|
|
Citation:
Olsen, Glenn H. 2022. Observations of whooping crane parental provisioning of chicks. Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop 15:123-127.
Abstract:
Crane chicks are dependent on parent birds for provisioning during the first few months of life, but no study has
examined this provisioning in detail. In 2014 research staff at the U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center
(formerly Patuxent Wildlife Research Center), in Laurel, Maryland, made multiple observations of parent whooping cranes
(Grus americana) feeding or interacting with their chick during the 3 months from hatching to fledging. Both parents participated
in the feeding of the chick and only 1 chick was raised by each pair of parent whooping cranes. Initially feeding frequency was
low (0-20 times per hr), but as the chick absorbed its yolk sac and required food, feeding frequency increased to a high of 105
times per hour. Whooping crane parents fed their chick from 0 to 105 times per hour. Feeding frequency peaked around day
19, then decreased after the chicks reached 40 days of age but continued at a low level during the entire 3 months from hatch
to fledging. Because feeding frequency observed for this study was very low at fledging, the use of feeding by alloparents as a
measure of chick-alloparent bond may not be practical.
The North American Crane Working Group provides free and open access to articles in Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop. No additional permission is required for unrestricted use, distribution, or reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work here is properly cited. Complete Proceedings are also available for download or purchase.
© 2022 North American Crane Working Group
| |
