these particular chicks surviving is low (inexperienced parent, high natural mortality etc.) but let's keep our fingers crossed.
Why not show your support by joining the Great Bustard Group?
Why not show your support by joining the Great Bustard Group?
naturistbird
Well-known member
Have just been to RSPB talk (N. Wilts branch) on this project, ending with this piece of news. Wonderful....as there are so many failure rates along the way, starting with obtaining eggs from Russia. Lots of hazards in the fields...tractors running over the eggs, eggs being kept on a bumpy tractor for 2 hours before recovery, predation from other birds, lack of care of birds in Russia, etc, etc.
So now one chick from a 4 year old female, and 2 chicks from a 3 year old female. An earlier clutch of eggs were declared infertile because of the mothers' age, but these births turn that theory on its head.
So now one chick from a 4 year old female, and 2 chicks from a 3 year old female. An earlier clutch of eggs were declared infertile because of the mothers' age, but these births turn that theory on its head.
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