New Summer Areas and Mixing of Two Greater Sandhill Crane Populations in the Intermountain West

Abstract

Population delineation throughout the annual life cycle for migratory birds is needed to formulate regional and national management and conservation strategies. Despite being well studied continentally, connectivity of sandhill crane Grus canadensis populations throughout the western portion of their North American range remains poorly described. Our objectives were to 1) use global positioning system satellite transmitter terminals to identify summer distributions for the Lower Colorado River Valley Population of greater sandhill cranes Grus canadensis tabida and 2) determine whether intermingling occurs among any of the western greater sandhill crane populations: Rocky Mountain Population, Lower Colorado River Valley Population, and Central Valley Population. Capture and marking occurred during winter and summer on private lands in California and Idaho as well as on two National Wildlife Refuges: Cibola and Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuges. A majority of marked greater sandhill cranes summered in what is established Lower Colorado River Valley Population breeding areas in northeastern Nevada and southwestern Idaho. A handful of greater sandhill cranes summered outside of traditional breeding areas in west-central Idaho around Cascade Reservoir near Donnelly and Cascade, Idaho. For example, a greater sandhill crane colt captured near Donnelly in July 2014 survived to winter migration and moved south to areas associated with the Rocky Mountain Population. The integration of the greater sandhill crane colt captured near Donnelly provides the first evidence of potential intermingling between the Lower Colorado River Population and Rocky Mountain Population. We suggest continued marking and banding efforts of all three western populations of greater sandhill cranes will accurately delineate population boundaries and connectivity and inform management decisions for the three populations.

Sustainability assessment of Plain Pigeons and White-crowned Pigeons illegally hunted in Puerto Rico

“…One study has been undertaken that followed RMP cranes fitted with radio-transmitters, and this research did identify variation among individuals and years in the timing of movements from the breeding to the staging areas (Drewien et al 1999). A telemetry study that is currently underway (Collins et al 2016) could help our understanding of movement patterns in association with the fall survey, similar to what has been done for the Mid-Continent Population of Sandhill Cranes (Pearse et al 2015).…”

Summer Habitat Selection of the Lower Colorado River Valley Population of Greater Sandhill Cranes

“…In the summer of 2014, we also captured cranes in the wet meadow wetland habitat in west-central Idaho. For complete capture area descriptions, please refer to Collins et al (2015). Capture and transmitter attachment methods were approved by Texas Tech University Institutional Animal Care and Use Protocol #13108-12.…”

“…Resource use and selection studies of sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis) have mainly been conducted in staging areas such as the Platte River in Nebraska, overwintering areas such as the Texas Southern High Plains, Texas Coast, Southern California, and Arizona, or on breeding ranges in Oregon and the Arctic (Krapu et al 1984;Iverson et al 1985;Norling et al 1992;Baker et al 1995;Littlefield 1995;Conring 2016). However, little research has been conducted on greater sandhill cranes (A. c. tabida; hereafter crane[s]), particularly on their summer areas in the Intermountain West (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming) (Tacha et al 1992;August 2011;Collins et al 2015). Cranes summering in southwest and south-central Idaho, northeast Nevada, northwest Utah (Ivey and Herziger 2006;August 2011;Collins et al 2015), and likely west-central Idaho (J. M. Knetter, Idaho Department of Fish & Game, personal communication) are associated with the LCRVP.…”

“…However, little research has been conducted on greater sandhill cranes (A. c. tabida; hereafter crane[s]), particularly on their summer areas in the Intermountain West (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming) (Tacha et al 1992;August 2011;Collins et al 2015). Cranes summering in southwest and south-central Idaho, northeast Nevada, northwest Utah (Ivey and Herziger 2006;August 2011;Collins et al 2015), and likely west-central Idaho (J. M. Knetter, Idaho Department of Fish & Game, personal communication) are associated with the LCRVP. The LCRVP is the least abundant (3-y average ¼ 2,768; Dubovsky 2016), has the lowest reported recruitment (4.8%; Drewien et al 1995), and is the least studied of any migratory crane population in North America (Dubovsky 2016).…”

“…Our objectives were to estimate home ranges using satellite transmitters for use in assessing habitat selection ratios of LCRVP cranes during the summering months to help identify habitats in need of conservation measures (i.e., enhancement, easements, acquisition, etc.). This analysis is one piece of a project that has looked at different variables throughout the entire annual cycle of LCRVP cranes: winter home range and resource use, migration strategy and timing, and discovered new summering areas of LCRVP cranes (Collins et. al 2015;Conring 2016).…”