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Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

2005

Sandhill cranes

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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Sandhill Crane Mortality During Fall Migration Stopover In North-Central New Mexico, Fall 2001, William Deragon, Wendy Brown, Gail Garber, Mike Richard Jan 2005

Sandhill Crane Mortality During Fall Migration Stopover In North-Central New Mexico, Fall 2001, William Deragon, Wendy Brown, Gail Garber, Mike Richard

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Seventy-three Rocky Mountain greater sandhill cranes died after being mired in mud at a traditional migration stopover site during a fall migration 2001. Drawdown of the Jemez Canyon Dam reservoir in New Mexico resulted in over 200 acres of deep saturated silt and clay into which sandhill cranes became entrapped. Harassment to discourage birds from landing in the area was implemented immediately and partially successful. Rescue efforts were delayed because of an inability to safely access the cranes in these conditions. After 9 days, the use of a specialized 20-horsepower motor mounted on a small aluminum boat was employed. Seventeen …


Age, Sex, And Aggression In Florida Sandhill Cranes, Stephen A. Nesbitt Jan 2005

Age, Sex, And Aggression In Florida Sandhill Cranes, Stephen A. Nesbitt

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Individually directed aggressive interactions were recorded for sandhill cranes in Florida over a 9-year period. Charges and stabs were the most frequently observed aggressive behaviors. Paired adults initiated most of the encounters. Males directed 67% of aggressive interactions toward other males and 84% of female aggressive interactions were directed toward other females. The sex of initiator was significantly correlated with the sex of the receiver (P = 0.001). Paired adults directed most aggression (64.7%) toward other paired adults. Aggression initiated by subadult cranes was directed toward adults and subadults with equal frequency. The aggressiveness in males as an indicator of …


Response Of Florida Sandhill Cranes To Nest Inspection, Stephen A. Nesbitt, Paul S. Kubilis, Stephen T. Schwikert Jan 2005

Response Of Florida Sandhill Cranes To Nest Inspection, Stephen A. Nesbitt, Paul S. Kubilis, Stephen T. Schwikert

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

We observed the response of nesting Florida sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis pratensis) to 27 instances of nest inspection. The disturbed bird flew from the area 81% and walked 19% of the time. The median distance moved was 330 meters (range 28 to 480 meters). The median length of time the nest was left unattended following inspection was 50 min (range: 10 to 166 min). The median length of time that observers stayed at the nest was 16 min (range: 5 to 48 min). Ten of the nests inspected (40%) eventually failed to produce young. Statistical analysis was focused …


Injuries And Abnormalities Of Sandhill Cranes Captured In Florida, Stephen A. Nesbitt, Marilyn G. Spalding, Stephen T. Schwikert Jan 2005

Injuries And Abnormalities Of Sandhill Cranes Captured In Florida, Stephen A. Nesbitt, Marilyn G. Spalding, Stephen T. Schwikert

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Observations of gross pathological abnormalities were made during handling of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) captured for banding in Florida. One hundred fifty-six of 1,331 (11.7%) cranes examined showed evidence of one or more anomalies that were the result of disease, congenital deformity, or injury. Most frequent were abnormalities of the legs and feet, followed by abnormalities of the bill. Injuries of the eyes, head, and neck were also noted. Many of these birds were observed subsequent to banding and survived for several years with their injuries, though some never succeeded in reproducing.


Sandhill Crane Use Of Managed Chufa Wetlands In New Mexico, John P. Taylor, Loren M. Smith Jan 2005

Sandhill Crane Use Of Managed Chufa Wetlands In New Mexico, John P. Taylor, Loren M. Smith

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Natural wetland food plants help meet energetic requirements for sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis). Chufa (Cyperus esculentus) tubers were found to be a prominent item in the winter diet of cranes in New Mexico and Texas. In 1996 and 1997, chufa production was compared among mowing, discing, and sustained-flooding treatments intended to enhance chufa tuber growth. Sandhill crane numbers were monitored on wetlands during winter flooding to determine treatment preferences. No differences in sandhill crane use of treated wetlands were found in 1996, however in 1997, crane use was higher on disked field than sustained flood fields …