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Whooping Cranes Breeding At White Lake, Louisiana, 1939: Observations By John J. Lynch, U. S. Bureau Of Biological Survey, Roderick C. Drewien, John Tautin, Mary Lynch Courville, Gay M. Gomez

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

On 15 May 1939, Jo1m J. Lynch of the U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey located l3 whooping cranes (Grus americana), including 2 prefledged young, during an aerial survey near White Lake in southwestern Louisiana. His observation was the last historic record of whooping cranes breeding in the wild in the United States, and it confinned the presence of a nonmigratory breeding population along the Gulf Coast. While reviewing old U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service files at the National Archives in 1999, we located Lynch's original 1939 field note, 2 letters, 5 photographs, and a draft manuscript describing the …

Results Of The Utah–Arizona Stage-By-Stage Migrations, David H. Ellis, Carolee Mellon, Matthew Kinloch, Tressa Dolbeare, Damien P. Ossi

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

In an effort to find a safer means of teaching cranes new migration routes, each year (in 1998 and 1999) we transported a group of greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) stage-by-stage, in a horse trailer, with stops for brief flights at about 30-km intervals, along a 1300-1400-km fall migration route from Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge (Fish Springs) in west-central Utah to the vicinity of Gila Bend, Arizona. Thereafter, we released them into a wild flock of sandhill cranes. All stage-by-stage birds were hand-reared with both a plastic crane decoy (to encourage them to roost in water) …

Using Ivermectin To Increase Survival Of Sandhill Crane Colts At Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon, Gary L. Ivey, Caroline P. Herziger

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Parasitic gapeworms (Cyathostoma sp.) caused 5.6% of mortalities of219 radiomarked greater sandhill crane (Grus canadensis tabida) colts at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Oregon from 1991-98. From 1993-98 we tested the efficacy of ivennectin, an antihelmenthic drug, as a means of increasing colt survival by reducing gapewonn infestations. We selected pairs of siblings for the study, injecting 1 colt with ivennectin and not the other. We found significantly shorter survival times for untreated birds compared to those treated with ivennectin (P = 0.06). We conclude that in areas with gapewonn infestations in young cranes, the …

Proceedings Of The Eighth North American Crane Workshop, 11–14 January 2000, Preface And Contents

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

This volume includes reports from the January 2000 conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2 papers not included in the previous proceedings, and a small number of invited papers intended to broaden the scope of the volume and to replace the few papers presented at the conference but withdrawn from publication. In serving as Editor, I wish, first of all, to express thanks to the many authors, reviewers, and associate editors, and to Gary Lingle who hosted the conference and was the intended Chief Editor: Gary underwent an employment change early in 2001 and so passed the task to me. I …

Increased Egg Conservation: Is It Essential For Recovery Of Whooping Cranes In The Aransas/Wood Buffalo Population?, James C. Lewis

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The whooping crane (Grus americana) is in a race for survival against adversities (genetic, demographic, and environmental) that are only partially understood. There is increasing evidence of genetic problems (drift, inbreeding, and loss of heterozygosity) in the captive population that likely also exist in the wild Aransas-Wood Buffalo Population (A WP), a consequence of the 1940s population bottleneck. Small populations are vulnerable to extinction through catastrophic events and random changes in productivity or survival. Negative environmental effects faced by whooping cranes include upstream diversion which diminish freshwater (nutrient) inflow into Texas wintering habitats, and expanding human activities along …

Continuing Studies Of Ultralight Aircraft Applications For Introducing Migratory Populations Of Endangered Cranes, Kent R. Clegg, James C. Lewis

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

This research tested whether captive-reared cranes led by an ultralight aircraft (UL) along a migration route, would, after release on a wintering area, integrate with wild cranes and migrate in spring to their natal area without human assistance. This was the historical first motorized migration involving an endangered species. In 1997, whooping cranes (Grus americana) and greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) were group-reared in species-specific pens and 80% fledged. Beginning 13 October, 4 whooping cranes and 8 sandhill cranes were led along a 1, 133-km migration route from Grace, Idaho, to Bosque del Apache National …

Promoting Wildness In Sandhill Cranes Conditioned To Follow An Ultralight Aircraft, Joseph W. Duff, William A. Lishman, Dewitt A. Clark, George F. Gee, Daniel T. Sprague, David H. Ellis

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

During the 1998 field season, we developed and tested a new protocol to teach sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) to follow ultralight aircraft yet avoid humans. Although successful in teaching the cranes a migration route, our previous migration (1997) resulted in birds that were overly tame and sought association with humans. For this study, 16 sandhill cranes were costume-reared at USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and transported to Ontario shortly before fledging. After the birds learned to follow the aircraft, 14 were transported to an isolated wintering site in South Carolina, 1300 km south of the training area. Twelve …

Use Of Satellite Telemetry To Identify Temporal And Spatial Distribution Of The Midcontinent Sandhill Crane Population Throughout The Annual Cycle, Gary L. Krapu, David A. Brandt

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Effective management of the midcontinent sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) population requires having detailed information available on the distribution of subspecies and subpopulations throughout the annual cycle. The current study is being undertaken in partnership with several federal and state agencies and private organizations to obtain key information not currently available. We are monitoring crane movements throughout the year by attaching Platform Transmitting Terminals (PTTs) to plastic leg bands and with the aid of equipment on board orbiting NOAA weather satellites relocating the radiomarked individuals at 4-10 day intervals throughout the year. Twenty-one cranes were captured and radio-marked in …

Water Conditioning And Whooping Crane Survival After Release In Florida, George F. Gee, Jane M. Nicolich, Stephen A. Nesbitt, Jeff S. Hatfield, David H. Ellis, Glenn H. Olsen

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

About 50% of the whooping cranes (Grus americana) released in Florida die within the first year of release. Most of these deaths and those in subsequent years result from bobcat (Lynx rufus) predation. Choosing release sites in open marshes away from bobcat habitat has improved survival. We hypothesized that exposure to ponds (water conditioning) at the rearing site would encourage birds to roost in deeper water marshes after release and such exposure would thereby reduce bobcat predation. In this study, we moved young birds (ca 50 days of age) to netted pens with large (I5-m diameter), deep (30--60 …

Mortality Of Whooping Crane Colts In Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada, 1997–99, Douglas G. Bergeson, Brian W. Johns, Geoffrey L. Holroyd

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Twenty-two whooping crane (Grus americana) pairs with 2 young were monitored in Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP) over 3 years to determine causes of colt mortality. The family groups were monitored from the ground, air, and with the aid ofradioteiemetry. We attached transmitters to 18 colts: 5 (28%) fledged, 5 (28%) succumbed to cumulative effects (head trauma, stress, exposure and/or infection), 4 (22%) were lost to unknown causes (3 of these went missing after they had lost their transmitters), 2 (11%) were taken by foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 1 (5.5%) was lost to raven (Corvus corax …

Egg Collection And Recruitment Of Young Of The Year In The Aransas/Wood Buffalo Population Of Whooping Cranes, John R. Cannon, Brian W. Johns, Thomas V. Stehn

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

We present data for 61 years (1938 to 1998) on the recruitment of juvenile (i.e., young-of-the-year) whooping cranes (Grus americana) for the 1 natural wild population that nests in the vicinity of Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP) in Canada and migrates annually to wintering grounds in the vicinity of Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) on the Gulf coast of Texas in the United States. We divide these years into 2 data sets: years during which 1 of 2 eggs was collected from WBNP nests (to develop captive populations and to conduct reintroduction experiments), and years during which no …

Status Of Sandhill Cranes In Indiana, John S. Castrale, James Bergens

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Historically, the sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) was considered a common migrant throughout Indiana and a locally abundant breeding bird in northwestern Indiana until 1929. Most of the Eastern Population of greater sandhill cranes (G. c. tabida) is thought to congregate each fall at Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area before migrating to Florida and Georgia. Systematic weekly fall counts began in 1967 and annual peak numbers have increased from 2,500 in 1967 to 27,600 in 1997, with a record count of 32,600 in 1991. Fall migrants are noticeable by late September, peak in mid-October through mid-November, and …

Tracking Sandhill Crane Migration From Saskatchewan To The Gulf Coast, Dale G. Hjertaas, David H. Ellis, Brian W. Johns, Stacie L. Moon

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Four adult sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis rowani) were captured in east-central Saskatchewan, equipped with transmitters, and tracked by satellite to detennine if their migration routes and wintering areas would allow their use as guide birds to establish a new migratory flock of whooping cranes (G. americana). Two birds captured near Yorkton died or their transmitters were lost before migration. Two adults from the Overflowing River moved to staging areas in southern Saskatchewan in September. By 29 September, Crane A left Saskatchewan and moved to North Dakota where it remained until late October. By 21 December, it …

Fish & Wildlife News: January/February/March 2001

Fish and Wildlife News

Contents:
Norton Takes the Interior Helm 2
Experts Recommend Hatchery Changes 3
Landowners Take Charge to Save Wetlands 6
A Great Experiment at Aransas NWR 8
Anchors Aweigh: The Navy Helps Out 9
Lead Shot Ban Proven Good for Birds 11
A New Cup of Coffee at DOI 13
Pelican Island: Preserving a Legacy 14
Realizing a Decade-Old Dream 16
Jones Looks at Challenges Ahead 17
The First Name on “the Wall” 30
Fish and Wildlife...In Brief 35

Observations On Small Mammals Recovered From Owl Pellets From Nebraska, Jeffrey J. Huebschman, Patricia W. Freeman, Hugh H. Genoways, Jospeh A. Gubanyi

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Mammalian remains from owl pellet material collected in 24 Nebraska counties were examined, A total of 1262 individual mammals was identified from all owl pellet material and included 19 identifiable species and 21 total genera. The most commonly consumed prey by owls across the state were Microtus (41 % of identifiable prey material), followed by Peromyscus (18%), and Reithrodontomys (11%). Significant locality information for the northern grasshopper mouse (Onychomys leucogaster), the southern bog lemming (Synaptomys cooperi), and the meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) are reported

Fate Of The Survivors Of The 1995 And 1996 Arizona Trucking Migrations Of Costume-Reared Greater Sandhill Cranes, Daniel P. Mummert, David H. Ellis, Carol L. Chambers

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

In 1995 and 1996, we trained 2 groups of costume-reared greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) (10 in 1995, 14 in 1996) to follow a truck. Thereafter we led 10 in 1995 and 12 in 1996 from Garland Prairie, northern Arizona, to the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, southern Arizona (ca. 620 km). These techniques were being developed to create additional, disjunct populations of the whooping crane (G. americana). The cranes taught the migration route in 1995 did not follow the desired migration route in 1996 but did travel north 140 km along the route in …

Results Of The First Ultralight-Led Sandhill Crane Migration In Eastern North America, Joseph W. Duff, William A. Lishman, Dewitt A. Clark, George F. Gee, David H. Ellis

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

In 1997, we led 8 sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) south from Ontario, Canada by ultralight aircraft to a wintering area near Warrenton, Virginia, an area without a wild population. Six others were transported south in a trailer in hopes they would return north with those that flew. The migration was 863 kIn long, included 14 stops, and took 21 days to complete. A1l13 SUIViving birds were wintered together. In March 1998, the surviving 7 "aircraft-led" birds departed the wintering site. The following day, 6 of the 7 were reported on the south shore of Lake Ontario. The flock …

Yellow Jackets (Vespula Spp.) Disperse Trillium (Spp.) Seeds In Eastern North America, Jennifer A. Zettler, Timonthy P. Spira, Craig R. Allen

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Approximately 70 plant families worldwide have ant-dispersed seeds (myrmecochory). In this putative ant-plant mutualism, ants are attracted to and disperse seeds that have a lipid-rich elaiosome. We observed yellow jackets (Vespula spp.) dispersing seeds of three elaiosome-bearing species-Trillium cuneatum, T. undulatum and T catesbaei-in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and South Carolina. Moreover, we estimated the mean distance yellow jackets dispersed seeds of T. cuneatum by placing intact fruits on index cards and recovering dispersed seeds on sheets placed on the ground surface. Of the seeds presented, 41% were recovered and the average dispersal distance …

Animal Science Alumni Newsletter, Winter 2001

Department of Animal Science: Departmental News

Contents:

From the Department Head’s Desk
Faculty Resignation
New Faculty
Faculty Recognition
Graduate Program
Research News
Block and Bridle Honoree of the Year

Do Naked Goby (Gobiosoma Bosci) Larvae Exhibit Periodic Vertical Movements In Order To Facilitate Upriver Migration In The Hudson River Estuary?, Megan C. Fencil, Eric T. Schultz

EEB Articles

Estuaries provide high quality nursery habitat for larval fishes due to high productivity, predator protection, and warm temperatures. Previous studies suggest that larval naked gobies (Gobiosoma bosci) are capable of upriver migration and estuarine retention despite net seaward flow. Gobiosoma bosci larvae were collected at a fixed site in the Hudson River estuary in late July of 1998 from 4 discrete depths to provide a time-series of depth-stratified abundance during both a spring and a neap tide. Larvae were concentrated at depth, indicating that depth preference behavior is present and will likely contribute to up-river transport. Harmonic regression …

2001 Beef Cattle Report

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Contents

Cow/Calf
A Comparison of Beef Cattle Crossbreeding Systems Assuming Value-Based Marketing
June versus March Calving for the Nebraska Sandhills: Production Traits
June versus March Calving for the Nebraska Sandhills: Economic Comparisons
June versus March Calving for the Nebraska Sandhills: Economic Risk Analysis
Protein Supplements and Performance of Cows and Calves in June-Calving Production Systems
Performance and Economics of Winter Supplementing Pregnant Heifers Based on the Metabolizable Protein System
Forage Intake and Nutrient Balance of Heifers Grazing Sandhills Winter Range
Summer Grazing and Fall Grazing Pressure Effects on Protein Content and Digestibility of Fall Range Diets
Annual Forage Production and …

Composting Of Feedlot And Dairy Manure: Compost Characteristics And Impact On Crop Yields, Galen E. Erickson, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Walker Luedtke, Mark Schroeder, Charles A. Francis, Gary Lesoing

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Since 1993, approximately 17,600 tons of beef feedlot and dairy compost have been spread on 1,100 acres. Crop yields were measured to determine the impact of a one-time compost application by using no-compost check strips in large-scale production fields. Adding compost to irrigated corn, irrigated soybeans, and dryland corn acres significantly increased yields, with four-year average increases of 2.3, 1.5, and 2.7%, respectively. For all crops measured, the response to compost was greatest the first year following application and declined linearly in subsequent years. The increased yield from compost application offsets spreading costs using average prices for crops.

Forage Intake And Nutrient Balance Of Heifers Grazing Sandhills Winter Range, Trey Patterson, Don C. Adams, Terry J. Klopfenstein

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Two experiments with pregnant heifers grazing winter range investigated effects of supplementation to meet metabolizable protein versus CP requirements. Supplements were fed from October to February, and hay was fed in January and February of the second experiment. Supplementation to meet metabolizable protein requirements decreased weight loss in one experiment. Winter hay feeding reduced weight loss and body condition loss compared to no hay feeding. Forage intake declined from 2.1% of body weight in November to 1.3% in February. Metabolizable protein was deficient when animals were supplemented to meet CP requirements. Supplementation to meet metabolizable protein requirements may improve performance …

A Comparison Of Beef Cattle Crossbreeding Systems Assuming Value-Based Marketing, U. Jon Tomsen, D. Kirk Darnell, Merlyn K. Nielsen

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

This study simulated total life-cycle expenses and income under value-based marketing to arrive at predicted net returns for crossbreeding systems. The simulation used a deterministic model of totally contained beef breeding systems and evaluated 14 breeds and their crosses from biological data collected at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Nebraska. Comparing beef cattle crossbreeding systems under value-based marketing will aid us in understanding the interactions of the total system. Besides value of carcasses, feed requirements, level of milk production and other characteristics are important in determining net returns.

Effects Of Hydroperiod On Metamorphosis In Rana Sphenocephala, Travis J. Ryan, Christopher T. Winne

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Hydroperiod, the time a temporary pond holds water, is an important factor influencing recruitment in amphibian populations and structuring amphibian communities. We conducted an experiment to test the effect of hydroperiod on metamorphic traits of the southern leopard frog (Rana sphenocephala), a common amphibian in the southeastern United States. We reared larval R. sphenocephala in artificial ponds at a density of 32 larvae per tank (initial volume = approximately 650 liter). We dried the tanks according to natural patterns, using three different hydroperiods (60, 75 and 90 d). Experimental hydroperiods had a significant effect on the number of …

Estimating Forage Protein Degradation In The Rumen, Terry J. Klopfenstein, R. A. Mass, K. W. Creighton, H. H. Patterson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Forage proteins are degraded rapidly by rumen microorganisms and therefore supply relatively small quantities of undegraded intake protein (UIP). Growing cattle with high metabolizable protein requirements and lactating beef and dairy cows respond to UIP supplementation when fed high-forage diets, even though degradable intake protein (DIP) is adequate. This observation suggests that an accurate estimate of forage UIP is needed to establish optimal supplementation conditions. Microbial protein must be quantitated in duodenal or in situ residue samples to accurately measure forage UIP. Purines commonly are used as a microbial protein marker. Recent reports suggested that the original purine procedure generates …

Summer Grazing And Fall Grazing Pressure Effects On Protein Content And Digestibility Of Fall Range Diets, Trey Patterson, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Don C. Adams, Walter H. Schacht, Patrick E. Reece, Jacqueline A. Musgrave, Amy Herron

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

In 1997 and in 1998, four blocks of Sandhills range were used to examine summer grazing time and fall grazing pressure effects on fall diet quality. Three pastures within each block were grazed in June, July, or deferred from summer grazing each year. Multiple grazing pressures were created by grazing cows at various stocking rates in the fall. Diets were collected by esophageally fistulated cows. In 1997, diet protein and digestibility declined with increasing grazing pressure. In 1998, there were no effects of grazing pressure on fall diet protein or digestibility. July grazing reduced fall diet protein compared to June …

"Vertebrate Pests Of Agriculture, Forestry And Public Lands" 2001 Annual Meeting

Western Region Coordinating Committee for Vertebrate Pests of Agriculture, Forestry, and Public Lands (WCC-95)

Table of Contents

2001 Officers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Minutes ................................................................ 2

Number and Title of the Regional Project ................................ 2

Location and Dates of the Meeting ................................... 2

Participants ................ , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . …

Boletín De El Iucn/Birdlife/Wpa Grupo De Especialistas En Crácidos 12-16 (2001-2003), Iucn, Birdlife International, Wpa Cracid Specialist Group

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

Volume 12 (March 2001)

Recientes registros de crácidos de Tikal, Petén, Guatemala, con notas sobre su conservacion, Thomas M. Donegan

Recent records of cracids from Tikal, Petèn, Guatemala, with notes on their conservation, Thomas M. Donegan

El muitú (Crax fasciolata) como emblema de una actividad de ecoturismo en el norte Argentino, Emilio E. White

O mutum-penacho (Crax fasciolata) como símbolo de uma atividade de ecoturismo no norte da Argentina, Emilio E. White

The bare-faced curassow (Crax fasciolata) as an emblem of ecotourism activity in northern Argentina, Emilio E. White

Grants, Research opportunities, Interested in signing up? …

Effects Of Epilimnetic Versus Metalimnetic Fertilization On The Phytoplankton And Periphyton Of A Mountain Lake With A Deep Chlorophyll Maxima, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh, H. P. Gross, Phaedra E. Budy, Chris Luecke

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Nutrients can load directly to either the epilimnion or metalimnion of lakes via either differential inflow depths of tributaries or intentional fertilization of discrete strata. We evaluated the differential effects of epilimnetic versus metalimnetic nutrient loading using 17-m-deep mesocosms that extended into the deep chlorophyll layer of oligotrophic Pettit Lake in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho. Addition of nitrogen plus phosphorus stimulated primary production nearly identically (2.4- to 4-fold on different dates) in both treatments, with the production peaks occurring in the strata where nutrients were added. The metalimnetic fertilization, however, resulted in equal or greater stimulation of chlorophyll a …