Dr. Glenn Olsen is performing surgery on a female Common Eider to implant a small satellite tracking device in the duck. The surgery is done under sterile conditions and general anesthetic.
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
Science and Products
Whooping Crane Restoration
At more than five feet tall with brilliant white plumage, black primary feathers, a red cap, and yellow eyes, the highly endangered Whooping Crane ( Grus americana ) is one of the most spectacular birds native to North America. In 1942 there were fewer than 20 birds in the flock that migrates from Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas. An additional six...
A Vaccination Program to Protect Endangered Whooping Cranes from Encephalitis Virus
The Challenge: In eastern North America there is a viral disease called Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or EEE. This virus is transmitted among native bird species by the mosquito, Culiseta melanura, but does not cause disease in these passerine species. However, the virus is capable of causing severe disease or death in horses, some game bird species, humans and whooping cranes. In the fall of 1984...
The Release of Parent-reared Whooping Crane Colts into the Eastern Migratory Population
The Challenge: Whooping cranes have been successfully introduced using costume rearing techniques in either a direct autumn release or in an ultralight led migration from Wisconsin to Florida. In Florida, we have also released parent-reared whooping cranes. Not much is known about the learning that takes place in this K-selected species over the almost one year that the young whooping crane colt...
Migration and Habitat Use by Seabirds in the Atlantic Flyway: Evaluation of Potential Impacts of Proposed Wind Farms
Overall, this study tracked movements of over 400 individuals of three species over the course of five years; one of the most comprehensive satellite tracking studies of marine birds ever conducted in Atlantic North America. Results provide a better understanding of how diving birds use offshore areas of the mid-Atlantic U.S. and beyond, and, in combination with results from other types of...
Effects of Dorsally Mounted Solar-powered Cellular GPS Transmitters on Diving and Foraging in Surf Scoters and Red-throated Loons
Several types of experimental attachment techniques were tested on each study species (Surf Scoters ( Melanitta perspicillata ), Red-throated Loon ( Gavia stellata ), and Northern Gannet ( Morus bassanus )), including traditional Teflon-ribbon style harnesses, sutures, and harnesses made of silicone moulding. Silicone harnesses, which were deployed in 2014 and 2015, offered the best balance...
In-Air and Underwater Hearing Abilities of Seabirds
As diving foragers, sea ducks are vulnerable to underwater anthropogenic activities, including naval sonar activity and gillnet fisheries. Bycatch in gillnets is a principle driver of mortality for sea ducks, killing hundreds of thousands of seabirds annually. To reduce gillnet bycatch, underwater hearing tests were conducted on affected sea duck species to assist with possible development of...
Common Eider implant surgery in Maine
Dr. Glenn Olsen is performing surgery on a female Common Eider to implant a small satellite tracking device in the duck. The surgery is done under sterile conditions and general anesthetic.
Ring-necked Duck photo by Glenn H. Olsen
Male adult Ring-necked Duck part of a multi-state, multi-year research project looking at migration routes and breeding area for Ring-necked Ducks that winter on freshwater wetlands in the southeastern US.
Male adult Ring-necked Duck part of a multi-state, multi-year research project looking at migration routes and breeding area for Ring-necked Ducks that winter on freshwater wetlands in the southeastern US.
Whoopers Released
A Whooping crane chick is released into a temporary pen to acclimate before being released into the wild. Four of the endangered chicks, hatched and raised by their parents at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland, were released on Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin.
A Whooping crane chick is released into a temporary pen to acclimate before being released into the wild. Four of the endangered chicks, hatched and raised by their parents at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland, were released on Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin.
Science and Products
Whooping Crane Restoration
At more than five feet tall with brilliant white plumage, black primary feathers, a red cap, and yellow eyes, the highly endangered Whooping Crane ( Grus americana ) is one of the most spectacular birds native to North America. In 1942 there were fewer than 20 birds in the flock that migrates from Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas. An additional six...
A Vaccination Program to Protect Endangered Whooping Cranes from Encephalitis Virus
The Challenge: In eastern North America there is a viral disease called Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or EEE. This virus is transmitted among native bird species by the mosquito, Culiseta melanura, but does not cause disease in these passerine species. However, the virus is capable of causing severe disease or death in horses, some game bird species, humans and whooping cranes. In the fall of 1984...
The Release of Parent-reared Whooping Crane Colts into the Eastern Migratory Population
The Challenge: Whooping cranes have been successfully introduced using costume rearing techniques in either a direct autumn release or in an ultralight led migration from Wisconsin to Florida. In Florida, we have also released parent-reared whooping cranes. Not much is known about the learning that takes place in this K-selected species over the almost one year that the young whooping crane colt...
Migration and Habitat Use by Seabirds in the Atlantic Flyway: Evaluation of Potential Impacts of Proposed Wind Farms
Overall, this study tracked movements of over 400 individuals of three species over the course of five years; one of the most comprehensive satellite tracking studies of marine birds ever conducted in Atlantic North America. Results provide a better understanding of how diving birds use offshore areas of the mid-Atlantic U.S. and beyond, and, in combination with results from other types of...
Effects of Dorsally Mounted Solar-powered Cellular GPS Transmitters on Diving and Foraging in Surf Scoters and Red-throated Loons
Several types of experimental attachment techniques were tested on each study species (Surf Scoters ( Melanitta perspicillata ), Red-throated Loon ( Gavia stellata ), and Northern Gannet ( Morus bassanus )), including traditional Teflon-ribbon style harnesses, sutures, and harnesses made of silicone moulding. Silicone harnesses, which were deployed in 2014 and 2015, offered the best balance...
In-Air and Underwater Hearing Abilities of Seabirds
As diving foragers, sea ducks are vulnerable to underwater anthropogenic activities, including naval sonar activity and gillnet fisheries. Bycatch in gillnets is a principle driver of mortality for sea ducks, killing hundreds of thousands of seabirds annually. To reduce gillnet bycatch, underwater hearing tests were conducted on affected sea duck species to assist with possible development of...
Common Eider implant surgery in Maine
Dr. Glenn Olsen is performing surgery on a female Common Eider to implant a small satellite tracking device in the duck. The surgery is done under sterile conditions and general anesthetic.
Dr. Glenn Olsen is performing surgery on a female Common Eider to implant a small satellite tracking device in the duck. The surgery is done under sterile conditions and general anesthetic.
Ring-necked Duck photo by Glenn H. Olsen
Male adult Ring-necked Duck part of a multi-state, multi-year research project looking at migration routes and breeding area for Ring-necked Ducks that winter on freshwater wetlands in the southeastern US.
Male adult Ring-necked Duck part of a multi-state, multi-year research project looking at migration routes and breeding area for Ring-necked Ducks that winter on freshwater wetlands in the southeastern US.
Whoopers Released
A Whooping crane chick is released into a temporary pen to acclimate before being released into the wild. Four of the endangered chicks, hatched and raised by their parents at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland, were released on Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin.
A Whooping crane chick is released into a temporary pen to acclimate before being released into the wild. Four of the endangered chicks, hatched and raised by their parents at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland, were released on Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin.
*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