Early Parental Care and Chick Development in a Cross-Fostering Trial With White-Naped (Grus vipio) and Greater Sandhill (Grus canadensis tabida) Cranes

Three captive, adult breeding pairs of White-Naped Cranes (Grus vipio) were observed rearing cross-fostered Greater Sandhill Crane chicks (Grus canadensis tabida). Daily behavioral scan data of groups obtained during the first 2 weeks posthatching show females exhibited greater levels of brooding, preening and feeding of chicks. foraging, and contact calling than males, whereas males were more vigilant and likely to initiate agonistic bouts in defense of group territory. Chicks showed greater activity levels from week 1 to 2 as their preening and foraging/feeding behavior increased. Weekly observation of groups past week 2 demonstrate recurrence of behavioral performance peaks by chicks in pecking at adults. resting, foraging, and preening. Males also showed significant parental role change from defenders of territory to parental care providers at levels similar to females, whereas females increased their territorial vigilance. Such changes in performance levels to a pattern of equal parental care between adults later in chick development have not been previously described for cranes.