Morbidity And Mortality Of Captive Whooping Cranes At The International Crane Foundation 1976–2008,
2010
International Crane Foundation
Morbidity And Mortality Of Captive Whooping Cranes At The International Crane Foundation 1976–2008, Barry K. Hartup, Jennifer N. Niemuth, Bridget Fitzpatrick, Maureen Fox, Cristin Kelley
Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop
Tracking the incidence of morbidity and mortality in captive animal collections helps inform husbandry and preventive medicine programs aimed at improving population health and viability. Carpenter and Derrickson (1982) and Olsen et al. (1997) published summary reports of captive whooping crane (Grus americana) mortality that served to identify key problem areas for the primary breeding flock and potential reintroduction programs involving this endangered species. We expanded on this approach and conducted an initial evaluation of morbidity and mortality factors for whooping cranes at the International Crane Foundation (ICF). The purpose of our study was to identify overrepresented factors …
Endoparasites Of Greater Sandhill Cranes In South-Central Wisconsin,
2010
International Crane Foundation
Endoparasites Of Greater Sandhill Cranes In South-Central Wisconsin, Somer Hartman, Betsy Reichenberg, Jane Fanke, Anne E. Lacy, Barry K. Hartup
Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop
Windingstad and Trainer (1977) used both fecal sampling and postmortem examinations to document the occurrence of parasites in greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) from Wisconsin in the fall. We conducted repeated fecal sampling of a well-known population to expand on results of their study. Our objective was to determine whether seasonal differences exist in the prevalence of endoparasites of Wisconsin sandhill cranes. We collected 7 to 10 fecal samples approximately every other week from a consistent roost site on the Wisconsin River (43°34'52.99''N, 89°36'38.42''W) near Briggsville, Wisconsin, from 29 May through 25 September 2008. The sample size …
Impacts Of Global And Regional Climate On Whooping Crane Demography: Trends And Extreme Events,
2010
Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust
Impacts Of Global And Regional Climate On Whooping Crane Demography: Trends And Extreme Events, Karine Gil, William Grant, R. Douglas Slack, Enrique Weir
Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop
We analyzed long-term demographic and environmental data to understand the role of large scale climatic factors (the Pacific Decadal Oscillations [PDO]) and environmental factors in 3 regions of North America on natality and mortality of the remnant migratory whooping crane (Grus americana) population. This is an endangered species that spends winters at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Texas, breeds at Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP) in Canada and “…uses Nebraska as a primary stopover”. Long term data (27 years) of demography and environmental factors (PDO index, temperature and precipitation at WBNP, Nebraska and ANWR, pond water depth …
Longevity Records Of Rocky Mountain Greater Sandhill Cranes Banded During 1969–1987 In Idaho, Montana, Utah, And Wyoming,
2010
Hornocker Wildlife Research Institute
Longevity Records Of Rocky Mountain Greater Sandhill Cranes Banded During 1969–1987 In Idaho, Montana, Utah, And Wyoming, Roderick C. Drewien, Wendy M. Brown, Kent R. Clegg
Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop
Cranes species throughout the world are renowned for their longevity; however, most records are based on individuals in captivity. We compiled longevity records for wild Rocky Mountain greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) banded in Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming during 1969-1987. Our analysis was based on over 180 band recoveries and over 1,700 visual observations of known-age individually marked birds from 1969 to 2008. We present only those birds of age >20 years for this summary. Our results yielded 56 birds known to be >20 yrs of age when killed or last observed. Of 7 band recoveries, …
Demography Of Whooping Cranes In The Eastern Migratory Population,
2010
U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
Demography Of Whooping Cranes In The Eastern Migratory Population, Sarah J. Converse, Richard P. Urbanek
Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop
The ultimate success of the whooping crane (Grus americana) reintroduction to eastern North America rests on adequate demographic performance of the population. We are undertaking a population viability analysis (PVA) of the eastern migratory population in order to evaluate progress toward the fundamental population objective, to better understand the critical demographic thresholds that must be met to fulfill this objective, and, most importantly, to support management decision-making. The initial phase in the PVA development process involves estimation of demographic parameters to be used in later population modeling phases. Multi-state models provide an appropriate analytic framework for estimation, wherein …
Current Status Of Lesser Sandhill Cranes In Yakutia,
2010
Institute of Biological Problems of the Permafrost Zone
Current Status Of Lesser Sandhill Cranes In Yakutia, Inga Bysykatova, Sergey Sleptsov, Nikolay Vasiliev
Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop
In Yakutia, the sandhill crane (Grus canadensis canadensis) was considered a common bird in 1957 on the Primorie tundra from the Kolyma River to the Alazeya River. In 1980 the area of the species’ supposed breeding grounds within the Kolyma- Indigirka interfluve comprised 34,600 km2. In 1984-85, the breeding grounds extended west to the Sundrun River, with the total area reaching 49,400 km2. At present, the westernmost sandhill crane range is on the tundra along the lower reaches of the Berelekh River. This region joins the higher density Siberian crane (G. leucogeranus) range, so that the …
Summary Of Sandhill Crane Sport Harvest In Canada 1975–2006,
2010
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Migratory Birds and State Programs
Summary Of Sandhill Crane Sport Harvest In Canada 1975–2006, Adrianna C. Araya, Kammie L. Kruse, Keith D. Warner
Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop
Knowledge of harvest in all areas where the mid-continent population (MCP) of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) occurs is critical to managing the population in a sustainable manner. The harvest of MCP in the U.S. has been well documented; however, the harvest in Canada has received less attention. The Canadian Wildlife Service initiated a National Harvest Survey program in 1967, but all sampling variables were not directly comparable until 1975. In this paper, we summarize crane harvest in Canada during the 1975-2006 hunting seasons for Saskatchewan and Manitoba, the 2 provinces with significant sport hunting harvest of sandhill cranes. …
Demoiselle Cranes On Agricultural Lands In The Ukraine,
2010
Azov-Black Sea Ornithological Station
Demoiselle Cranes On Agricultural Lands In The Ukraine, Yuriy Andryushchenko
Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop
In Eurasia, the western range of the demoiselle crane (Anthropoides virgo) includes the southeast of Ukraine. Here the species nests, forms flying and pre-migrating concentrations, and participates in migration. The number of demoiselle cranes in April-June is about 600-700 individuals (200-250 nesting pairs), and toward the end of the year the population can reach 900-1000 individuals. Of cranes observed during 2000-2008 in the Crimea, 42.3% of pairs (n = 151) nested on agricultural fields: 21.5% on virgin land, 16.1% on cropland, and 3.4% on fallow lands. Principal characteristics of the demoiselle crane nesting locations were wavy relief, scarce herbage, …
Possible Competition Between Waterfowl And Sandhill Cranes At Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge, Tennessee,
2010
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Possible Competition Between Waterfowl And Sandhill Cranes At Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge, Tennessee, David A. Aborn
Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop
As a result of crop planting for waterfowl, numbers of eastern greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) staging and overwintering at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in eastern Tennessee have sharply increased over the last 30-40 years. Peak numbers of wintering cranes have reached 14,000, and this large increase in crane numbers raises the possibility that they may be competing with waterfowl for food and space. I examined broad-scale changes in waterfowl numbers using Christmas Bird Count data, as well as small-scale changes using observations of waterfowl numbers and locations in relation to cranes on individual days. Preliminary results …
Behavior And Habitat Use Of Greater Sandhill Cranes Wintering In East Tennessee,
2010
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Behavior And Habitat Use Of Greater Sandhill Cranes Wintering In East Tennessee, David A. Aborn
Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop
An increase of eastern greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) stopping over and wintering at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in east Tennessee has led to overcrowding at the refuge, resulting in crane use of private property. Proper management is needed to prevent the cranes from becoming a nuisance, increase the suitability of the refuge for waterfowl, and reduce the likelihood of a disease outbreak. Observations of cranes revealed that cranes spent 83% of their time foraging, alert, or preening. Sandhill cranes foraged primarily in agricultural and grassy fields, whereas mudflats and shallow water were used for preening and …
First Breeding Records And Historical Status Of Sandhill Cranes In New England,
2010
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
First Breeding Records And Historical Status Of Sandhill Cranes In New England, Scott M. Melvin
Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop
Sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) nested at 4 sites in south-central Maine between 2000 and 2008 and at single sites in western Massachusetts and west-central Vermont in 2007 and 2008, continuing their eastward range expansion. Of 13 nests observed, 5 were in a lacustrine marsh, 2 were in a riverine marsh, and 2 were in beaver-impounded palustrine marshes, all dominated by cattail (Typha spp.); 2 were in lacustrine fen habitat dominated by sedges (Carex spp.), sphagnum, and leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata); 1 was in a lacustrine fen dominated by slender sedge (Carex lasiocarpa …
Mechanisms Of Habitat Selection Of Reintroduced Whooping Cranes On Their Breeding Range,
2010
International Crane Foundation
Mechanisms Of Habitat Selection Of Reintroduced Whooping Cranes On Their Breeding Range, Kelly J. Maguire, Stanley A. Temple
Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop
We examined several mechanisms that influenced the habitat selection of reintroduced whooping cranes (Grus americana) on their breeding range in the midwestern United States. Visual observations on 56 whooping cranes from 2001 to 2006 provided accurate locations, habitat descriptions, and bird associations. Location information on each bird was mapped to create home range and to describe the habitat. We found evidence that habitat selection in these cranes resulted from multiple mechanisms, including habitat imprinting, philopatry, site tenacity, intra-specific interactions, and environmental stochasticity. The initial home ranges of all cranes contained habitat similar to that in which they were …
Sandhill Crane Migration Chronology And Behavior In Northwestern Texas,
2010
Muleshoe, Texas
Sandhill Crane Migration Chronology And Behavior In Northwestern Texas, Carroll D. Littlefield
Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop
Migrant lesser sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis canadensis) were monitored during 1990-2000 in northwestern Texas as flocks were arriving in autumn and departing in spring; cranes were counted as they passed over an observation point 23 km north of Sudan, Lamb County, Texas. Mean flock size was 34.5 (SD ± 32.6) in autumn and 58.2 (SD ± 45.0) in spring. Most autumn migrants (69.6%) passed in the afternoon, whereas in spring 94% migrated in the morning (1000-1200 hr). Peak period of autumn passage was in October (65%), and in spring all observations were in February-March with the peak usually …
Population Status And Geographic Distribution Of Greater Sandhill Cranes In The Mid-Continent Population,
2010
U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Population Status And Geographic Distribution Of Greater Sandhill Cranes In The Mid-Continent Population, Gary L. Krapu, David A. Brandt
Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop
Number and geographic distribution of greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) in the mid-continent population (MCP) of sandhill cranes were evaluated. G. c. tabida comprised 7 of 133 (5.3%) individuals of 3 subspecies which projects to 31,579 ± 11,661 (SE) individuals in an estimated spring MCP of 600,000 cranes. From a platform transmitting terminal (PTT)-marked sample representative of the geographic distribution of G. c. tabida, 10 of 13 (77%) settled during the breeding season in east-central Canada/Minnesota, including 4 in northwestern Minnesota, 4 in Manitoba (2 at sites near the Minnesota border), and 2 in Ontario. Three …
Migration Patterns And Movements Of Sandhill Cranes Wintering In Central And Southwestern Louisiana,
2010
Louisiana Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, U.S. Geological Survey
Migration Patterns And Movements Of Sandhill Cranes Wintering In Central And Southwestern Louisiana, Sammy L. King, Aaron R. Pierce, Kent R. Hersey, Nicholas Winstead
Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop
In this study we trapped wintering sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) in Louisiana and fitted them with satellite transmitters to determine their migration routes. Four of the 6 sandhill cranes with validated locations and a terminus point used the Central Flyway for spring migration; 2 of these 4 (the only 2 for which we have data) also used the Central Flyway for fall migration. Two of the 6 birds used the Mississippi Flyway for spring migration. The results of this study suggest that reintroduced whooping cranes (G. americana) that intermix and migrate with sandhill cranes that winter …
Countability Of Sandhill Cranes In Aerial Surveys,
2010
USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Countability Of Sandhill Cranes In Aerial Surveys, Douglas H. Johnson, John W. Solberg, Courtney L. Amundson
Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop
Aerial surveys are used to monitor populations of many wildlife species, including sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis). In addition to the usual problems of detectability (involving both availability and perceptibility), aerial surveys of concentrated animals are subject to countability issues; from a rapidly moving aircraft, observers cannot count or accurately estimate the number of animals in a large group. Calibration is sometimes performed in an effort to adjust aerial counts for incomplete detectability and countability by calculating the ratio of animals actually in a group to the number in the group estimated from the aircraft. Here we explore alternative, …
Aerial Survey Techniques For Breeding Whooping Cranes,
2010
Canadian Wildlife Service
Aerial Survey Techniques For Breeding Whooping Cranes, Brian W. Johns
Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop
Since the discovery of nesting whooping cranes in Wood Buffalo National Park, the Canadian Wildlife Service has conducted aerial surveys to monitor the population. Aerial survey techniques have varied over the years; however, they have generally followed the techniques used by the author since 1991. The technique involves flying a combination of circular flights and transects over known nesting territories and similar looking marshes likely to contain breeding whooping cranes. These aerial surveys account for nearly 100% of the breeding whooping cranes each year.
Whooping Crane Migrational Habitat Use Of The Platte River, Nebraska, 2001–2006,
2010
Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc.
Whooping Crane Migrational Habitat Use Of The Platte River, Nebraska, 2001–2006, Shay Howlin, Clayton Derby, Dale Strickland
Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop
The Platte River Endangered Species Partnership monitored whooping crane (Grus americana) habitat use along the Platte River between Chapman and Lexington, Nebraska during 11 migration seasons from 2001 to 2006. Daily aerial surveys took place in the morning from 21 March to 29 April in the spring and from 9 October to 10 November in the fall. Decoy detection trials were conducted during each of the 11 survey seasons to calculate actual sample inclusion probabilities for crane groups detected during monitoring flights. The detectability model found significant differences in detectability among strata (upland or channel), contractor, and altitude …
Mississippi Sandhill Crane Conservation Update 2006–2008,
2010
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge
Mississippi Sandhill Crane Conservation Update 2006–2008, Scott G. Hereford, Lauren E. Billodeaux
Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop
The Mississippi sandhill crane (MSC, Grus canadensis pulla) is an endangered non-migratory subspecies found in the wild only on and near the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge (MSCNWR) in Jackson County in southeastern Mississippi (Gee and Hereford 1995). The MSC is adapted to the wet pine savannas and open pinelands of the Southeastern Outer Gulf Coastal Plain. By the 1970s, their numbers had decreased to 30-40 individuals including only 5-6 nesting pairs. The firemaintained savannas, once a dominant feature of the landscape, were converted to pine plantations and human development or had degraded to overgrown pine scrub. The …
Development Of The Whooping Crane Tracking Project Geographic Information System,
2010
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Development Of The Whooping Crane Tracking Project Geographic Information System, Martha Tacha, Andy Bishop, Justin Brei
Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop
The highest losses in the Aransas-Wood Buffalo whooping crane population occur during migration. Conservation and recovery of the endangered whooping crane requires understanding of migration patterns to identify important stopover areas and potential sources of mortality or disturbance. We converted the Cooperative Whooping Crane Tracking Project database, containing more than 3 decades of data on whooping crane sightings, to a geographic information system (GIS) to allow coarse scale spatial analyses of whooping crane migration patterns in the United States portion of the Central Flyway. At this writing, the geodatabase contains point data for 1,981 confirmed whooping crane sightings through the …
