Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons^™

Use Of Clap Traps In Capturing Nonmigratory Whooping Cranes In Florida, Jeannette M. Parker, Martin J. Folk, Stephen B. Baynes, Kristen L. Candelora

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Between March 2001 and April 2005 we captured 28 nonmigratory Florida whooping cranes (Grus americana) with clap traps. Out of the 6 different capture methods we employed, the clap trap accounted for 42% of our birds captured. Its ability to safely capture one crane or multiple cranes simultaneously, flexibility in size and placement, and low cost make it an important tool to facilitate transmitter replacements and health checks among the experimental Florida whooping crane population.

A Low Intensity Sampling Method For Assessing Blue Crab Abundance At Aransas National Wildlife Refuge And Preliminary Results On The Relationship Of Blue Crab Abundance To Whooping Crane Winter Mortality, Bruce H. Pugesek, Michael J. Baldwin, Thomas V. Stehn

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

We sampled blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) in marshes on the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Texas from 1997 to 2005 to determine whether whooping crane (Grus americana) mortality was related to the availability of this food source. For four years, 1997 - 2001, we sampled monthly from the fall through the spring. From these data, we developed a reduced sampling effort method that adequately characterized crab abundance and reduced the potential for disturbance to the cranes. Four additional years of data were collected with the reduced sampling effort methods. Yearly variation in crab numbers was high, ranging …

Whooping Crane Collisions With Power Lines: An Issue Paper, Thomas V. Stehn, Tom Wassenich

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Collision with power lines is the greatest source of mortality for fledged whooping cranes (Grus americana) in the Aransas-Wood Buffalo population (AWBP) that migrate between the Northwest Territories, Canada to the Texas coast. This paper compiles 45 documented whooping crane mortalities from power line strikes in North America and provides known information on crane / power line interactions. A map of the AWBP whooping crane migration corridor was derived with 100 and 200-mile wide corridors delineated showing the location of known mortalities. Recommendations are provided to try to reduce this major threat facing whooping cranes.

A Year-Long Study Of Food Consumption By Captive Whooping Cranes At The International Crane Foundation, Jessica J. Stocking, Michael S. Putnam, Nathanial B. Warning

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Throughout 2002, we recorded daily food consumption by 12 pairs of captive whooping cranes (Grus americana). For 7 pairs we recorded food consumption throughout the entire year while there were large continuous gaps in measurements of food consumption for 5 pairs that raised chicks that year. Birds received both a maintenance and breeder diet, and for both we converted food consumption to energy intake (Joules/g body mass) using the combined fall weights of female and male. We compared daily energy intake with 6 meteorological variables (involving temperature, wind speed and humidity), photoperiod (natural and artificial) and egg laying …

Resolutions Passed By The North American Crane Working Group, Tenth North American Crane Workshop Zacatecas City, Zacatecas, Mexico, North American Crane Working Group

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Florida Crane habitat resolution
Florida has the largest population of non-migratory sandhill cranes in the world and winters a significant portion of the eastern population of greater sandhill cranes. And in Florida, efforts are underway to introduce migratory and non-migratory whooping cranes. In order to successfully establish and sustain these populations, appropriate habitat needs to be available. About 40% of Florida’s best crane habitat has been lost between 1973 and 2003, and the amount has increased since then. Because of this, these valuable populations of cranes are finding it more difficult to locate suitable habitat. We the NACWG by this …

A Guide To The Tallgrass Prairies Of Eastern Nebraska And Adjacent States, Paul A. Johnsgard

Papers in Ornithology

Contents

Part 1: Ecology of the Tallgrass Prairie

Part 2: Plants of the Tallgrass Prairies:
Checklist of Prairie & Grassland Plants of Nebraska; Relative Frequencies of Grasses, Spring Creek and Nine-mile Prairies; Twenty Most Abundant Fall Forbs, Spring Creek and Nine-mile Prairies; Typical Shrubs, Forbs, Grasses & Sedges of Eastern Nebraska Tallgrass Prairies; English: Latin Name Equivalents of 370 Tallgrass Prairie Plants; Latin: English Name Equivalents of 370 Tallgrass Prairie Plants Identification Keys to Some Common Nebraska Grassland Forbs

Part 3: Animals of the Tallgrass Prairies
Greater Prairie-chickens and Native Prairies; Seasonal Checklist of Nebraska Tallgrass Ecoregion Birds (Gage County); …

Christmas Bird Counts For North Dakota 2005, Robert N. Randall

The Prairie Naturalist

Twenty areas were included in the North Dakota Christmas Bird Counts. One area that had been included during the previous four years was canceJled due to extreme icy conditions and could not be rescheduled.

There were 216 observers in the field and 41 additional participants counting the birds, which visited their feeders. The field observers were out for about 522.25 hours, 109.75 on foot and 412.5 in cars. Feeder watchers added 97.5 hours to the total. The field observers covered 121.2 miles on foot and 5,648.7 miles in vehicles. Some additional effort was spent in six of the areas where …

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 …

Patterns Of Relationships Among Whooping Crane Fitness, Blue Crab Abundance, And Freshwater Inflows: An Exploratory Assessment Of Available Data Sets, Felipe Chavez-Ramirez

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

This paper evaluates the possible relationships of whooping crane (Grus americana) fitness parameters to blue crab abundance and freshwater inflows based on independently gathered data sets from several agencies between 1978 and 1999. I ordered all possible analysis models into two separate types based primarily on implied relationships. The 1st order exploratory relationship models were those where evaluated parameters were potentially affected by freshwater inflows, such as salinity and blue crab abundance. The 2nd order exploratory relationship models evaluated parameters that could, more directly, have potential affects on whooping crane fitness parameters for which there was data available. Freshwater inflow …

Do Arctic-Nesting Geese Compete With Sandhill Cranes For Waste Corn In The Central Platte River Valley, Nebraska?, Gary L. Krapu, David A. Brandt, Robert R. Cox Jr.

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Numbers of arctic-nesting geese staging in spring in the Central Platte River Valley (CPRV) of southcentral Nebraska increased dramatically from the 1970s to the 1990s, raising concerns that geese may be competing with the mid-continental population of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) for waste corn. From late February to mid-April 1998-2001, we measured temporal patterns of cropland use, evaluated habitat preferences, and compared numbers of geese using the primary crane-occupied parts of the CPRV area with numbers of sandhill cranes. Numbers of Canada geese (Branta canadensis), lesser snow geese (Chen caerulescens)/ Ross’ geese (Chen …

Greater Sandhill Crane: Research And Management In California Since 1978, Ronald W. Schlorff

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The greater sandhill crane (Grus canadensis tabida) was added to the California list of threatened species in 1983, and the subspecies has been the subject of research and management actions instituted by the California Department of Fish and Game (hereafter Department). Since 1978, the Department has conducted research and recovery actions including periodic breeding ground and wintering area studies, population monitoring, participated in developing Pacific Flyway crane management plans, acquisition and management of key habitats on breeding and wintering grounds, and developed a draft greater sandhill crane recovery strategy. These tasks were accomplished with the assistance of crane …

Historical Notes On Whooping Cranes At White Lake, Louisiana: The John J. Lynch Interviews, 1947–1948, Gay M. Gomez, Roderick C. Drewien, Mary Lynch Courville

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

In May 1939 biologist John J. Lynch of the U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey conducted an aerial survey that documented the existence of a non-migratory population of whooping cranes (Grus americana) near White Lake in southwest Louisiana. Lynch found 13 cranes, including 2 pre-fledged young, confirming breeding. Lynch’s survey occurred, in part, because fur trappers and alligator hunters working in the White Lake marshes had informed the biologist of the cranes’ presence and habits. Lynch continued his contacts with these knowledgeable marsh users, and in 1947 and 1948 interviewed at least 7 individuals. In 2001, M. L. Courville, …

Whooping Crane Titers To Eastern Equine Encephalitis Vaccinations, Glenn H. Olsen, Erin Kolski, Jeff S. Hatfield, Douglas E. Docherty

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

In 1984 an epizootic of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus killed 7 of 39 (18%) whooping cranes in captivity at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland, USA. Since that time whooping cranes have been vaccinated with a human EEE vaccine. This vaccine was unavailable for several years, necessitating use of an equine vaccine in the cranes. This study compared the antibody titers measured for three years using the human vaccine with those measured for two years using the equine form. Whooping cranes developed similarly elevated titers in one year using the human vaccine and both years using the …

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 …

The Status Of The Common Crane (Grus Grus) In Europe: Breeding, Resting, Migration, Wintering, And Protection, Hartwig Prange

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

At present, about 160,000 and 100,000 cranes are migrating on the West-European and on the Baltic-Hungarian routes, respectively, from the northern, middle, and northeastern parts of Europe. On both routes, the resting maxima, simultaneously determined since the 1980’s, has increased three-fold. This increase in migratory cranes is the result of shorter migration routes with higher return rates, a growing passage from the northwestern part of Russia beginning in the 1990’s, and a protected status in the European Union at breeding as well as at many resting and wintering sites. Hence, the cranes learn to find and use new breeding and …

Proceedings Of The Ninth North American Crane Workshop: Preface, Dedications, And Awards

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

These proceedings include papers presented at the Ninth North American Crane Workshop in Sacramento, California in 2003. In addition, there are a few other papers included in this volume of the proceedings that were not presented at the workshop but were appropriate to include here. I would like to thank previous editors of the proceedings Dave and Cathy Ellis and Richard Urbanek for providing advice and suggestions for dealing with the current proceedings. Others provided input and suggestions and they were all well received and appreciated. I want to thank the associate editors of this issue of the proceedings and …

Crop Depredations By Cranes At Daursky State Biosphere Reserve, Siberia, Stephen H. Bouffard, John E. Cornely, Oleg A. Goroshko

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Crop depredations by staging cranes have been an annual problem at Daursky State Biosphere Reserve in southern Siberia. In September 2001 we met at Daursky when crane populations peaked to investigate the problem and suggest methods to reduce damages. Peak of crane staging coincided with grain harvest. We counted ≈ 30,000 cranes of 5 species, primarily demoiselles (Anthropoides virgo), in the area. Poor grain yields and cooperative farming systems discouraged efforts to reduce damage. Moving crops further from roost areas may be the most reasonable short term control method, but it’s effectiveness is yet untested. Hazing, lure crops …

First Cohort Of Migratory Whooping Cranes Reintroduced To Eastern North America: The First Year After Release, Richard P. Urbanek, Lara E. A. Fondow, Colleen D. Satyshur, Anne E. Lacy, Sara E. Zimorski, Marianne Wellington

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

We describe the post-release movements and survival of the first cohort in the eastern migratory whooping crane (Grus americana) reintroduction from release the first winter through return the second winter. Six cranes were led behind ultralight aircraft from Necedah National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Central Wisconsin, to Chassahowitzka NWR, Gulf Coast of Florida. After release in Florida, 1 of these cranes and another transported there by truck were killed by bobcats (Lynx rufus). The winter management protocol was modified and no further predation occurred. The 5 remaining cranes migrated unassisted back to Necedah NWR in spring, left …

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 …

Impact Of Management Changes At An Autumn Greater Sandhill Crane Staging Area In Oregon, Carrol D. Littlefield

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon was the most important autumn staging area for greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) in the northwest Pacific coastal states. During 1983-88, changes in management including increases in human disturbance and habitat alterations resulted in significant declines in autumn crane use. Compared with the period 1975-82, mean annual autumn crane peak numbers declined from 2,454 to 1,352, whereas mean biweekly numbers declined from 791 to 353. Management changes included roost site drying and flooding of a primary feeding area; disturbance factors included cattle herding through a loafing site and dump trucks traveling through …

A Fresh Look At The Taxonomy Of Midcontinental Sandhill Cranes, Douglas H. Johnson, Jane E. Autin, Jill A. Shaffer

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The midcontinental population of sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) includes about 500,000 birds and provides valuable recreational crane-watching and hunting opportunities in Canada and the United States. It comprises three subspecies, one of which (G. c. rowani) was of uncertain taxonomic status and another of which (G. c. tabida) merited protection from excessive harvest due to its small population size. We obtained measurements of cranes used by Johnson and Stewart (1973) and additional crane specimens to 1) evaluate the subspecies designation of midcontinental sandhill cranes and 2) to seek improved methods for classifying cranes from …

Breeding Biology Of Re-Introduced Non-Migratory Whooping Cranes In Florida, Martin J. Folk, Stephen A. Nesbitt, Stephen T. Schwikert, James A. Schmidt, Kathleen A. Sullivan, Thomas J. Miller, Stephen B. Baynes, Jeannette M. Parker

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

In the face of record-setting drought, the re-introduced flock of non-migratory whooping cranes in Florida has shown slow but steady progress toward achieving the first natural recruitment to the flock. Fourteen nests were initiated between 1999 and 2002. Two clutches have hatched a total of 4 chicks and 1 chick was raised to fledging. Captive-raised, soft-released whooping cranes have shown that they are capable of forming pair bonds, defending territories, building nests, laying fertile eggs, and hatching and rearing young. The key to the success of the project will be to have enough pairs producing enough young to offset annual …

Resolutions Passed By The North American Crane Working Group

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

FRESHWATER INFLOWS FOR CONSERVATION OF BLUE CRABS AND WHOOPING CRANES Research has shown that whooping cranes require abundant blue crab populations on which to forage to meet their energy needs. The NACWG urges the Texas Council of Environmental Quality to grant a water right to the San Marcos River Foundation at the maximum level requested (1.15 million acre-feet) to provide freshwater inflows for conservation purposes as identified in a study conducted by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. These inflows would increase blue crab populations, keep the bays and marshes productive in whooping crane critical habitat at Aransas, and help …

Testing A West Nile Virus Vaccine In Sandhill Cranes (Grus Canadensis), Glenn H. Olsen, Kimberli Miller, Douglas Docherty, Louis Sileo

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Eight sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) were vaccinated with a commercial equine West Nile virus vaccine (Fort Dodge Animal Health, Fort Dodge, Iowa, USA) at the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland, USA. Three doses of the vaccine were given, the first dose (day 0) was followed by a second 21 days later and the third dose 7 days after the second day 28 after the first dose). All doses were 0.50 ml. In addition, 5 sandhill cranes were given injections of similar amounts of sterile water on the same schedule. Blood for complete blood counts, serum chemistries, …

Migration Routes, Staging Areas, And Wintering Grounds Of Sandhill Cranes That Breed In Siberia, Gary L. Krapu, David A. Brandt

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

We determined breeding sites, migration routes, spring and fall staging areas, and wintering grounds for sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) from the midcontinent population that nest in Siberia. Our results are from 30 PTT-marked individuals captured and marked along the Platte and North Platte Rivers in Nebraska. Findings indicate the species breeds across a vast area of northeastern Siberia extending at least 1500 km west from near the Bering Strait to the Kolymskaya Plains with most breeding confined to within 75 km of the coast. We describe when PTT-tagged cranes arrived at breeding sites in Siberia, duration of stay, …

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 …

Patterns Of Food Use Of Wintering Whooping Cranes On The Texas Coast, Craig M. Westwood, Felipe Chavez-Ramirez

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Whooping Crane (Grus americana) fecal samples were collected from Matagorda Island National Wildlife Refuge (MINWR) during winter and fall of 1993-94 (Winter-1; n = 59), and Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) during winter and fall of 1993-94 (n = 102) and 1994-95 (Winter-2; n = 257) to study crane diets and compare patterns of food use in these areas. Food items varied between areas, across months, and between years in both frequency and percent volume. Blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), wolfberry fruit (Lycium carolinianum), horn snail (Cerithidea pliculasa), razor clam (Tagellus plebius), …

Fecal Corticoid Monitoring In Whooping Cranes Trained To Follow Ultralight Aircraft, Barry K. Hartup, Nancy M. Czekala, Glenn H. Olsen, Julia A. Langenberg

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The use of fecal corticoid assays to measure stress in North American cranes has been limited to laboratory validation and a single field project involving reintroduced sandhill cranes (Ludders et al., 1998, 2001; Hartup et al., 2004). In 2001, we documented trends in corticoid concentrations among a cohort of ten costume-reared whooping cranes subjected to ultralight aircraft training and migration. All samples were analyzed by a validated corticosterone 125I radioimmunoassay for determination of corticoid levels. Fecal corticoid concentrations in chicks exhibited a logarithmic decline over the first 14 days after hatching (r = 0.86, p < 0.001). Fecal corticoid concentrations then stabilized at baseline levels (median 68 ng/g, range 17–186 ng/g, n = 116) during the subsequent six weeks of costume-rearing and aircraft habituation in captivity. Fecal corticoid concentrations of eight cranes increased 8-34 fold during shipment in crates to Wisconsin for field training. Increases in fecal corticoid concentrations were positively correlated with age (r = 0.81, p = 0.01), but not body weight (r = 0.44, p = 0.28) at the time of shipping. Fecal corticoid concentrations returned to baseline levels within seven days, and were sustained throughout the remainder of the training period (median 77 ng/g, range 22– 292 ng/g, n=190). Elevations in fecal corticoid concentrations were observed one (p = 0.035) and four days (p = 0.003) following physical examination and placement of leg bands compared to three days prior to the procedures (median 176 ng/g, range 116 – 553 ng/g, n = 19). Fecal corticoid concentrations decreased to pre-procedure levels within seven days. Fecal corticoid concentrations and variation during the 50 day migration period were similar to training levels in Wisconsin, except for a one day increase observed following a violent storm and escape from the temporary holding pen the preceding night (median 243 ng/g, range 228 – 280 ng/g, n = 7). There was an overall decline in fecal corticoid concentrations from the cranes during the migration (r = 0.42, p < 0.001). Acute stressors such as capture and restraint and severe storms were associated with stress responses by the cranes that varied in accordance with lasting physical or psychological stimuli. The overall process of costume-rearing, ultralight aircraft habituation, training and artificial migration was not associated with elevations in fecal corticoid concentrations suggestive of chronic stress.

New Locations And Range Extension Of Wintering Sandhill Cranes In Central Northern Mexico, Felipe Chavez-Ramirez

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The overall distribution of wintering sandhill cranes in Mexico has been reported and summarized in several prior documents. However, most reports are associated with counts or surveys primarily conducted for wintering waterfowl. Recent (1999- 2002) reports compiled from local researchers show, that wintering sandhill cranes are distributed much more widely in northern Mexico than is currently reported in the literature. The new locations reported here are primarily in the eastern portion of the Mexican Altiplano, in the states of Coahuila and Nuevo Leon, and in the southern portions of the Chihuahuan Desert Region in Zacatecas and San Luis Potosi. Most …

Evidence Of A Decline In Fat Storage By Midcontinental Sandhill Cranes In Nebraska During Spring: A Preliminary Assessment, Gary L. Krapua, David A. Brandt, Deborah A. Buhl, Gary W. Lingle

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

When an ice storm killed an estimated 2,000 sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) in the Central Platte River Valley (CPRV) in Nebraska on 24 March 1996, we retrieved the fresh carcasses of 118 adults to test for a decline in the condition of spring-staging cranes from that date in 1978 and 1979. We first conducted a principle component analysis on 3 morphological variables (tarsus, exposed culmen, and wing chord [flattened]) and used the first principal component (PC1) as an index of body size. Then, to account for variation in body mass due to size, we regressed body mass on …