Cranes of the World: 5. Comparative Reproductive Biology

The reproductive biologies of cranes are surprisingly similar. All crane species are strictly monogamous, have long pair bonds and a prolonged period of juvenile dependency, and are highly territorial during the breeding season. All cranes also have an extremely limited reproductive potential, resulting from their deferred sexual maturity, low clutch size, and limited renesting tendencies following the loss of a clutch or hatched young