Both the male and female share incubation duties and they will incubate the eggs for about 30 days before the eggs hatch. Here, female #42-07 (DAR) takes her turn on the nest while her mate, #524 forages away quite a distance away from the nest. Nests are built on small islands of bulrushes, cattails and grassy wetland plants. There, the young are relatively safe from predators. The marsh waters also provide food for the cranes.

Image: Eva Szyszkoski