Crane chick hatches at wetland centre for first time in three years

The chick hatched at the WWT Washington Wetland Centre

The first common crane chick in three years recently hatched at the WWT Washington Wetland Centre near Sunderland.

Common cranes were once extinct in the UK but have been making a comeback.

This chick is the second chick from the same parent birds at the Wetland centre after they were moved there as part of the Great Cane Project.

The chick's parents were hatched in the Netherlands and then moved across to the UK.

In 2008, these parent cranes were moved to Sunderland and since then have been happily living in the wetlands.

They first had a chick together in 2022 when they hatched a young female, and now she has a sibling.

The family is now spending some time off-show at the wetland centre to bond in a quiet, protected environment.

What is a common crane?

Common cranes are the UK's tallest birds

Common cranes are the UK's tallest birds, standing at around 4 foot (1.2 metres) tall.

Cranes are mainly grey and have long legs, a long neck and drooping, curved tail feathers.

They eat seeds, roots, insects, snails and worms.

Although once extinct in the UK, this stunning bird can now be found across England, Scotland and Wales.