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
Emerging diseases of avian wildlife
Comparison of fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in hand‐ versus parent‐reared whooping cranes (Grus americana)
Resource selection and wintering phenology of White-winged Scoters in southern New England: Implications for offshore wind energy development
Effects of rearing environment on behavior of captive-reared whooping cranes
Health and disease treatment in captive and reintroduced Whooping Cranes
Annual cycle of White-winged Scoters (Melanitta fusca) in eastern North America: Migratory phenology, population delineation, and connectivity
Evaluating the waterfowl breeding population and habitat survey for scaup
Determining fine-scale use and movement patterns of diving bird species in federal waters of the Mid-Atlantic United States using satellite telemetry
Protocol and results from the first season of captive-rearing whooping cranes for a non-migratory release in Louisiana
Environmental factors influence lesser scaup migration chronology and population monitoring
Conservation of avian species
Photoperiod and nesting phenology of whooping cranes at two captive sites
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 119
Emerging diseases of avian wildlife
Climate change and the interaction with humans and domestic species influences disease in avian wildlife. This article provides updated information on emerging disease conditions such as the spread of an Asian tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, and its associated diseases among migratory birds in the eastern United States; lymphoproliferative disease virus in wild turkeys in the United States; and sAuthorsSusan J Tyson-Pello, Glenn H. OlsenComparison of fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in hand‐ versus parent‐reared whooping cranes (Grus americana)
Endangered whooping cranes (Grus americana ) have been produced in captivity for reintroduction programs since the 1980s, using techniques such as artificial insemination, multiple clutching, and captive‐rearing to speed recovery efforts. Chicks are often hand‐reared (HR) by caretakers in crane costumes, socialized into groups and released together, unlike parent‐reared (PR) cranes that are raisedAuthorsMegan E. Brown, Miranda R. Torkelson, Glenn H. Olsen, Ashley Krisp, Barry K. HartupResource selection and wintering phenology of White-winged Scoters in southern New England: Implications for offshore wind energy development
Southern New England provides key wintering habitat for White-winged Scoters (Melanitta fusca). This area has also pioneered the development of offshore wind energy in North America and the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has established nine Wind Energy Area (WEA) lease blocks along the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf in areas that may provide important staging and wintering habitaAuthorsDustin E. Meattey, Scott R. McWilliams, Peter W.C. Paton, Christine Lepage, Scott G. Gilliland, Lucas Savoy, Glenn H. Olsen, Jason E. OsenkowskiEffects of rearing environment on behavior of captive-reared whooping cranes
Whooping cranes (Grus americana) are 1 of the most endangered bird species in North America. In 1999 the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership was formed to establish a migratory population of whooping cranes in eastern North America. These efforts have been extremely successful in terms of adult survival but reproductive success post-release has been low. One hypothesis developed to explain such lowAuthorsChristy L. Sadowski, Glenn H. Olsen, M. Elsbeth McPheeHealth and disease treatment in captive and reintroduced Whooping Cranes
The principles and applications of medicine in Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) are similar to that for other crane species, though the necessity of managing Whooping Crane health across the captive, reintroduced, and remnant populations poses particular challenges. In this chapter, we review the important aspects of crane medicine relevant to managing Whooping Cranes in captive and reintroduced eAuthorsGlenn H. Olsen, Barry Hartup, Sandie BlackAnnual cycle of White-winged Scoters (Melanitta fusca) in eastern North America: Migratory phenology, population delineation, and connectivity
Understanding full annual cycle movements of long-distance migrants is essential for delineating populations, assessing connectivity, evaluating crossover effects between life stages, and informing management strategies for vulnerable or declining species. We used implanted satellite transmitters to track up to 2 years of annual cycle movements of 52 adult female White-winged Scoters (Melanitta fuAuthorsD.E. Meatey, S.R. McWilliams, P.W.C. Paton, C. Lepage, S.G. Gilliland, L. Savoy, Glenn H. Olsen, J.D. OsenkowskiEvaluating the waterfowl breeding population and habitat survey for scaup
Potential bias in breeding population estimates of certain duck species from the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey (WBPHS) has been a concern for decades. The WBPHS does not differentiate between lesser (Aythya affinis) and greater (A. marila) scaup, but lesser scaup comprise 89% of the combined scaup population and their population estimates are suspected to be biased. We marked feAuthorsMichael L. Schummer, Alan D. Afton, Shannon S. Badzinski, Scott A. Petrie, Glenn H. Olsen, Mark A. MitchellDetermining fine-scale use and movement patterns of diving bird species in federal waters of the Mid-Atlantic United States using satellite telemetry
Offshore wind energy development in the United States is projected to expand in the upcoming decades to meet growing energy demands and reduce fossil fuel emissions. There is particular interest in commercial offshore wind development within Federal waters (i.e., > 3 nautical miles from shore) of the mid-Atlantic. In order to understand the potential for adverse effects on marine birds in this areAuthorsCaleb Spiegel, Alicia Berlin, Andrew Gilbert, Carrie E. Gray, William Montevecchi, Iain Stenhouse, Scott Ford, Glenn H. Olsen, Jonathan Fiely, Lucas Savoy, M. Wing Goodale, Chantelle BurkeProtocol and results from the first season of captive-rearing whooping cranes for a non-migratory release in Louisiana
No abstract availableAuthorsGlenn H. Olsen, Jane N. ChandlerEnvironmental factors influence lesser scaup migration chronology and population monitoring
Identifying environmental metrics specific to lesser scaup (Aythya affinis; scaup) spring migration chronology may help inform development of conservation, management and population monitoring. Our objective was to determine how environmental conditions influence spring migration of lesser scaup to assess the effectiveness of the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey in accurately estimAuthorsTaylor A. Finger, Alan D. Afton, Michael L. Schummer, Scott A. Petrie, Shannon S. Badzinski, Michael A. Johnson, Michael L. Szymanski, Kevin J. Jacobs, Glenn H. Olsen, Mark MitchellConservation of avian species
Health of humans, animals, plants, and ecosystems are intertwined. Disturbance tips the balance in favor of weedy species, vectors, and disease agents. Biodiversity is important to prevent imbalance in nature. However, more scholarship is needed, and there is still much more to study, understand, and manage than we currently know.AuthorsGlenn H. Olsen, Lorenzo Crosta, Brett D. Gartrell, Philip M. Marsh, Cynthia E. StringfieldPhotoperiod and nesting phenology of whooping cranes at two captive sites
Increasing daylight is known to be a breeding stimulus in many avian species breeding in northern latitudes. This is thought to be true for cranes that breed in such latitudes including the Whooping Crane (Grus americana). For this reason, the captive breeding centers use artificial light to lengthen daylight hours, but no study has been done to look at the effect of such lighting on the reproductAuthorsGlenn H. Olsen - Science
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*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