Crane Dances As Play Behaviour

Home , Crane (bird), Demoiselle crane, Vladimir Dinets, Whooping crane

Ibis (2013), 155, 424–425

Crane dances as play behaviour

VLADIMIR DINETS* Louisiana Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, USGS, 124 School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70820, USA

All species of crane (Gruidae) engage in a specta- Dancing can also serve as displacement activity cular behaviour known as dancing (Ellis et al. when cranes are nervous, but in most cases it is 1998). Crane dances have inspired humans since not performed in response to readily apparent the Stone Age (Russell & McGowan 2003), and stimuli (Archibald & Meine 1996). It usually imitation dances are known in numerous human occurs when the birds are relaxed and at ease cultures worldwide (Armstrong 1943). However, (Potapov et al. 1987) and is often contagious the function of this behaviour is poorly (Archibald & Meine 1996). At the autumn staging understood, and explanations for it are sometimes grounds of Demoiselle Crane Antropoides virgo in contradictory. Mongolia, thousands of individuals can sometimes Lorenz (1963) considered crane dance to be an be seen dancing at the same time (V. Dinets pers. appeasement ceremony. However, this explanation obs.). cannot be true in many situations in which dances Finally, it is important to note that courtship are performed. Cranes dance most often when rituals of cranes involve prolonged bouts of danc- relaxed, and often while not involved in any ing. In this case, the function of dancing seems to obvious social interaction; they also sometimes be obvious. But this is unlikely to apply to dances dance while alone (Potapov et al. 1987; V. Dinets by immature birds, unpaired adults and migratory/ pers. obs.). wintering flocks. It is known that dances are particularly common Cranes are known to be playful birds. Although in unpaired sub-adults; a common explanation is no study of play behaviour in cranes has been pub- that dancing facilitates socialization and pair lished, people working with captive cranes report formation (Archibald & Meine 1996). However, that play behaviour is common, particularly in sub-adults in well-established flocks dance more juveniles and sub-adults. Such observations exist often than in those in recently formed flocks, for Whooping and Sandhill Grus canadensis where the need for socialization would presumably Cranes (J. Chandler pers. comm.), for Red- be higher (Potapov et al. 1987). Also, birds begin crowned Grus japonensis, White-naped Grus vipio, dancing very early in life, sometimes when just Common Grus grus, Siberian Grus leucogeranus, 2 days old, long before they are old enough to Hooded Grus monachus and Demoiselle Cranes form pairs (Archibald & Meine 1996). In the re- (V.E. Flint pers. comm.), and for Grey Crowned- introduced flock of Whooping Crane Grus americ- crane Balearica regulorum (B. Machedra pers. anus in Louisiana, year-old birds in flocks dance comm.). Re-introduced Whooping Cranes (year- frequently (V. Dinets pers. obs.), even though lings) in Louisiana have been reported to play with cranes of this species do not start breeding until Styrofoam duck and geese decoys, sometimes they are at least 2, and more commonly 3 years breaking them apart in the process (P. Lamartini- old (Allen 1952). Interestingly, yearlings that are ere pers. comm.). On some occasions, dancing is not in flocks dance less often (V. Dinets pers. combined with object play (T.L. Perkins pers. obs.); adults in established pairs seldom dance comm.). It is reasonable to suggest that dancing is (Archibald & Meine 1996). So while it seems also a form of play behaviour, at least when per- likely that dancing is a form of social behaviour, it formed outside a pair-forming context. This has seems unlikely that its primary function in sub- been suggested before (Archibald & Meine 1996), adults is socialization and pair formation. but only in passing. Burghardt (2005) developed a set of five criteria for determining whether a certain behaviour can *Email: [email protected] be classified as play. These criteria are now widely

accepted in both the psychological and the etho- animal is in a “relaxed field”.’ As mentioned logical literature (e.g. Pellegrini 2009, Pellis & Pellis above, this is true for the majority of crane 2009, Smith 2009). dances. • ‘The performance of the behavior is not fully func- So, all five criteria are met by crane dances per- tional in the form or context in which it is formed outside a pair-forming context. But what expressed; that is, it includes elements, or is direc- about the notion that dancing can serve as dis- ted towards stimuli, that do not contribute to cur- placement activity when the birds are nervous rent survival.’ This criterion is apparently met: (Archibald & Meine 1996)? Interestingly, this is dances do not seem to have any immediate often true for play behaviour in other animals. For adaptive value, except in situations in which example, in a study by Burghardt and Dinets (in they might be a part of pair formation process. prep.) of object play in male Pseudotropheus cich- • ‘The behavior is spontaneous, voluntary, inten- lids, it was found that some individuals increased tional, pleasurable, rewarding, reinforcing, or the frequency of play attacks on an object (a ther- autotelic (done for its own sake).’ All of this mometer) when exposed to other males in adja- seems to be true of crane dances; inevitably, cent tanks. So the occasional use of dancing as we have no evidence that dances are pleasur- displacement behaviour does not contradict the able for the birds, but the fact that cranes suggestion that most crane dances are play. dance most frequently when relaxed and at ease certainly hints at such a possibility. I thank Jane Chandler, Philip Lamartiniere, Bengo Mac- • ‘It differs from the “serious” performance of etho- hedra, Tandi Perkins and the late Vladimir Flint for typic behavior structurally or temporally in at sharing their observations, and George Archibald, Gor- don Burghardt and Dmitrii Kalinitchev for comments. least one respect: it is incomplete (generally through inhibited or dropped final element), exag- REFERENCES gerated, awkward, or precocious; or it involves behavior patterns with modified form, sequencing, Allen, R.P. 1952. The Whooping Crane. New York: National or targeting.’ Again, this criterion is met for Audubon Society. dances performed outside of pair-forming con- Archibald, G.W. & Meine, C.D. 1996. Family Gruidae ‘ ’ (Cranes). In del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. (eds) text, if we consider them a non-serious perfor- Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 3:60–89. mance of behaviour that is also involved in Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. courtship. Unlike during courtship, dances in Armstrong, E. 1943. The crane dance in East and West. other situations are not followed by duets or Antiquity 17:71–76. pre-copulatory displays. Burghardt, G.M. 2005. The Genesis of Animal Play. Cam- • ‘ bridge: The MIT Press. The behavior is performed repeatedly in a simi- Ellis, D.H., Swengel, S.R, Archibald, G.R. & Kepler, C.B. lar, but not rigidly stereotyped, form during at 1998. A sociogram for the cranes of the world. Behav. Proc. least a portion of the animal’s ontogeny.’ This is 43: 125–151. certainly true: crane dances follow the same Lorenz, K. 1963. Das sogenannte Bose€ – Zur Naturgeschichte general pattern of leaps and wing flapping, but der Agression. Vienna: Verlag Dr. G Borotha-Schoeler. Pellegrini, A.D. 2009. The Role of Play in Human there is no rigid sequence. Bouts of dances can Development. New York: Oxford University Press. last from a few seconds to several minutes, and Pellis, S.M. & Pellis, V.C. 2009. The Playful Brain. Venturing may be repeated from one to dozens of to the Limits of Neuroscience. Oxford: Oneworld Press. times during the day (Potapov et al. 1987; also Potapov, R.L., Kurochkin, E.N., Isakov, Yu.A. & Flint, V.E. V. Dinets pers. obs.) 1987. Pticy SSSR: Kuroobraznye, Zhuravleobraznye. [Birds • ‘ of USSR: Galliformes, Gruiformes.] Moscow: Nauka (in The behavior is initiated when the animal is ade- Russian). quately fed, healthy, and free from stress (e.g. Russell, N. & McGowan, K.J. 2003. Dance of the cranes: predator threat, harsh microclimate, social insta- crane symbolism at Cß atalhoy€ uk€ and beyond. Antiquity 77: bility), or intense competing systems (e.g. feeding, 445–455. mating, predator avoidance). In other words, the Smith, P.K. 2009. Children and Play. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.