ONLINE: Just Call Us Cupid! Crane Socializations Within the International Crane Foundation Captive Flock

media release: The Crane Conservation Department at the International Crane Foundation’s Headquarters is involved in the captive flock’s care and management. One aspect of captive crane care often overlooked is how each of the crane pairs is formed within the flock. Every fall, aviculture staff help single birds within the flock find suitable companions. Just call us cupid (for cranes)!  

Pairing cranes in captivity requires considering many different things, including each bird’s genetics, rearing history, breeding or reintroduction goals, and even personality. Once a match is decided on, aviculturists work through the pair’s socialization, in which the birds get to know one another, learn to share resources and hopefully form a strong pair bond.  

Join our Assistant Curator of Birds Cyndie Gitter as she walks you through matchmaking and socialization, which are critical to providing our captive flock with the finest welfare and lead to breeding and conservation success for this naturally long-lived, strongly-bonded species. 

Sponsored by Dick and Jane Dana.