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'~:.... 33 including three whooping cranes. Laboratories found a trichothecene (mycotoxin) in the feed that may have been the toxic agent (Valente 1992). Since fall of 1987, Patuxent tests all feed, A small sample of the crane diets is fed to bobwhites (Colinus viroinianus) before feeding the pellets to the cranes. Food consumption, body weight changes, and mortality in the quail are used to detect toxins in the feed. At PWRC, Mississippi sandhill cranes (y, Q. Dulla) are reared for release to the wild, Although releases of parent-reared chicks have been successful, parent-rearing is labor intensive and occesionally results in excessive chick mortality. Development of an improved hand-rearing technique using live imprint models (conspecific cranes), stuffed brooder models and feeding puppets started in 1985. The technique was further refined in 1989 with the addition of costumed caretakers. The release groups of Mississippi sandhill cranes included: (1) parent-reared, (2) hand-reared and (3) a mixed group of hand-reared and parent-reared cranes. Survival one year has been high (average 83 percent). Another 35 birds were released in the winter of 1991-1992and 40 in 1992-1993. Average survival declined to 60 percent in the 1992 release because of bacterial infection and increased predator pressures in the parent-reared cohort (25 percent survival). The annual survival increased in the 1993 release to previous levels (average 80 percent). A reproductive study of the released birds will continue into the mid-1990's. A study of genetic diversity and relatedness in the whooping crane began in 1986 and data collection for three of four projects ended in 1991 (Dessauer et al. 1994, Gee et al. 1988, Jarvi et al. 1992, Longmire et al. 1992). Compared with other cranes, whooping crane diversity was about average in an electrophoresis study of blood proteins (0,041 - + 0.021, Table 5); below average in band-sharing of nuclear restriction fragment length polymorphism of mini-satellite DNA (0.42); and about average in polymorphism of the major histocompatibility complex. Other recent significant events include use of monensin as an improved treatment for disseminated visceral coccidiosis; a new platform terminal satellite transmitter and harnesses for cranes; successful tracking of cranes from northern Siberia to Iran, Afghanistan, and India; monitoring and characterizing incubation profiles in nesting sandhill cranes; building a new computer control incubator capable of simulating conditions found in the nest; and some progress in embryo cell cryopreservation. The pen facilities at PWRC are now completely state-of-the-art. The low maintenance needs of these new facilities should help establish breeding pairs on a territory without the disturbances associated with pen maintenance experienced in earlier complexes. ProDaoation At ICF: The International Crane Foundation is a private conservation organization dedicated to the preservation of cranes worldwide. Captive propagation expertise was developed during the 1970's with several crane species, including whooping cranes (Doughty 1989). In late 1989, ICF received from the Rocky Mountain population an injured adult male (Napolean) whose wing had been amputated and 22 whooping cranes from PWRC. Two cranes died shortly after their arrival. No eggs were laid by the two experhmced pairs in 1990, probably due to the disruption caused by the move. Cranes, especially whooping cranes, are sensitive to disturbance and pen changes (Mirande pers. comm.), In May of