Roost Sites Influence Habitat Selection of Sandhill Cranes (Antigone canadensis tabida) in Arizona and California

Abstract

Wetlands in arid and semiarid regions are recognized as priority ecosystems for conservation of wetland-dependent species in these systems. Evaluation of habitat selection is necessary for effective habitat management and, consequently, population management. The Lower Colorado River Valley population of Greater Sandhill Cranes (Antigone canadensis tabida), winters exclusively in portions of southwestern Arizona and southeastern California. Therefore, there is a need for information pertaining to winter habitat selection to guide management decisions. We attached solar-powered satellite platform transmitter terminals to greater Sandhill Cranes and used daily global positioning system locations. Each used location paired with 10 randomly generated locations had equal probability of drawing any of the randomly generated locations. We evaluated habitat selection and found the model that included land use type (β = −5.85, SE = 0.23, P < 0.001) and distance to roost (β = −4.61, SE = 0.16, P < 0.001) as interactive effects was the most supported model in the candidate set. Our results emphasize the importance of maintaining wetlands in close proximity (~ 5 km) to selected land use types, which can be challenging to manage for in arid systems but are particularly necessary for this high conservation priority population of greater Sandhill Cranes.

Editorial: Looking Back While Looking Forward

“…Sénéchal et al (2022) conduct a careful before-after evaluation assessing the use of a reservoir for waterbirds and show significant improvements in brood density for a number of species. Collins et al (2022) conduct a nuanced study of Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis tabida) habits and find foraging behaviour in different land uses, primarily artificial ones, to be influenced strongly by proximity to wetlands where they roosted. Finally, Jiménez et al (2022) show the value of using robust double counts to estimate the population of Florida's Least Terns (Sternula antillarum) that nest on rooftops.…”