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An average whooping crane egg is four inches long and weighs seven ounces. |
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Eggs are incubated for approximately 30 days. In the wild, both parents take turns caring for the eggs. |
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The color of the egg varies from soft blue to tan with brown splotches, which keeps the egg well hidden in the nest. |
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In the wild, whooping cranes often lay two eggs, but only one chick survives. |
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When a chick is ready to hatch, it must break through the egg’s air cell so it can breathe. Then it starts to chip away at the inside of the egg. Soon it will break through the shell. The chick will then begin chipping away at the shell until he has made a hole the size of a dime. From this hole, the chick will work its way around the egg until it cuts off the top of the egg. Once it has done this, the chick kicks its way out. |
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