Cra n e s : Their Biology, Husband ry, and Conservati on E d i to r s David H. Ell i s George F. Gee Cl a i r e M. Mir a n d e Technical Edito r Catherine H. Ell i s Copy Edito r Lorie A. Sha u l l i v IS B N 0- 8 8 8 3 9 - 3 8 7 - 3 National Biological Se rv i c e / International Crane Foundation Limited Edi t i o n Catal oging in Publication Data Ellis, David, H., 1945- Cra n e s Includes bibliographical ref e r ences and index. ISBN 0-88839-385-3 1. Cranes (Bir ds) I. Tit l e . QL696.G84E44 199 6 59 8 . 3 ’1 C9 5 9 1 1 0 4 0 - 2 Printed in the United States of America, 199 6 Published by the Dep a r tment of the Int e r i o r , National Biological Se rv i c e , Washington, DC, and the International Crane Foundation, Baraboo, WI . Printed in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Se rv i c e . Table of Contents Authors and Ad d re s s e s . vi i Fo rewo rd. ix Pre fac e . xi 1 . Crane Bi o lo g y. George W. Archibald, James C. Lewi s 2 . General Hu s b a n d ry . Scott R. Swengel, James W. Carpenter 3 . Egg and Semen Pro d u c t i o n . Cl a i r e M. Mirande, George F. Gee, Ann Bur ke, Peter Wh i t l o c k 4 . In c u b ation and Hatc h i n g. Rob e r t R. Gabel, Thomas A. Mah a n 5 . Chick Re a r i n g . Marianne Wellington, Ann Bur ke, Jane M. Nicolich, Kathleen O’Mal l e y A . Ve t e r i n a ry Te c h n i ques for Rearing Crane Chicks . Glenn H. Olsen, Julia A. Langenberg 6 . Be h avior Ma n ag e m e n t . Scott R. Swengel, George W. Archibald, David H. Ellis, Dwight G. Smi t h A . Imprinting, Attac h m e n t, and Be h avioral Deve lopment in Cr a n e s . Rob e r t H. Ho rw i c h 7 . Re p ro d u c t i ve Ph y s i o lo g y . George F. Gee, Shirley E. Rus s m a n 8 Medicine and Su rg e ry . Glenn H. Olsen, Julia A. Langenberg, James W. Carpenter 9 . Genetic Ma n ag e m e n t. Cl a i r e M. Mirande, George F. Gee, Scott R. Swengel, Christine She p p a r d 10 . Re co rd s . David H. Ellis, Joanna A. Tay l o r , Claire M. Mirande, Julia A. Langenberg, Marianne Wellington, B. H. Powell, Janet L. McMi l l e n v i Table of Contents . Special Te c h n i qu e s A . A rtificial In s e m i n at i o n . George F. Gee, Claire M. Mir a n d e B . Cryo p re s e rvat i o n . Timothy L. Har g r ove, George F. Gee C . Sex De t e r m i n at i o n . Scott R. Swen g e l D . Re i n t roduction Te c h n i qu e s . Meenakshi Nagendran, Richard P. Urbanek, David H. Ell i s E . Flight Re s t r a i n t . David H. Ellis, F. Joshua Dei n F. Pre d ator and Pest Ma n ag e m e n t . Thomas E. Lewi s . Fac i l i t i e s . Scott R. Swengel, Richard W. Bes s e r . Eco lo g y, Status, and Conservat i o n . Cur t Meine, George W. Arch i b a l d Ap pendix. Equipment and Su p p l i e r s . In d e x . Authors and Add r es s e s George W. Archibald, Ann B ur ke, Julia A. David H. Ellis, George F. Gee, Jane M. N ic o l i c h , Langenberg, Cur t Meine, Claire M. Mirande, Scott Glenn H. Olsen, Kathleen O’M al l e y , B. H. Powel l , R. Swengel, Mar ianne Wellington, Peter Wh i t l o c k Joanna A. Tay l o r International Crane Foundation, E- Sha d y Pat u x ent Wildlife Res e a r ch Center, Nat i o n a l Lane Road, Baraboo, WI - , Biological Ser vice, Laurel, MD - , Phone: ( ) - Phone: ( ) - Authors at Other Ins t i t u t i o n s Ri c h a r d W. Bes s e r , Marble Avenue NE, Janet L. McMil l e n , Science Dep a r tment, Pri n c e Al b u q u e r que, NM Geo r g e ’s College, Largo, MD James W. Car p e n t e r , Dep a r tment of Sur g e r y and Meenakshi Nag e n d r a n , Oleander Aven u e , Medicine, College of Vet e r i n a r y Medicine, Kansas Mer ced, CA State Uni ve r s i t y , Manhattan, KS Shirley E. Rus s m a n , ZCA Vet e r i n a r y Care Center, F. Joshua Dei n , National Wildlife Health Res e a rc h Mon t g o m e r y Boulevar d NE, Albuquerqu e , Ce n t e r , Sc h r oeder Road, Madison, NM WI - Ch r istine She p p a r d, Curator of Orn i t h o l o g y , Wil d l i f e Rob e r t R. Gab e l , U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serv i c e , Co n s e r vation Soc i e t y , th Str eet and Sou t h e r n Offi ce of Scientific Aut h o r i t y , Nor th Fa i rf a x Bo u l e va r d, Bronx, NY Dri v e, Room , Arlington, VA Dwight G. Smi t h , Biology Dep a r tment, Sou t h e r n Timothy L. Har g r ove, Groveland Farms Roa d , Connecticut State Uni ve r s i t y , Crescent Stre e t , Groveland, FL New Hav en, CT Rob e r t H. Horw i c h , RD Bo x , Gays Mil l s , Ri c h a r d P. Urb a n e k , Seney National Wildlife Ref u g e , WI Sen e y , MI James C. Lewis , U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serv i c e , P.O . Bo x , Albuquerque, NM Thomas E. Lewis , St. Vincent National Wil d l i f e Refuge, P.O. Box , Apalachacola, FL Thomas A. Mah a n , Mui r field Place, Arde n , NC For ew o r d Cap t i v e Management and Conservat i o n orldwide, extinction of our flora and Edi t o r ’s Not e : fauna is proceeding at catastrop h i c The natural world lost a premier advocate when rates. We humans are fouling our Sir Peter Scott died on April at age . His pl a n e t a r y nest and making it uninhab- thoughts on endangered species, conservation in Witable both for many thousands of wild species and general, and crane propagation in parti c u l a r , continue ultimately for ourselves. For utilitarian, aesthetic, and to ring true . ethical reasons, we must do all that we can to preve n t The first published ref e r ence to crane husbandry is extinction. The most important conservation strategy pr obably Mar co Pol o ’s account of several species of for most species is habitat pres e r vation. This almost cranes (some of which wer e more likely phasianids) in always means trying to prev ent or to rev erse the gardens of Kublai Khan in the late th Century. man-caused changes in the environ m e n t . With more than two decades of propagation res e a rc h While habitat conservation is the key, captive behind us at the International Crane Fou n d a t i o n br eeding sometimes plays a crucial role. It may then (ICF) and nearly three at the Pat u x ent Wil d l i f e be possible to release captive- b r ed animals once their Res e a r ch Center (Pat u x ent), crane husbandry for habitat has been rescued, as has so successfully been most species is now operational. It is finally time to ac h i e v ed with the Arabian Oryx in Oman and Jord a n , collect the best of crane avicultural science and and with the Hawaiian Geese bred at the Wil d f ow l hu s b a n d r y between two cover s . Trust. Even if no immediate prospect of release can be Experimentation with crane rei n t ro d u c t i o n fo r eseen, endangered species must be maintained in techniques over the last two decades allows us to captivity to prev ent extinction and in hopes that also include a section on this culminating aspect habitat will one day be avai l a b l e .