Title: Endangered%20Cranes%20of%20the%20Pacific%20Flyway
1Endangered Cranes of the Pacific Flyway
Thomas J Hoffmann Chair, West Coast Crane Working
Group www.wccwg.nacwg.org
2The West Coast Crane Working Group
- The West Coast Crane Working Group (WCCWG) is a
regional technical workgroup of the North
American Crane Working Group (NACWG). The NACWG
is a member of the Crane Specialist Group of the
Species Survival Commission of The World
Conservation Union (IUCN) based in Gland,
Switzerland.
3The West Coast Crane Working Group
-
- promotes science-based research on crane
conservation and management - fosters better understanding and appreciation of
cranes and their habitat among the general public
and - addresses conservation issues affecting cranes
and their wetland habitats. - The Working Group accomplishes these goals
through research, education, and advocacy.
4Total Number of Sandhill Cranes (SACR) by Date and Behavior (1roost, 2feed, 3flyover) Total Number of Sandhill Cranes (SACR) by Date and Behavior (1roost, 2feed, 3flyover) Total Number of Sandhill Cranes (SACR) by Date and Behavior (1roost, 2feed, 3flyover) Total Number of Sandhill Cranes (SACR) by Date and Behavior (1roost, 2feed, 3flyover)
Note Count the sum of the median class values Note Count the sum of the median class values Note Count the sum of the median class values Note Count the sum of the median class values
Date Species Behavior Count
11-Mar-03 SACR 1 1501
11-Mar-03 SACR 2 62
11-Mar-03 SACR 3 6
12-Mar-03 SACR 1 31
12-Mar-03 SACR 2 62
13-Mar-03 SACR 2 2087
14-Mar-03 SACR 2 669
14-Mar-03 SACR 3 194
15-Mar-03 SACR 2 729
17-Mar-03 SACR 2 62
18-Mar-03 SACR 1 3501
18-Mar-03 SACR 2 502
19-Mar-03 SACR 2 840
01-Apr-03 SACR 2 2052
07-Apr-03 SACR 1 7300
08-Apr-03 SACR 1 351
09-Apr-03 SACR 1 7959
09-Apr-03 SACR 2 12195
11-Apr-03 SACR 2 4065
15-Apr-03 SACR 2 4500
17-Apr-03 SACR 2 62
5Randy Hill on Othello
- It is obvious that the Potholes area, mostly
areas west of Othello on the Royal Slope and the
Crab Creek area, are the most important stopover
during both spring and fall migration for the
Pacific Population of Lesser Sandhill Cranes
nesting in southern AK and wintering in CA. - I believe this is due to a combination of several
roost sites that are grazed or developed for duck
club shallow water habitat, and the mix of
pasture and corn, including an increasing role
that Columbia NWR (and maybe duck clubs) are
playing in delaying cultivation of corn in the
spring.
6WEST COAST SANDHILL CRANE STUDY
- A satellite telemetry project sponsored by the
West Coast Crane Working Group, in partnership
with Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge (U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service) and Sauvie Island
Wildlife Area (Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife), with funding contributed by the Paul
L. King Charitable Foundation, The
Foley/Frischkorn Wildlife and Conservation Fund,
Chevron Research and Technology Company, and
other appreciated supporters. - Gary L. Ivey, Thomas J. Hoffmann, and Caroline P.
Herziger.
7Gary Ivey and Sandy
8Caroline Herziger and Sandy
9INTRODUCTION
- There are three subspecies or races of sandhill
cranes (Grus canadensis) that occur in Washington
and Oregon. The greater (G. c. tabida) breeds,
while some Canadian (G. c. rowani) and lesser (G.
c. canadensis) sandhill cranes stop in these
states during migration between their northern
breeding grounds and wintering grounds in
California, with some staying to winter along the
Columbia River near Vancouver and Portland. - The greater sandhill crane is the largest, the
lesser the smallest, and the Canadian
intermediate in size. In Washington state, the
sandhill crane is considered an Endangered
Species, while in Oregon, the greater sandhill
crane is classified as Sensitive.
10Sandy the Sandhill Crane
- Where do I live?
- Where do I travel?
- Who is out to get me?
- Who am I?
- Greater
- Canadian
- Lesser
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13Study Area
14Gateway
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16Gateway
17Ridgefield
18POPULATION STATUS OF FALL-MIGRANT SANDHILL CRANES
ALONG THE LOWER COLUMBIA RIVER, 2003
REPORTJoseph D. Engler1, Eric D. Anderson1 and
Mark A. Stern21 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Complex,
Ridgefield, Washington2 The Nature Conservancy
of Oregon, Portland, Oregon
- On 7 October 2003, twelve observers counted 4041
cranes at nine roost sites at Ridgefield NWR,
Sturgeon Lake on Sauvie Island WMA, and Vancouver
Lake, WA.
19More Relatives
- Overall, the total population estimated in 2003
is consistent with the 5-year average of 3918
cranes estimated in the population since 1998.
The current population is approximately 20
higher than the 12-year average of 3342 cranes.
20 1991 1992 1993 2001 2002 2002 2003
2-Oct 7-Oct 30-Sep 9-Oct 8-Oct 21-Oct 7-Oct
Ridgefield NWR
Campbell Lk. 866 291 441 1429 165 945 543
Bachelor Is. 0 0 ns 10 66 563 1245
River "S" ns ns ns 0 ns ns 0
P.O. Lake ns ns ns 0 ns 0 0
Fowler Lk. ns ns ns 443 104 5 40
Roth/RVS Dike ns ns ns ns 0 ns 0
Vancouver Lake ns 40 ns 327 0 400 192
WA Total 866 331 441 2209 335 1913 2020
21 1991 1992 1993 2001 2002 2002 2003
2-Oct 7-Oct 30-Sep 9-Oct 8-Oct 21-Oct 7-Oct
Sauvie Isl. WMA
Rentenaar Pt. ns 257 595 ns ns 750 ns
The Narrows 851 341 537 721 835 360 495
E. Lobe Stur. Lk ns ns ns 94 83 ns 297
The Wash ns ns ns 358 2100 1070 539
Coon Point 1517 289 1460 702 150 100 690
OR Total 2368 887 2592 1875 3168 2280 2021
Grand Total 3234 1218 3033 4084 3503 4193 4041
22Where Sandy Sleeps
- The seasonal and annual difference in specific
roost site utilization is likely a result of
water levels, tidal fluctuations, habitat
conditions, the location of food resources, and
disturbances (such as waterfowl hunting). - The inter-relationship between these various
factors and their effect on night roost selection
is not understood
23Roost Shift
- A significant roost shift occurred on the
Ridgefield sites in 2003. Bachelor Island where
1245 cranes were counted was more than double any
previous count. -
- A number of factors may have contributed to this
shift - 1) low water conditions on Canvasback Lake which
resulted in extensive mudflats suitable for
roosting, - 2) proximity of the roost to corn crops,
- 3) the lack of disturbance from the hunting club
which owns Canvasback Lake, as the hunting season
had not yet commenced, - 4) water levels and extensive vegetation cover on
the traditional Campbell Lake roost.
24Threats
- Protection of major roost sites is an issue of
concern. As mentioned previously, cranes utilize
isolated open wetlands for roosting where
disturbance is minimal and the ability to detect
predators is high. - However, subtle changes in habitat conditions
such as vegetation growth and water levels can
preclude roosting.
25Mr. Big
26Conversion of farm land
- Dairy farming and the planting of field corn for
silage is a declining practice in Washington. - Likewise, shifts in agricultural practices,
urbanization, and industrialization all pose
significant threats to current known and
potential crane foraging habitats in the area.
27Conversion of farm land
- The regional loss of these food resources may
ultimately impact the distribution of cranes
locally, limit the potential of supporting a
wintering crane population, and pose an
additional risk to the viability of this flyway
segment.
28Capture
- Six of the 8 cranes captured were marked with
PTTs - Four of the cranes were captured at Ridgefield
NWR and 4 at Sauvie Island WA.
29TRAPPING
- Sandhill cranes were captured using noose
lines, an ancient bird-catching technique from
India and Pakistan. -
- A capture site was baited with field corn, and
after birds began using the bait, noose lines
were set during the pre-dawn period.
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31Transmitter
- To limit stress to the cranes, they were
hooded while they were being handled. -
- PTTs were fitted to one leg using rivets and
glue federal and colored plastic bands of a
unique color combination were placed on the other
leg. - The two cranes without PTTs were similarly
marked with colored bands.
32Data Collected
- Measurements were taken from each bird including
length of wing chord, tarsus, middle toe, exposed
culmen, and nares to tip each bird was also
weighed. In addition, a blood sample was
collected from each bird for genetic analyses.
33PTT Programming
- The PTTs were programmed to activate for 8 hours
after 60 hours of deactivation, resulting in
locations being recorded from satellites about
every 3 days.
34Where does Sandy Travel?
- We tracked the movements of the PTT birds via
satellite technology, and documented their spring
migration routes and destinations. - Based on the data we obtained, it appears that
the birds move down the Columbia River, follow
the Washington coast northward, cross Cape
Flattery, across Vancouver Island, and up the
coast of British Columbia (BC).
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36Final Destinations
- One crane migrated to Dall Island in southwest
Alaska while the other 5 cranes stopped along the
northern and central B.C. coast. - Of those 5, one was on the mainland near Port
Edward while the other 4 were on islands off the
coast. - One bird each was on McCauley Island, Banks
Island, Dowager Island and Princess Royal Island.
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38Habitat
39Princess Royal
40Prince of Whales Bog
41Queen Charlotte Island
42Argonaut Plain, Naikoon Provincial Park
THE SANDHILL CRANES OF HAIDA GWAII A report
prepared for the West Coast Crane Working
Group Margo Hearne Peter Hamel, M.E.S. Ma.
(Cantab.) May, 2003
43Crane Colors
- When adult Cranes first arrive on Haida Gwaii
they are more gray than rust and seem to get
darker as the season develops. We have not
observed black cranes.
44Habitat
-
- Habitat varies from upper sand dunes to open
meadow and intertidal areas. They are also seen
occasionally on beaches. Their preferred sites
are open lowlands that afford a clear view all
around. They have not been recorded in forests,
although they nest adjacent to forest.
45Crane Gangs
- An interesting aspect of Cranes on Haida
Gwaii during the nesting season is the number of
birds seen yearly on Delkatla Wildlife Sanctuary
in Masset throughout June and July. Upwards of
40 birds feed there. We dont know if they are
failed nesters or juvenile birds too young to
nest.
46Sandy as Predator!
- During the mid-1980s when studies were
undertaken on the nesting behavior of Least
Sandpipers in Delkatla, researchers noted that
the Cranes may have eaten some eggs and chicks.
Least Sandpiper nests simply disappeared after a
small flock of 6-7 Cranes had moved through.
47Cranes feeding in Delkatla May 6 2003 Photo
48Threats
- Introduced species pose a real danger. Raccoons
were introduced to Haida Gwaii in the early
1940s and have spread throughout the island.
Many ground nesting birds, are very vulnerable to
this particular predator, as they eat both eggs
and young. There are no plans underway at the
moment to deal with this unfortunate pest
island-wide
49Threats
- The Haida Weasel, an indigenous island species,
could pose a threat as they eat eggs, however
both Cranes and Weasels have existed here for
some time and Cranes still nest here.
50Threats
- More insidious are Beavers, introduced in the
mid-20th Century. Beavers build dams in the
muskeg rivulets and streams and create ponds were
there were none before. This diminishes the
amount of habitat available for successful
nesting, especially in the Argonaut Plain
lowlands of Naikoon Provincial Park where Cranes
are seen in summer.
51Threats
- Cats, squirrels and muskrats, all introduced
species, could be a problem, although Cranes are
big birds and could munch them for lunch.
52SEX?
- Identification of subspecies of sandhill cranes
requires the determination of gender which can
not be ascertained from a physical examination.
53Who am I?
- Measurements used for comparison of subspecies
are from two sources Johnson and Stewart (1973)
and Schmidt and Hale (1997). - However, the birds reported in these studies were
from the Mid-Continent Population (Central Flyway
- - the migration corridor between the Rocky
Mountains and Mississippi River), and those in
the Pacific Flyway (west of the Rockies) may
differ morphologically.
54Greater
Canadian
Lesser
55Illustration by Darrell Pruett
56Sandy
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58Tarsus (leg)
- The tarsus is the long bone in the lower
leg. Length of tarsus (n 7) measurements were
generally shorter than Canadian sandhill cranes,
and mostly within the upper limits for lessers.
59Culmen (bill)
- This measurement is from the base of the
upper mandible to the tip. Four exposed culmen
measurements (n 8) were closest to the ranges
reported for Canadian sandhill cranes, while the
other four fell between the ranges for Canadians
and lessers.
60Weight
- Weights of cranes (n 7) fell within the ranges
for greater and Canadian sandhill cranes, with
little overlap with reported weights of lessers.
Most weights were closest to the means for
Canadians, however, weights of two birds were
closer to greaters.
61SUBSPECIES DETERMINATION
- We believe that the cranes in this study were
Canadian sandhill cranes. - Most of their measurements were within the ranges
reported for this subspecies. - Disparities in some measurements may indicate
that there are morphological differences between
cranes of the Central Flyway and those of the
Pacific Flyway. - The fact that these cranes migrated to the B.C.
and southern Alaska coasts also supports the
conclusion that they are Canadians. - According to the book The Birds of British
Columbia (Campbell et al. 1990), about 1,500
Canadian sandhill cranes nest along the B.C.
coast.
62SUBSPECIES DETERMINATION
- For the birds we captured , the head profiles
seemed to match those of Canadians, with a flat
forehead and medium bill. - Lessers have a rounded head and fine, short bill,
while Greaters also have a flattened forehead,
but a longer bill. - We also noted that the legs were shorter than
greaters that we had previously handled. - The heads of these birds appeared different than
lesser sandhill cranes we have observed in
California, and eastern Oregon and Washington,
and their bills appeared shorter than typical
greaters.
63Winter in the Sun
64Staten Island
65Flooded Fields
66Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) of
California
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68Staten Island 9,200 Acres
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70Staten Island
- Both historic and current surveys have shown that
Staten is a critical wintering area for sandhill
cranes. - In 2002-03, over 7,900 feeding and 8,500 roosting
cranes were recorded. - Compared to other North Delta areas, the island
was the only site to consistently hold high
numbers of feeding cranes through the winter. - For the state-listed greater subspecies, at least
15 of the CVP depend on Staten, with data from
color-marked individuals showing strong site
philopatry and a long tradition of use of the
island.
71Roosting and feeding counts of sandhill cranes at
Staten Island, San Joaquin County, California,
2002-03.
72Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) of California
- Agricultural conversion of the rich bottomlands
and marshes of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
began with the passage of the Swamp and Overflow
Act shortly following the California Gold Rush in
1850 (Delta Protection Commission 1994). - Large areas of the Deltas natural habitats were
diked and drained (i.e., reclaimed) and converted
to some of the richest farmland in the world. - The undeniable productivity of Delta farmland is
only rivaled by its past productivity as natural
wetland habitat that supported greater numbers
and variety of resident and migratory fish and
wildlife than currently found in the Delta. - At present, the Delta region supports over
500,000 acres of agricultural land, most of which
was formerly wetland habitat consisting of either
riparian or seasonal and perennial marsh
communities.
73Conversion
- Between 1976 and 1993 nearly 4,500 acres of new
orchards and vineyards were introduced to the
Delta region replacing either native lands or
other intensively farmed areas (i.e., tomatoes) - As a result of past and present agricultural
conversion, many of the wintering areas that
migratory waterfowl and wading birds depended on
in this portion of the Pacific Flyway have been
lost.
74Conversion
- Because the vast majority of historic natural
wetland habitats have been lost to agricultural
uses the agricultural lands are left to fill the
wildlife habitat void where possible. - Some agricultural areas (e.g., orchards,
vineyards, turf farms) are not able to provide
suitable habitat for migratory birds however,
sites producing row or field crops are often
flexible enough in cropping patterns and
management options to provide some form of
habitat during part of the year.
75California Crossroads
- Statens current management is filling a large
and increasing void of wildlife habitat in the
Delta where substantial habitat losses have
occurred to land conversion to vineyards and
orchards (Littlefield and Ivey 1999), urban
development, and turf farms (Ivey and Herziger
2003). - Over time technological advances and changing
market conditions have resulted in a wide variety
of agricultural commodities being produced in the
fertile soils of the Delta region. - At present, California agriculture is at a
crossroads, with population growth and suburban
sprawl threatening farmland and the pressure for
higher yielding, more profitable crop varieties
is requiring the use of more chemicals and
genetically engineered or manipulated (GMO)
crops.
76California Crossroads
- Unfortunately, the use of GMO varieties may be
limiting Californias export market, as many
overseas markets such as the European Union are
leery of GMO products. - As a consequence of the pressure and difficulty
in running a profitable farming operation, many
California farmers are opting to sell out to
developers or large corporate farming operations. - Whether the next landowner is a developer or
corporate farmer, neither is likely to be
inclined to conduct wildlife-friendly activities
without some monetary incentive and direct
efforts to educate them about opportunities and
benefits.
77Management for Wildlife
- The basic needs of wildlife are adequate space,
food, water, and cover. - During fall and winter, sandhill cranes and
waterfowl are very sensitive to human
disturbance, which is a major factor influencing
wildlife distribution.
78Management for Wildlife
- Management of Staten Island has focused on
meeting wildlife requirements on a large tract of
land and limiting disturbance to the extent
possible while still maintaining an efficient and
profitable farming program. - A variety of wildlife-friendly practices work
towards these goals, ranging from how water,
crops, and weeds are managed, to how the hunting
program is practiced.
79Threats
- In recent years, crane use at Staten has
increased due to farming management decisions
made with wildlife in mind so that these dual
purposes could be satisfied. - This method of management becomes even more
critical given the loss of crane-compatible
habitats on nearby areas.
80Threats
- Historic crane habitat has been replaced by
vineyards on Brack and Canal Ranch tracts and
Tyler Island , and by turf farming on Terminous
Tract. - North of the Delta, habitat has been lost to
urbanization along the Cosumnes River in
northeast Elk Grove where about 100 cranes were
regularly observed in the early 1990s and on the
Laguna Creek floodplain, in southwest Elk Grove
within the past five years . - To the south, cranes foraged on winter wheat
fields near Modesto until the 1960s, but no
longer do so due to the development of orchards
and vineyards. - Additionally, some areas where compatible crops
remain in the Delta are managed in a way not
conducive to crane use foraging at Brack Tract
has greatly decreased in recent years due to the
plowing of corn and deep flooding of rice fields
which has limited foraging habitat.
81Education
Othello
Sandhill Crane Festival
- While festivals, newspaper articles, and tours
can disturb cranes if not carefully regulated,
they also can be beneficial by drawing visitors
to whom information can be provided on the
species, and support can be generated for the
birds and their habitats.
82 Conclusions
- Summer on coast of B.C. and
- southern Alaska.
- Winter at Ridgefield/Sauvie
- Island area and northern
- Sacramento Valley.
- Birds captured were the
- Canadian race.
83Conboy Lake NWR
84Conboy Lake
- FINAL STATUS REPORT ON THE 2003 GREATER SANDHILL
CRANE NESTING SEASON AT CONBOY LAKE NATIONAL
WILDLIFE REFUGE, KLICKITAT COUNTY, WASHINGTON - Joseph D. Engler 1, Daniel C. Friesz 1, Eric D.
Anderson 1, and David P. Anderson 2 - 1 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ridgefield
National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Ridgefield,
Washington - 2 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife,
Trout Lake, Washington
85Endangered Greater Sandhill Cranes
- Since 1995, the Ridgefield NWR Complex staff with
the assistance of Washington Department of Fish
and Wildlife (WDFW) and Yakama Indian Nation
(YIN) personnel has monitored the only known
breeding population of greater sandhill cranes
(Grus canadensis tabida) in Washington. - This breeding population was classified as
endangered by the State of Washington in 1981 due
to its limited range and small extant population
(Washington Administration Code 232-12-014). -
- Formerly more widespread in Washington, this
subspecies is currently known to nest only on the
Conboy Lake NWR within the Glenwood Valley
(Klickitat County), Panakanic Valley (Klickitat
County), Yakama Indian Nation lands (Yakima
County), and on Department of Natural Resources
land (Yakima County). - The Conboy Lake NWR provides nesting habitat for
approximately 85 of all known breeding cranes in
Washington.
86Sandhill Crane Breeding Pairs and Production in
Washington, 1992-2003
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
WA Population Estimate 6 6 8 22 26 34 39 40 47 50 50 49
Breeding Pairs On-Refuge 3 3 3 7 (2) 8 (2) 12 14 13 (1) 13 (3) 14 (2) 11 (5) 15 (2)
Breeding Pairs Off-Refuge 1 1 (1) 2 (1) 3 (3) 3 (1) 2 (1) 2 (2) 2 (2) 3 (1)
Subadult (non-breeders) On-Refuge 0 0 4 5 4 9 10 10 7
Young Produced 3 0 0 1 3 5 5 5 6 0 2 5
data in parentheses represent territorial pairs
without confirmed nesting data
87Population Growth
- Data indicates that the greater sandhill crane
nesting population in Washington is currently
stable or slightly increasing.
88Population Growth
- However, population growth has been relatively
low since 1997, as the population has increased
by only 6 pairs, despite the recruitment of 27
young into the population from 1995-2002.
89Population Growth
- Assessing this low population growth,
particularly within the Glenwood Valley, is
further confounded by - 1) the presence of a disproportionate number of
males in the sub-adult population, - 2) the continued failure of several banded
breeding age pairs to establish firm territories,
and - 3) the 2003 disappearance of two banded breeding
age males from the local population.
90Conboy Lake
- 2003 marks the ninth year of comprehensive data
collection on the refuges nesting sandhill crane
population with additional data collected for
off-refuge crane nesting. - This work is believed to encompass all of the
current nesting by greater sandhill cranes in
Washington. - Over the years, this project has documented crane
nesting sites and habitat use, individual pair
production, breeding season time frames,
territory data, migration and wintering sites,
site fidelity, and juvenile survival.
91Threats
- The inability to co-manage water adequately for
crane nesting on contiguous tracts of refuge and
private lands is believed to be a primary reason
for territory failure.
92Research
- Further, refuge funds have dwindled considerably
in recent years, barely allowing for continued
monitoring of the refuge population. - Long-term monitoring and this accumulated history
on established pairs and territories facilitate
the collection and analysis of data for these
established crane territories. - However, the current level of monitoring has been
insufficient in recent years to delineate the
breeding status and territory affiliations of
new pairs and re-nest attempts. - This has reduced the ability to accurately
estimate the number of breeding pairs and
recruitment within the Glenwood Valley, as well
as estimating the Washington population overall.
93Needs
- In order to fulfill the objectives of the
Washington State Sandhill Crane Recovery Plan
(Littlefield and Ivey 2002), it is imperative to
increase the monitoring of these potential
expansion sites and evaluate habitat conditions
and productivity.
94Needs
- A satellite telemetry project would enable the
collection of data on seasonal movements and
dispersal patterns of sub-adults. A telemetry
project could also serve to identify areas
utilized by pioneering cranes, thus focusing
searches for new breeding territories.
95Web Sites
- www.wccwg.nacwg.org
- www.nacwg.org
- www.savingcranes.org
- www.bringbackthecranes.org
- www.operationmigration.org
- www.whoopingcrane.org
- www.pwrc.usgs.gov/cranes
- www.cosumnes.org
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97Whooping Cranes
98452
- An excellent nesting season in Canada raised
expectations for a record number of whooping
cranes to arrive at Aransas in the fall, 2003. In
mid-August, a record 61 nests had fledged 28
chicks. - The central Florida whooping crane flock
responded favorably to increased water levels and
set records in 2003 for the most nests (8) and
most fledged chicks produced (3). The pair that
successfully fledged the first whooping crane
chick (Lucky) in 2002, also were successful
parents in 2003, raising Lucky II. Survival of
the 13 juveniles released in the 2002-03 winter
was excellent, with only one mortality from a
power line strike. - All 21 whooping cranes in the eastern migratory
population left Florida on their own in the
spring of 2003. All but one survived the summer.
An additional 16 juveniles are well along in
flight training and should leave on their first
ultralight migration in October. - Captive whooping crane facilities had an
excellent production season with 41 chicks
fledged. - Total whooping crane numbers in September, both
captive (134) and wild (318), totaled 452.
99Wild Populations Adult Young Total
Aransas/Wood Buffalo NP 167 28 195
Rocky Mountains 0 0 0
Florida non-migratory 84 3 87
Wisconsin/Florida migratory 20 16 36
Subtotal in the Wild 271 47 318
This number is the anticipated number that will arrive at Aransas in fall, 2003. It is based on average adult mortality between spring and fall, and the 28 chicks seen by CWS biologists in August, 2003. Note the official size of the population is still 184 as of spring, 2003. This number is an estimate since not all whooping cranes in Florida can be found on a regular basis.
100Captive Populations Adult Young Total Breeding Pairs
Patuxent WRC, Maryland 49 11 60 10
International Crane Foundation, WI 26 10 36 10
Devonian Wildlife Conservation Center/Calgary 17 2 19 6
ACRES, New Orleans 8 0 8 0
New Orleans Zoo 2 0 2 0
San Antonio Zoo, Texas 6 0 6 2
Lowery Park Zoo, Tampa, Florida 3 0 3 0
Subtotal in Captivity 111 23 134 28
TOTALS (Wild Captive) 318 134 452
101Migration
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103October 7, 2003
104Isolation Rearing
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112Wandering Whoppers
- In August, 2003, three of the returned 2002
ultralight whoppers wandered into South Dakota,
which is not included in the NEP plan. The joint
decision was made between the Central Flyway
Council, South Dakota Department of Game, Fish
and Parks, the Whooping Crane Recovery Team and
officials with the Whooping Crane Eastern
Partnership to collect the wandering females and
return them to the reintroduction site at the
Necedah NWR. Two of the cranes (203 and 215)
were just fine when released again at Necedah,
but Crane 207 suffered capture myopathy and had
to be euthanized.
113February 12, 2004Update provided by Joan
Garland, Education Outreach Coordinator
- New Arrival to the Pen site
- At dusk on February 7, number 14-02 arrived at
the pen site from her previous location in
Madison County. The trio of adult cranes at the
pen site (numbers 5-01, 4-02, and 18-02) has not
taken kindly to the arrival of 14-02. The trio,
especially 5-01, has been trying to chase 14-02
away. ICF biologist Marianne Wellington reported
seeing 5-01 chasing 14-02 in flight. Number 5-01
got close enough to pull feathers out of 14-02!
Marianne also reported that 5-01 has been doing
so many crouch-threats to 14-02 that 5-01s belly
is black from the mud. She can spot 5-01 without
binoculars, because hes the only black and white
crane! The trio has also been doing a lot more
unison calls since 14-02 showed up. Earlier this
week all 20 cranes (16 juveniles and the four
adults) were in the pen together, although 14-02
was outside the main group.