We observed feigning behavior by a male Red-crowned Crane (Grus japonensis) in Heilongjiang province, China. The male crane pretended to be injured to draw a larger intruder away from the young. The Red-crowned Crane held his quivering right wing pointed down at the ground, stretching his neck out, running quick short steps with an exaggerated limp (broken-wing ruse). Then, he spread both quivering wings and tail and ran with quick short steps (trailing wing ruse). These ‘injury feigning’ behaviors have not been recorded previously in this species, and this is only the third observation of these behavior in cranes (Gruidae).
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1 June 2013
The ‘Injury Feigning’ Displays of the Red-Crowned Crane
Qiang Wang,
Xuehong Zhou,
Xianguo Lu
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The Wilson Journal of Ornithology
Vol. 125 • No. 2
June 2013
Vol. 125 • No. 2
June 2013
feigning behavior
lure display
nest-defense
Red-crowned Crane