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Full-Text Articles in Population Biology
The Utility Of Census Or Survey For Monitoring Whooping Cranes In Winter, Bruce H. Pugesek, Thomas V. Stehn
The Utility Of Census Or Survey For Monitoring Whooping Cranes In Winter, Bruce H. Pugesek, Thomas V. Stehn
Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop
We discuss recent changes in the monitoring program for endangered whooping cranes (Grus americana) on their winter habitat in Texas. A 61-year annual census was replaced in the winter of 2011-2012 with a distance sampling procedure. Justification for the change was, in part, based on criticism of the previous methods of counting cranes and the assessment of crane mortality on the wintering grounds. We argue here that the arguments, methods, and analyses employed to discount the census procedure and mortality estimates were applied incorrectly or with flawed logic and assertions. We provide analysis and logical arguments to show …