Biodiversity Commons^™

Use Of Wading Birds As Indicators Of Potential Whooping Crane Wintering Habitat, Dawn A. Sherry, Felipe Chavez-Ramirez

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

A search for suitable wintering sites on which to establish another migratory population of whooping crane (Grus americana) has been conducted and will continue. In addition to an evaluation of food availability for whooping cranes, wading birds that overlap highly in patterns of habitat utilization with whooping cranes may be useful as indirect indicators of suitable whooping crane habitat. We determined the extent to which several species of wading birds overlap in patterns of habitat utilization with whooping cranes on their current wintering grounds. We conducted aerial surveys of whooping cranes and wading birds at Aransas and Matagorda …