Body Mass Index (BMI) of normal Sandhill Cranes

Authors

Stephen A. Nesbitt, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Wildlife Research LaboratoryFollow
Marilyn G. Spalding, University of FloridaFollow
Kristen L. Candelora, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Wildlife Research Laboratory
Paul S. Kubilis, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Wildlife Research Laboratory
Stephen T. Schwikert, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Wildlife Research Laboratory

Date of this Version

2008

Document Type

Article

Citation

Nesbitt, S.A., M.G. Spalding, K.L. Candelora, P.S. Kubilis, and S.T. Schwikert. Body mass index (BMI) of normal sandhill cranes. In: Folk, MJ and SA Nesbitt, eds. 2008. Proceedings of the Tenth North American Crane Workshop, Feb. 7-10, 2006, Zacatecas City, Zacatecas, Mexico: North American Crane Working Group. pp. 133-137.

Comments

Reproduced by permission of the North American Crane Working Group.

Abstract

We used linear and mass measurements to construct a body mass index (BMI) for 2 subspecies of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis). We found that BMI declined during the spring and early summer period. We used the BMI to show that juvenile Florida sandhill cranes (G. c. pratensis) reach their full mass at about 270 days of age, near the age at which they begin to leave the company of their parents. We used mensural data to predict a minimum expected mass for normal sandhill cranes which could be then used to evaluate the relative health of an individual suspected of being diseased or underweight.