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
Photoperiod and nesting phenology of whooping cranes at two captive sites
A comparison of auditory brainstem responses across diving bird species
Movement ecology of five Afrotropical waterfowl species from Malawi, Mali and Nigeria
Visual pigments, oil droplets, lens, and cornea characterization in the whooping crane (Grus americana)
Pharmacokinetics of buprenorphine hydrochloride following intramuscular and intravenous administration to American kestrels (Falco sparverius)
Pharmacokinetics of hydromorphone hydrochloride after intravenous and intramuscular administration of a single dose to American kestrels (Falco sparverius)
Chromic and iron oxides as fecal markers to identify individual whooping cranes
Emerging and reemerging diseases of avian wildlife
Evaluation of thermal antinociceptive effects after intramuscular administration of hydromorphone hydrochloride to American kestrels (Falco sparverius)
Sorta situ, the new reality of management conditions for wildlife populations in the absence of "wild" spaces
Clinical pathology results from cranes with experimental West Nile Virus infection
Decision analysis for conservation breeding: Maximizing production for reintroduction of whooping cranes
Science and Products
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Filter Total Items: 119
Photoperiod 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. OlsenA comparison of auditory brainstem responses across diving bird species
There is little biological data available for diving birds because many live in hard-to-study, remote habitats. Only one species of diving bird, the black-footed penguin (Spheniscus demersus), has been studied in respect to auditory capabilities (Wever et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 63:676–680, 1969). We, therefore, measured in-air auditory threshold in ten species of diving birds, using the auditAuthorsSara E. Crowell, Alicia Berlin, Catherine E. Carr, Glenn H. Olsen, Ronald E. Therrien, Sally E. Yannuzzi, Darlene R. KettenMovement ecology of five Afrotropical waterfowl species from Malawi, Mali and Nigeria
Habitat availability for Afrotropical waterbirds is highly dynamic with unpredictable rainfall patterns and ephemeral wetlands resulting in diverse movement strategies among different species. Movement strategies among waterfowl encompass resident, regional and intercontinental migrants, but little quantitative information exists on their specific movement patterns. We studied the movement ecologyAuthorsJohn Y. Takekawa, Shane R. Heath, S. R. L. Iverson, Nicolas Gaidet, Julien Cappelle, Tim Dodman, Ward Hagemeijer, William D. Eldridge, Scott A. Petrie, Gregory S. Yarris, Shiiwua Manu, Glenn H. Olsen, Diann J. Prosser, Kyle A. Spragens, David C. Douglas, Scott H. NewmanVisual pigments, oil droplets, lens, and cornea characterization in the whooping crane (Grus americana)
Vision has been investigated in many species of birds, but few studies have considered the visual systems of large birds and the particular implications of large eyes and long-life spans on visual system capabilities. To address these issues we investigated the visual system of the whooping crane Grus americana (Gruiformes, Gruidae), which is one of only two North American crane species. It is a lAuthorsMegan L. Porter, Alexandra C. N. Kingston, Robert McCready, Evan G. Cameron, Christopher M. Hofmann, Lauren Suarez, Glenn H. Olsen, Thomas W. Cronin, Phyllis R. RobinsonPharmacokinetics of buprenorphine hydrochloride following intramuscular and intravenous administration to American kestrels (Falco sparverius)
Objective—To determine the pharmacokinetics of buprenorphine hydrochloride after IM and IV administration to American kestrels (Falco sparverius). Animals—13 healthy 3-year-old captive-bred American kestrels. Procedures—Buprenorphine hydrochloride (0.6 mg/kg) was administered IM to all birds. Blood samples were collected at 9 times, ranging from 5 minutes to 9 hours after drug administration. PlasAuthorsKate A. Gustavsen, David Sanchez-Migallon Guzman, Heather K. Knych, Olivia A. Petritz, Glenn H. Olsen, Joanne R. Paul-MurphyPharmacokinetics of hydromorphone hydrochloride after intravenous and intramuscular administration of a single dose to American kestrels (Falco sparverius)
Objective—To determine the pharmacokinetics of hydromorphone hydrochloride after IV and IM administration in American kestrels (Falco sparverius). Animals—12 healthy adult American kestrels. Procedures—A single dose of hydromorphone (0.6 mg/kg) was administered IM (pectoral muscles) and IV (right jugular vein); the time between IM and IV administration experiments was 1 month. Blood samples were cAuthorsDavid Sanchez-Migallon Guzman, Butch KuKanich, Tracy L. Drazenovich, Glenn H. Olsen, Joanne R. Paul-MurphyChromic and iron oxides as fecal markers to identify individual whooping cranes
The whooping crane (Grus americana) is listed as endangered under the IUCN Red List, the United States Endangered Species Act, and the Canadian Species at Risk Act (BirdLife International 2012, CWS and USFWS 2007). A major focus of recovery efforts for this endangered species is reintroduction to establish new populations (CWS and USFWS 2007). Captive populations are critical as a source of indiviAuthorsMegan E. Brown, Robert Doyle, Jane N. Chandler, Glenn H. Olsen, John B. French, David E Wildt, Sarah J. Converse, Carol L Keefer, Nucharin SongsasenEmerging and reemerging diseases of avian wildlife
Of the many important avian wildlife diseases, aspergillosis, West Nile virus, avipoxvirus, Wellfleet Bay virus, avian influenza, and inclusion body disease of cranes are covered in this article. Wellfleet Bay virus, first identified in 2010, is considered an emerging disease. Avian influenza and West Nile virus have recently been in the public eye because of their zoonotic potential and links toAuthorsSusan J. Pello, Glenn H. OlsenEvaluation of thermal antinociceptive effects after intramuscular administration of hydromorphone hydrochloride to American kestrels (Falco sparverius)
Objective—To evaluate the antinociceptive and sedative effects and duration of action of hydromorphone hydrochloride after IM administration to American kestrels (Falco sparverius). Animals—11 healthy 2-year-old American kestrels. Procedures—Hydromorphone (0.1, 0.3, and 0.6 mg/kg) and an equivalent volume of saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (control treatment) were administered IM to kestrels in a maskAuthorsDavid Sanchez-Migallon Guzman, Tracy L. Drazenovich, Glenn H. Olsen, Neil H. Willits, Joanne R. Paul-MurphySorta situ, the new reality of management conditions for wildlife populations in the absence of "wild" spaces
No abstract available.AuthorsEvan S. Blumer, Barbara A. Wolfe, Roberto F. Aguilar, A. Alonso Aguirre, Glenn H. OlsenClinical pathology results from cranes with experimental West Nile Virus infection
Sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) were vaccinated for and then challenged with West Nile virus. Resulting titers demonstrated protection in the vaccinated-challenged cranes as compared to the unvaccinated-challenged cranes. Clinical pathology results showed challenged cranes, whether vaccinated or not, had a decrease in their hematocrits and an elevation of 2.5-fold in their white blood cell countAuthorsGlenn H. OlsenDecision analysis for conservation breeding: Maximizing production for reintroduction of whooping cranes
Captive breeding is key to management of severely endangered species, but maximizing captive production can be challenging because of poor knowledge of species breeding biology and the complexity of evaluating different management options. In the face of uncertainty and complexity, decision-analytic approaches can be used to identify optimal management options for maximizing captive production. BuAuthorsDes H.V. Smith, Sarah J. Converse, Keith Gibson, Axel Moehrenschlager, William A. Link, Glenn H. Olsen, Kelly Maguire - 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