In a remarkable conservation effort to save some of the world's most endangered birds, specialists are donning elaborate crane costumes to raise chicks. This unusual method prevents the young birds from identifying humans as their parents, a critical step for those destined to be released into the wild.
The Art of Being a Bird: Life Inside the Costume
Marianne Wellington, a senior aviculturist at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin, describes the work as both tiring and profoundly rewarding. The foundation, established in 1973, is dedicated to safeguarding all 15 global crane species, most of which are endangered due to habitat loss, climate change, and hunting.
When crane chicks cannot be raised by their biological or foster parents, the team steps in. To avoid 'imprinting'—where chicks bond with the first large moving object they see—staff must not be perceived as human. What began with a simple sheet thrown over a colleague has evolved into sophisticated costumes with detailed puppet heads and matching leg colours.
'We did away with the feathers to make laundering easier,' Wellington notes. Now, all time spent with chicks is in full costume, with one arm operating the puppet head and the other acting as a wing. The work is physically demanding, requiring rotations every hour or two to prevent sore arms.
Teaching Chicks to Be Wild Cranes
The aviculturists' role extends beyond feeding. They mediate aggressive behaviour between chicks, teach essential foraging skills by hunting for crickets and grasshoppers, and even use recorded crane calls from hidden MP3 players to scold misbehaving youngsters. The puppet heads are coloured to match real species; for example, a whooping crane's red head patch can be tilted to warn a chick to back off.
Perhaps the most challenging lesson is flight. The team uses a prairie area to coach the birds, running and flapping alongside them until they take to the air. 'It makes me feel like a proud parent to see them take flight,' says Wellington, though she admits videos of the process look 'kind of ridiculous'.
A Long-Term Vision for Conservation
The meticulous work is showing results. While 10 of the 15 crane species remain threatened with extinction, the whooping crane population has made a significant recovery, growing from just over 20 individuals 80 years ago to more than 800 today.
The ultimate goal, however, is to render the costumes obsolete. The foundation aims to foster self-sustaining wild populations where all chicks are reared by real cranes. 'Although I would miss my interaction with the chicks, what an amazing outcome that would be,' Wellington reflects. Until that day, she and her team will continue their disguised dedication, one flapping, foraging chick at a time.
