Cage for cranes too big a strain?

One 1,800-square-foot wood-and-steel crane cage with double-gated entry and nesting shelter -- $86,977.

One 2,000-gallon, clay-lined pool with solar-powered re-circulation pump -- $14,103.

Giving sandhill cranes a natural habitat to thrive in -- priceless.

Or, maybe not.

DuPage County Forest Preserve District commissioners delayed Tuesday spending $101,080 for an expansive cage complete with pond for two sandhill cranes.

The distinctive birds with red markings on their foreheads and a wingspan of up to 7 feet come from the estate of Brooks McCormick.

The Warrenville-area philanthropist's St. James Farm property became forest preserve land after his death last year. As part of the estate, the district also acquired the male and female cranes, a threatened species in Illinois.

The water fowl currently live in a "fairly dilapidated" cage at the farm, and district planners recommend moving the pair to Willowbrook Wildlife Center in Glen Ellyn.

The new habitat with a height of 9 feet 9 inches "puts them in a natural setting," Planning Director Andrea Hoyt said.

Willowbrook is an educational center that offers shelter and rehab for injured wildlife.

Moving the cranes there "is a huge opportunity for education with schools. Kids could see a sandhill crane close up," Hoyt said.

Several commissioners wanted more information, including how long the cranes might live and their breeding chances.

"I have concerns about spending $101,000 on something that could become temporary rather than permanent," Commissioner Michael Formento said.

The female crane is 20 years old and the male is 10. The species can live longer than 30 years. The pair has produced offspring.

District staff said the birds could be used as foster parents to whooping crane young and that the International Crane Foundation also looked for safe havens for injured cranes.

"They'll always be birds that need a home," Willowbrook Curator Sandy Fejt said.

Commissioner Roger Kotecki said the plan had merit, but he also was concerned about the cost. He suggested appealing to the Willowbrook Wildlife Foundation, the center's fund-raising organization, for donations.

"This is the kind of project that could get people excited about contributing to the forest preserve," he said.