Minnie

Profile Picture and Leg Ring Combination Code

• Red
• Green
• Red

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:

Summer 2010: Minnie was the most aggressive of all the chicks, fighting with anyone that crossed his path! His was also very fond of eating thistles, which no other bird liked. He became top crane at the Slimbridge crane school after battling with Clarence and Gemma.  He is now much less aggressive, although he will vigorously defend himself if challenged. Named Minnie (as in "Minnie the Minx") prior to sex testing which showed her to be a he. He has a distinctive ginger head and neck plumage and is the brother to the very similar looking Dennis.  Has bonded well with Vince.Sept 2010: Minnie has formed a strong bond with Vince (White-Green) as well as Blue-Green and the trio of Red-Green, White-Green and Blue-Green are often seen together. This group often go off and explore and feed independently of the other birds, and are definitely not part of Clarence's gang.    The trio are often also joined by Chris, Squidgy, and White-Black and on occasions Howard.  Despite behaving as an independent unit Minnie and Clarence's gang roost together at night in the pool within the release enclosure. October 2010: Minnie has now broken up with her gang of three and is frequently joining Clarence and his group instead.October 2010: Minnie rejoined her gang after a week apart and continues to explore new areas with them, coming back to roost with the rest in the evenings.November 2010: The group of three, lead by Minnie, has now decided to join Clarence and his larger group. All 20 birds are now usually seen together, probably due to the colder wintery weather, which has made them flock like they would normally in the wild. They have also discovered maize stubbles, which is Minnie's new favourite food!JAN 2011:  Minnie has become one of the flock - and there has been no sign of his agression to other birds as shown when younger.  The whole body of birds has acted as one through the coldest December on record.  Minnie is has not yet showing much sign of his adult plumage and is still the most rufus of the cranes.March 2011:  As in January Minnie is noticably behind some of the other birds in obtaining his adult plumage and still has quite a few ginger feathers left on his head. Considering his psychotic nature as a chick, Minnie has become a mild mannered (sometimes mischievous), milddle ranking member of the group. September 2011:  Although he still has quite alot of his adult plumage, he is still not as developed as some of the other cranes from his cohort.  Despite his mischevious ways as a youngster, he has been relatively amicable towards the new 2011 youngsters. 

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Photos of Minnie

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