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Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Whooping Crane Response To Disturbances At The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Thomas E. Lewis, R. Douglas Slack Jan 1992

Whooping Crane Response To Disturbances At The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Thomas E. Lewis, R. Douglas Slack

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Many forms of disturbance on and near the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge cause disruptions to wintering whooping cranes (Grus americana). Known forms of disturbance include various boating, aircraft, and automobile traffic. Natural disturbance from other wildlife also occurs. Behavioral observations and disturbance documentation have shown that Whooping cranes respond differently to various disturbances. Although airplane overflights, recreational boating, barge traffic. and workboat activity represent the most frequent disturbances to whooping cranes (22, 19, 14, and 13 %, respectively, of total disturbances), it appears that frequency of occurrence is less important than the disturbance class and distance from the …


Using National Wetlands Inventory Maps To Quantify Whooping Crane Stopover Habitat In Oklahoma, Dale W. Stahlecker Jan 1992

Using National Wetlands Inventory Maps To Quantify Whooping Crane Stopover Habitat In Oklahoma, Dale W. Stahlecker

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Three stratified random samples of the 416 National Wetland Inventory (NWI) maps within the western Oklahoma portion of the Wood Buffalo-Aransas whooping crane (Grus americana) migration corridor were used to evaluate the availability of wetland roost sites. Wetlands were eliminated as potential roosts if visibility was obscured by vegetation or slope, or if certain human activities occurred within 100-800 m. Thirty percent of all wetlands >0.04 ha passed map review, but only 7% passed when ground truthed. NWI map review was a poor predictor of suitability (33 % correct) but a good predictor of unsuitability (97 % correct). …


Behavior Of Whooping Cranes During Initiation Of Migration, Thomas V. Stehn Jan 1992

Behavior Of Whooping Cranes During Initiation Of Migration, Thomas V. Stehn

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Whooping cranes (Grus americana) observed immediately before the initiation of migratory flights exhibited increased alertness, wing ruffling, and head tilting. Seven observations at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Texas, indicate that the departure of 1 group of whooping cranes may influence other nearby cranes to start migration, even though later departing groups may fly separately.


Unusual Movements And Behaviors Of Color-Banded Whooping Cranes During Winter, Thomas V. Stehn Jan 1992

Unusual Movements And Behaviors Of Color-Banded Whooping Cranes During Winter, Thomas V. Stehn

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Color-banding of whooping cranes (Grus americana) has allowed individual recognition of >45% of the population between 1985 and 1990 and has provided the opportunity to monitor individual movements and behaviors. Unusual occurrences have included: 5 whooping crane juveniles that separated from their parents prior to reaching the wintering grounds, a sandhill crane (G. canadensis) juvenile wintering with a whooping crane pair, whooping cranes that oversummered at Aransas, a widowed crane that paired with a new mate within 48 hours, 2 cranes that did not reach the wintering grounds until 3 years of age, a known nesting …