Glenn Olsen, Ph.D.
Glenn is the Veterinary Medical Officer at the Eastern Ecological Science Center in Laurel, MD.
Captive Wildlife Health Program
- Developed vaccination programs for West Nile virus and aspergillosis for captive wildlife
- Veterinarian member of Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee under the Animal Welfare Act
- Treat a variety of wildlife species, mostly avian and reptile for illness and injuries
- Co-located on National Wildlife Refuge, run rehabilitation program for injured and ill wildlife brought in from the refuge
Sea Duck Research Program
- Developed and continually refine and update surgical techniques for implanting transmitters in diving ducks
- Developed techniques for sedating birds to test hearing for ABRs both in air and under water
- Testing pentosodine as a technique for aging long-lived sea ducks
Crane Research Program
- Developed health network to support ultralight led migrations of whooping cranes
- Developed techniques for parent-rearing whooping cranes for release in Wisconsin
- Conducted 5 years of released of parent-reared whooping cranes in Wisconsin
- Conducted vaccination and challenge studies in a BSL-3 laboratory setting for West Nile virus in cranes
- Conducted vaccination and challenge studies for a coccidia vaccination in cranes and endangered masked bobwhite quail
Professional Experience
2020-present USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center
1996-2020 USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
1994-1996 National Biological Survey
1987-1994 US Fish and Wildlife Service, Technical Services Branch, Refuge Management Branch at Patuxent Research Refuge
1983-1987 Assistant Professor, Louisiana State University, School of Veterinary Medicine
Education and Certifications
PhD Wildlife and Fisheries Biology, University of Massachusetts
MS Wildlife Biology, University of Massachusetts
DVM University of Illinois
BS Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois
Affiliations and Memberships*
Association of Avian Veterinarians
North American Crane Working Group
Wildlife Disease Association
American Veterinary Medical Association
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 119
Toxicity and hazard of vanadium to mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) and Canada geese (Branta canadensis)
A recent Canada goose (Branta canadensis) die-off at a petroleum refinery fly ash pond in Delaware was attributed to vanadium (V) toxicity. Because of the paucity of V toxicity data for wild birds, a series of studies was undertaken using the forms of V believed to have resulted in this incident. In 7-d single oral dose trials with mallard drakes (Anas platyrhynchos), the estimated...
Authors
Barnett A. Rattner, Moira A. McKernan, Karen M. Eisenreich, William A. Link, Glenn H. Olsen, David J. Hoffman, K.A. Knowles, Peter C. McGowan
Head-bobbing behavior in foraging whooping cranes favors visual fixation
No abstract available.
Authors
Thomas M. Cronin, Matthew R. Kinloch, Glenn H. Olsen
Fecal corticoid monitoring in whooping cranes trained to follow ultralight aircraft
The use of fecal corticoid assays to measure stress in North American cranes has been limited to laboratory validation and a single field project involving reintroduced sandhill cranes (Ludders et aI., 1998, 2001; Hartup et aI., 2004). In 2001, we documented trends in corticoid concentrations among a cohort of ten costume-reared whooping cranes subjected to ultralight aircraft training...
Authors
B.K. Hartup, Nancy M. Czekala, Glenn H. Olsen, J.A. Langenberg
The effect of varying protein levels on blood chemistry, food consumption, and behavior of captive seaducks
The Chesapeake Bay is a primary wintering area for scoters and the long-tailed ducks (Clangia hyemalis) that migrate along the Atlantic Flyway. Recently, the Chesapeake Bay had undergone an ecosystem shift and little is known about how this is affecting the seaduck populations. We are determining what are the preferred food sources of the seaducks wintering on the Bay and analyzing the...
Authors
A. M. Wells-Berlin, Matthew C. Perry, Glenn H. Olsen
Health management for the reintroduction of eastern migratory whooping cranes (Grus americana)
No abstract available.
Authors
B. Hartup, J. Langenberg, Glenn H. Olsen, M. Spalding, K. Miller
Fecal corticoid monitoring in whooping cranes (Grus americana) undergoing reintroduction
We used radioimmunoassay to determine fecal corticoid concentrations and assess potential stress in 10 endangered whooping cranes (Grus americana) undergoing reintroduction to the wild. Fecal samples were collected shortly after hatching at a captive facility in Maryland, during field training in Wisconsin, and throughout a human-led migration to Florida. After a 14-day decline following...
Authors
Barry K. Hartup, Glenn H. Olsen, Nancy M. Czekala
Habitats used by black and surf scoters in eastern North America as determined by satellite radio telemetry
Satellite radio telemetry was used to determine the movements and habitats of black scoters (Melanitta nigra) and surf scoters (Melanitta perspicillata) in eastern North America. A total of 21 surf scoters were instrumented during five years (2001-05) and 32 black scoters were instrumented during three years (2002-04) with implanted PTT 100 satellite transmitters (39 g) with external...
Authors
Matthew C. Perry, D.M. Kidwell, A. M. Wells-Berlin, E.J.R. Lohnes, Glenn H. Olsen, P.C. Osenton
The Atlantic Seaduck Project: Medical Aspects
Some populations of seaducks, especially scoters along the Atlantic Coast, have been declining over recent decades. A joint US-Canadian tearn has been working to capture and surgically implant satellite radio transmitters in these ducks. Black scoters (Melanitta nigra) captured on the Restigouche River in New Brunswick, Canada and surf scoters (M. perspicilata) captured on Chesapeake Bay...
Authors
Glenn H. Olsen, Matthew C. Perry, A.M. Wells, E.J.R. Lohnes, P.C. Osenton
Testing a West Nile virus vaccine in sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis)
Eight sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) were vaccinated with a commercial equine West Nile virus vaccine (Fort Dodge Animal Health, Fort Dodge, Iowa, USA) at the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland, USA. Three doses of the vaccine were given, the first dose (day 0) was followed by a second 21 days later and the third dose 7 days after the second day 28 after the...
Authors
Glenn H. Olsen, K. Miller, D. Docherty, L. Sileo
Whooping crane titers to eastern equine encephalitis vaccinations
In 1984 an epizootic of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus killed 7 of 39 (18%) whooping cranes in captivity at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland, USA. Since that time whooping cranes have been vaccinated with a human EEE vaccine. This vaccine was unavailable for several years, necessitating use of an equine vaccine in the cranes. This study compared the...
Authors
Glenn H. Olsen, E. Kolski, Jeff S. Hatfield, D. E. Docherty
Head stabilization in whooping cranes
The whooping crane (Grus americana) is the tallest bird in North America, yet not much is known about its visual ecology. How these birds overcome their unusual height to identify, locate, track, and capture prey items is not well understood. There have been many studies on head and eye stabilization in large wading birds (herons and egrets), but the pattern of head movement and...
Authors
M.R. Kinloch, T.W. Cronin, Glenn H. Olsen
Initial training of cranes for an airship migration
We describe the first year of our efforts to train cranes to accept the unnatural stimuli associated with being transported south in cages suspended beneath an airship. All 4 experimental cranes readily acclimated to entering a suspended cage and were trained to accept being jostled while in the cage, even when the cage was transported in the back of a pickup truck. With minor changes...
Authors
D. H. Ellis, Glenn H. Olsen, J. Kwitowski
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 119
Toxicity and hazard of vanadium to mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) and Canada geese (Branta canadensis)
A recent Canada goose (Branta canadensis) die-off at a petroleum refinery fly ash pond in Delaware was attributed to vanadium (V) toxicity. Because of the paucity of V toxicity data for wild birds, a series of studies was undertaken using the forms of V believed to have resulted in this incident. In 7-d single oral dose trials with mallard drakes (Anas platyrhynchos), the estimated...
Authors
Barnett A. Rattner, Moira A. McKernan, Karen M. Eisenreich, William A. Link, Glenn H. Olsen, David J. Hoffman, K.A. Knowles, Peter C. McGowan
Head-bobbing behavior in foraging whooping cranes favors visual fixation
No abstract available.
Authors
Thomas M. Cronin, Matthew R. Kinloch, Glenn H. Olsen
Fecal corticoid monitoring in whooping cranes trained to follow ultralight aircraft
The use of fecal corticoid assays to measure stress in North American cranes has been limited to laboratory validation and a single field project involving reintroduced sandhill cranes (Ludders et aI., 1998, 2001; Hartup et aI., 2004). In 2001, we documented trends in corticoid concentrations among a cohort of ten costume-reared whooping cranes subjected to ultralight aircraft training...
Authors
B.K. Hartup, Nancy M. Czekala, Glenn H. Olsen, J.A. Langenberg
The effect of varying protein levels on blood chemistry, food consumption, and behavior of captive seaducks
The Chesapeake Bay is a primary wintering area for scoters and the long-tailed ducks (Clangia hyemalis) that migrate along the Atlantic Flyway. Recently, the Chesapeake Bay had undergone an ecosystem shift and little is known about how this is affecting the seaduck populations. We are determining what are the preferred food sources of the seaducks wintering on the Bay and analyzing the...
Authors
A. M. Wells-Berlin, Matthew C. Perry, Glenn H. Olsen
Health management for the reintroduction of eastern migratory whooping cranes (Grus americana)
No abstract available.
Authors
B. Hartup, J. Langenberg, Glenn H. Olsen, M. Spalding, K. Miller
Fecal corticoid monitoring in whooping cranes (Grus americana) undergoing reintroduction
We used radioimmunoassay to determine fecal corticoid concentrations and assess potential stress in 10 endangered whooping cranes (Grus americana) undergoing reintroduction to the wild. Fecal samples were collected shortly after hatching at a captive facility in Maryland, during field training in Wisconsin, and throughout a human-led migration to Florida. After a 14-day decline following...
Authors
Barry K. Hartup, Glenn H. Olsen, Nancy M. Czekala
Habitats used by black and surf scoters in eastern North America as determined by satellite radio telemetry
Satellite radio telemetry was used to determine the movements and habitats of black scoters (Melanitta nigra) and surf scoters (Melanitta perspicillata) in eastern North America. A total of 21 surf scoters were instrumented during five years (2001-05) and 32 black scoters were instrumented during three years (2002-04) with implanted PTT 100 satellite transmitters (39 g) with external...
Authors
Matthew C. Perry, D.M. Kidwell, A. M. Wells-Berlin, E.J.R. Lohnes, Glenn H. Olsen, P.C. Osenton
The Atlantic Seaduck Project: Medical Aspects
Some populations of seaducks, especially scoters along the Atlantic Coast, have been declining over recent decades. A joint US-Canadian tearn has been working to capture and surgically implant satellite radio transmitters in these ducks. Black scoters (Melanitta nigra) captured on the Restigouche River in New Brunswick, Canada and surf scoters (M. perspicilata) captured on Chesapeake Bay...
Authors
Glenn H. Olsen, Matthew C. Perry, A.M. Wells, E.J.R. Lohnes, P.C. Osenton
Testing a West Nile virus vaccine in sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis)
Eight sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) were vaccinated with a commercial equine West Nile virus vaccine (Fort Dodge Animal Health, Fort Dodge, Iowa, USA) at the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland, USA. Three doses of the vaccine were given, the first dose (day 0) was followed by a second 21 days later and the third dose 7 days after the second day 28 after the...
Authors
Glenn H. Olsen, K. Miller, D. Docherty, L. Sileo
Whooping crane titers to eastern equine encephalitis vaccinations
In 1984 an epizootic of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus killed 7 of 39 (18%) whooping cranes in captivity at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland, USA. Since that time whooping cranes have been vaccinated with a human EEE vaccine. This vaccine was unavailable for several years, necessitating use of an equine vaccine in the cranes. This study compared the...
Authors
Glenn H. Olsen, E. Kolski, Jeff S. Hatfield, D. E. Docherty
Head stabilization in whooping cranes
The whooping crane (Grus americana) is the tallest bird in North America, yet not much is known about its visual ecology. How these birds overcome their unusual height to identify, locate, track, and capture prey items is not well understood. There have been many studies on head and eye stabilization in large wading birds (herons and egrets), but the pattern of head movement and...
Authors
M.R. Kinloch, T.W. Cronin, Glenn H. Olsen
Initial training of cranes for an airship migration
We describe the first year of our efforts to train cranes to accept the unnatural stimuli associated with being transported south in cages suspended beneath an airship. All 4 experimental cranes readily acclimated to entering a suspended cage and were trained to accept being jostled while in the cage, even when the cage was transported in the back of a pickup truck. With minor changes...
Authors
D. H. Ellis, Glenn H. Olsen, J. Kwitowski
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government