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Time--activity budget studies provide valuable insights for better understanding animal behavior relative to spatial and temporal habitat use. We examined a reintroduced, nonmigratory Whooping Crane (Grus americana) population to determine how time--activity budgets change relative to crane age, sex, habitat type, and season. Our study area encompassed natural marshes and working wetlands primarily in southwestern Louisiana. From June 2012 to January 2016, we conducted continuous focal sampling on individuals (n = 27) from the first 4 captive-reared cohorts released in the state. We classified age groups as juveniles, subadults, and adults, and identified 5 main habitat types utilized by cranes in Louisiana: crawfish ponds, rice fields, agricultural levees/farm roads, fallow fields, and natural wetlands. On average, cranes spent approximately 53% of their diurnal time--activity budget foraging. Maintenance/rest (28%), vigilance (12%.), locomotion (6%), and other/unknown (2%) behaviors accounted for the remainder of the time observed. Foraging most frequently occurred in fallow fields and crawfish ponds where cranes likely encountered greater invertebrate biomass and density. Cranes tended to spend less time foraging and more time on maintenance as they aged, which could indicate age-dependent differences based on experience on the landscape. Vigilance levels were not significantly affected by age. but males tended to be more vigilant than females. As this young population continues to mature, additional study of breeding pairs and family groups may elucidate other behavioral differences in response to the dynamic habitat conditions in the region. Received 30 March 2022. Accepted ti December 2022. Key words: behavior, crawfish pond, foraging, Gruidae, rice field, wetlands. Los estudios dc presupuesto de actividades - tiempo dan un punto de visto valioso para entender el comportamiento animal con respecto al uso espacial y temporal del habitat. Examinamos una poblacion reintroducida no migratoria de grulla Grus americana para determinar como cambia el presupuesto actividad- tiempo segun la edad y sexo de la grulla. el tipo de habitat y la estacion. Nuestro estudio comprende pantanos naturales y humedales activos principalmente en el sudoeste de Louisiana. De junio del 2012 a enero del 2016, hicimos un muestreo focal continue de individuos (n = 27) de las 4 primeras cohortes criadas en cautivcrio liberadas en el estado. Clasificamos los individuos por edad, como juveniles, subadultos y adultos, e identificamos 5 tipos principales de habitat que usaban las grullas en Louisiana: estanques de langostinos, campos de arroz, diques agricolas/caminos agricolas, campos de cultivo en descanso y humedales naturales. En promedio, las grullas gastaron 53% de su presupuesto diario de actividades-tiempo forrajeando. El resto del tiempo observado se repartia entre comportamientos de mantenimiento descanso (28%). vigilancia (12%), locomocion (6%) y otra/desconocido (2%). El forrajeo mas frecuente se observaba en campos de cultivo en descanso y en estanques de langostino donde las grullas posiblemente encontraban mayor densidad y biomasa de invertebrados. Las grullas tendian a pasar menos tiempo forrajeando y mas tiempo en mantenimiento conforme envejecian, lo que podria indiear diferencias dependientes de la edad segun experiencia en el paisaje. Los niveles dc vigilancia no cambiaban significativamente con la edad, pero los machos tendian a ser mas vigilantes que las hembras. Conforme la joven poblacion continua su maduracion, estudios adieionales de parejas reproduetivas y grupos familiares pueden dilucidar otras difereneias conductuales en respuesta a las condiciones dinamicas del habitat de las region. Palabras clave: campo de arroz, comportamiento, estanque de langostinos, forrajeo, Gruidae, humedales., The Whooping Crane (Grits americana), 1 of 2 crane species (Gruidae) endemic to North America, is classified as an endangered species and is therefore considered to be facing a high [...]

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