For the first time, a young crane has been born in the Brabant part of nature reserve De Peel. That is special, because the whole of the Netherlands has only 46 breeding pairs.
In the spring of 2023, there were already indications that a crane couple was active in the Peel, Staatsbosbeheer writes on its website. Forest ranger Jeroen Craenmehr then saw little of the love couple for a while. Until May 1, when he first saw the couple with a youngster. The chick was able to walk from day one. The parents took the young with them and fed it with tasty snacks, such as worms and small insects.
Cranes breed in wet conditions. In recent years, the water board, together with Staatsbosbeheer, has done its best to protect the vulnerable high moor landscape and make it wetter, so that the birds could breed. That now seems to be paying off.
Sensitive to disturbance
The forester deliberately waited a while before sharing the good news: “Cranes are very sensitive to disturbance,” he says in his blog. Avid hikers or photographers can separate the parents and young while foraging for food. “Then there is a good chance that the young will fall victim to a predator.”
The chick can now fly small distances and look for food on its own, although it still remains nice and safe with the parents.
Keep distance
Hikers are therefore asked to keep their distance and not to walk outside the paths. “We also avoid the area as much as possible. Only one or two people keep an eye on the family.”
In 2022, a young crane was also born in De Peel. That happened in Limburg. This is the first common crane chick to be seen in the Brabantse Peel.