Field Guide
to Crane Behavior
International Crane Foundation
E-11376 Shady Lane Rd.
P.O. Box 447
Baraboo, WI 53913
(608) 356-9462
www.savingcranes.org
Both cranes and people behave in ways that communicate
speci c emotions or ideas. For example, we might light
candles, serve a nice dinner, and play so music when
we're dating. Cranes don't play music, but they do dance
with a prospective mate during their courtship.
Similarly, we put up fences and “No Trespassing” signs
when we want to keep others o our property. Cranes
do the same, but by ru ing feathers, apping wings, and
showing their red patch to other cranes as they establish
their property (territories) in spring.
In fact, cranes have an entire language of behaviors that
you can learn to understand. Take this booklet with
you when you visit ICF. Every time you see a crane do
something, look it up in the eld guide. You'll learn the
name of this behavior and what it means. Remember,
even when an animal appears to be doing “nothing,” it is
still exhibiting some form of behavior.
Ð
Ô
Pair establishes territory,
builds nest, lays eggs.
Ó
Chick learns
to y.
Parents usually
raise one chick.
Ñ
Feed and loaf.
Ï
Ò
Family
migrates north.
Chick separates
from adults.
Summer
Winter
Spring
Crane Annual CycleCrane Behaviors
Fall
Parents and chick migrate south.
ii xi
Territorial/ reatMaintenance
Preening: Cleaning and arranging
feathers with bill. Uropygial gland on
top of the tail secretes an oil used to
condition feathers.
Since feathers wear out, the old feathers
are molted once a year and new feathers
are grown. Cranes spend a lot of time
caring for them by preening.
Foraging: Much of a crane's time is
spent looking for food. Cranes are
omnivores, eating both plants and
animals. Much of their food comes
from probing in the ground with their
beaks. While many food items are
found in wetland areas, cranes will also
feed in upland prairies, savannas, and
agricultural elds.
Look for areas that have been dug up in
the pens at ICF. You may also see cranes
catch and eat insects.
Roosting: In the wild, cranes spend
the night in the shallow water of a
pond or river. e sound of splashing
water will alert them to an approaching
predator. Individuals roost with head
over the back and tucked under a wing,
sometimes standing on one leg.
reat Walk: A slow, sti strut with
neck crooked. Tertial wing feathers
(look like tail feathers) are raised
slightly. Toes are extended sti y,
rather than closing at each step. O en
done at edge of territory to de ne
boundary.
is is a low-intensity threat and is o en
seen at ICF, especially in the spring
when the cranes are more aggressively
defending their territories.
Ru e reat: e crane raises its
feathers and ru es or aps its wings.
O en concluded by the bird bowing
and growling. Common display done
by all species.
Another low-intensity threat behavior
o en seen at ICF.
Flap Display: Wings beat violently,
head is down with red patch pointed at
intruder.
Another low-intensity threat behavior.
Less commonly seen than the two
threats listed above.
x iii
Territorial/ reat Migration
Pre- ight Posture: e neck is
sti y stretched horizontally prior to
take-o . May help ock synchronize
ight, or gauge readiness of other
birds to y.
O en seen at ICF in spring and fall,
as cranes experience “migratory
restlessness.”
Fledging: As a chick approaches
three months, its rst set of ight
feathers are nearly complete.
Parents run and ap their wings to
encourage chicks to y. A er several
weeks of practice, the chick is ready
to learn the migration route from
parents.
Staging: Flocks of crane families
congregate in wetlands to rest and
feed before or during migration.
During these periods, cranes are able
to build up fat reserves. Young birds
form “bachelor ocks” during spring
migration and shortly a er arriving
at summering areas. Slightly older
birds o en nd mates at staging
areas.
Arch Display: Wings held high
and back arched, with beak usually
pointed toward the sky. e red patch
is expanded in size and displayed
prominently. So an adversary can see
the patch more easily, the bird may face
the opposite direction and tip its head
back.
is is a medium-intensity threat
behavior. e extended wings make
the bird appear larger and more
intimidating.
Drop Wing reat: e head is thrown
over shoulder with beak pointed at
back. Wing tip on one side drops below
hock or lower and held for several
seconds. Usually done following ru e
or other threats. is is a medium-
intensity threat.
Unison Call: Performed by a mated
pair to defend territory and reinforce
the pair bond. Male and female each
have di erent postures and series of
calls.
is behavior has a dual purpose; it
helps to reinforce pair bonds and serves
to warn other birds away from occupied
territories.
iv ix
Territorial/ reatChick Rearing
Feeding: Newly-hatched chicks feed on
items presented by the parents. A er
a few weeks, chick is foraging with
parents, who will continue to introduce
the chick to new food items for several
months.
Brooding: Chick huddles under one
of the sitting parent's wings to keep
warm and dry. While males will
occasionally brood a chick, females
usually perform this duty. Brooding is
especially important shortly a er the
chick hatches since the chick cannot yet
control its body temperature. Without
the brooding behavior of the adults the
chick might not survive.
Distraction Display: Parents attract a
potential predator by calling, displaying
other threats, and sometimes using
the “broken-wing” display to distract
predators from the nest or nearby
chicks. A crane may lead the predator
a safe distance away, then return to the
family.
Guard Call: A single, bugling call done
to scare away predators or warn other
cranes away. Also used to warn mate or
chicks of danger. May be echoed by the
calling bird's mate.
is is a common call at ICF as visitors
walk around the Johnson Exhibit Pod.
Crouch reat: e crane will fan
its wings slightly and then drop to the
ground for a few seconds.
Cranes o en incorporate normal
behaviors into their threats. e crouch
threat looks like an incubating bird. An
incubating bird has much to lose and
therefore is not likely to retreat. In this
context, it becomes clear that this high-
intensity threat is only used in response
to extreme stress and should be taken
seriously!
viii v
Nesting
Courtship & Mating
Dancing: Elaborate series of displays
including bowing, arching, stick-tossing,
and jumping. Dances o en include
many aggressive or threat displays as
pairing is stressful for these aggressive
birds. Young cranes may dance to foster
socialization, select a mate, or to relieve
tension. Once paired, two cranes will
normally remain together for life.
Pre-copulation Posture: O en
preceded by dancing. Female faces
away from male, spreads wings slightly
and li s tail to expose cloaca. Female
gives loud purring call called the “pre-
copulation call,” but copulation may be
initiated by either male or female.
Copulation: Performed during the
breeding season. Male stands on
female's back and balances using his
wings. Male lowers tail and brie y
touches female's cloaca with his own to
pass semen. A er a few seconds, male
dismounts over female's head.
Nest-building: Both males and females
gather sticks, leaves, and other debris
and mound it into a nest. Materials
are usually gathered close to the nest
site. If the nest is built on the edge
of a wetland, an area of open water
sometimes forms around the nest as
the cranes heap up the surrounding
vegetation. Nest building may be
ritualized in some species with the birds
calling and strolling together.
Incubation: Male and female each
incubate in shi s of about two to four
hours during daylight hours then
“exchange” the nest. At night, females
do most of the incubating while males
watch for predators. During the nest
exchange, parents make a purring noise
to the eggs. ey also gently roll the eggs
during the exchange insuring proper
embryo development. Incubation lasts
about 30 days in most species.
Nest Defense: Adults stand erect and
with opened wings, the tips almost
touching the ground. e cranes will
also guard call as they try to drive away
the invader.
vi vii
Behavior Study Data Sheet
Species: _____________________________
Observers' Names: _____________________
____________________________________
Date: _______________________________
Time: _______________________________
Start Finish
Weather Conditions (circle those that apply)
Calm Light Strong
Temperature:
Time
Other Behaviors Comments
Check the behaviors that you observe, indicating the time when each behavior is recorded.
reat Walk
Pre- ight
Dancing
Guard Call
Unison Call
Roosting
Foraging
Preening
Flap Display
Ru e reat
Drop Wing reat
Clear Fog Drizzle
Rain Snow Other:
Behavior Study Data Sheet
Species: _____________________________
Observers' Name(s): _____________________
____________________________________
Date: _______________________________
Time: _______________________________
Start Finish
Weather Conditions (circle those that apply)
Calm Light Strong
Temperature:
Time
Other Behaviors Comments
Check the behaviors that you observe, indicating the time when each behavior is recorded.
reat Walk
ight
Dancing
Guard Call
Unison Call
Roosting
Foraging
Preening
Flap Display
reat
reat
Clear Fog Drizzle
Rain Snow Other:
Whooping Crane
Jane Crane
5/23/2013
1:00 pm 1:30 pm
X
X
55 F
1:05 pm
X
1:07 pm
1:15 pm
1:21 pm
1:27 pm
X
X
X
Eating
& Drinking
TALL: Adult Sandhill Cranes
are about four feet tall and have
a wingspan of ve to seven feet.
Another species, the Sarus Crane,
is almost six feet tall and has a
wingspan of nearly eight feet! e
long slender neck, like a submarine
periscope, allows the crane to look
over tall marsh grasses to spot
predators. It also allows cranes to
reach into deep water to nd food.
RED PATCH: Most cranes have
a bright red patch of bare skin
on their head or neck. ey
o en display the red patch to
another crane to warn it away
from their
territory.
LONG BEAKS: Cranes have
long, slender beaks to probe for
food in the ground. is “tool”
allows cranes to nd food
where many other animals
cannot reach. is is
one adaptation that
cranes have for living in
wetlands.
LONG LEGS: To make
it easy for cranes to walk
through tall marsh grasses
and wade in shallow water,
they have the adaptation of
long legs.
FEET: Cranes do not have webbed
feet like ducks, and rarely swim.
eir large feet with long, narrow
toes are perfect for squishing
through mud. Most cranes have a
short, elevated hind toe and do not
perch in trees.
TAIL FEATHERS? Wing
feathers are so long that
they cover the short
tail feathers when they
are folded and give the
appearance of a large tail.
LONG TRACHEA: Cranes are
noted for their loud, bugling
calls, which can be heard up to
two miles away. A crane's trachea
(wind pipe) can be as long as ve
feet and is coiled inside the bird's
breastbone to accommodate the
extra length. e trachea's extra
length resonates much like the
tubing in a trombone and helps
project the vocalization.
What is a Crane?
ey are di erent from
storks, egrets, and
herons, even though they
look similar.
ere are 15 di erent species of cranes,
of which 11 are now threatened by
extinction.
Cranes are a very ancient
form of bird. Scientists have
discovered fossils of crane bones
that are over 25 million years
old!
To many people around the world, cranes
symbolize long life and happiness and have an
important role in human culture.
Most species of cranes prefer to live
in wet, soggy areas called wetlands,
but may also nd food in grasslands
or prairies.
Two of the 15 species of cranes live in
North America. Sandhill Cranes are
found in the Midwest, as well as many
other areas of North America. Whooping
Cranes are found in Canada and the
United States.
Cranes belong to a family of birds named
Gruidae.
Cranes are found on every
continent except South
America and Antarctica.
Cranes may choose a mate for
life, and can live 20 - 30 years in
the wild.
Cranes are famous for their
courtship dancing and loud calls.
THREATS TO CRANES:
* Habitat loss and degradation
* Overhunting and poaching
* Poisoning
* Human interference
* Biological factors (disease, inbreeding)
* Environmental factors (drought, natural disasters)
* Hazards During Migration (power line collisions)
Crane Facts
