Whooping Crane (Grus americana) Family Consumes a Diversity of Aquatic Vertebrates During Fall Migration Stopover at the Platte River, Nebraska

Caven, Andrew J.; Koupal, Keith D.; Baasch, David M.; Buckley, Emma M. Brinley; Malzahn, Jenna; Forsberg, Michael; Lundgren, Mariah

doi:10.3398/064.081.0411

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…Our findings that Whooping Cranes spent 86% of daylight hours in the Platte River during this stopover are similar to those of Jorgensen and Dinan (2016), which indicated Whooping Cranes spent the vast majority of diurnal hours in palustrine wetlands (76%–85%) as opposed to nearby agricultural fields in east-central Nebraska during a couple 2015 stopovers. Important aspects of stopover habitat use, including security, quality, and forage availability, often influence behavioral patterns during migration ((Jorgensen and Dinan 2016; Baasch et al 2019; Caven et al 2021, 2022a). Presumably, secure habitats associated with an abundant food supply will result in an increase in foraging behavior and a decrease in defensive behaviors such as predator avoidance.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Record-Sized Flock of Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) Observed Staging in the Central Platte River Valley During Autumn 2021

Baasch,

Rabbe,

Medaries

et al. 2023

Waterbirds

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Increases in population size and reductions in suitable migration stopover habitat associated with drought, water development, and agricultural practices, along with conspecific attraction, are hypothesized mechanisms for increasing flock sizes of migrating Whooping Cranes. During autumn 2021, we observed such a phenomenon during a period of drought in the central Great Plains when 46 Whooping Cranes gathered as a single flock in the central Platte River valley. We provide a detailed account of how this larger aggregation formed from 5 smaller groups, behavioral observations, and environmental conditions experienced during this event including river flow, ambient temperature, and wind and drought conditions. Here, we report considerations for environmental and hydrologic conditions preceding and during this event as well as use patterns and behaviors we observed while the largest single flock of Whooping Cranes ever documented in the United States portion of the migration corridor was in the central Platte River valley.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Record-Sized Flock of Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) Observed Staging in the Central Platte River Valley During Autumn 2021

Baasch,

Rabbe,

Medaries

et al. 2023

Waterbirds

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“…1902), 'washing' (in the sense of cleansing), or making it easier to swallow (Hartert & Young 1928). Young cranes learn new food types and feeding behaviours from the adults while still dependent (Horwich 1996), including for vertebrate prey, for example Whooping Cranes teach young to forage on vertebrates by half-killing them and laying them beside the young to process and eat (Caven et al 2021). Cranes also learn from watching others forage in the social (flocking) season or by individual learning through trial and error.…”

Section: Animal Foods Food Handling and Learning By The Youngmentioning

confidence: 99%

New records and a review of animal foods in the diets of the Brolga Antigone rubicunda and Australian Sarus Crane A. antigone gillae

Scambler¹,

Nevard²

2023

AFO

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Cranes are opportunistic omnivores, sometimes considered to be primarily vegetarian. However, there is limited knowledge in Australia of their animal prey and its importance in their diets. From field records in 2006–2021, we report novel foods including fish and crabs taken by adult Australian Sarus Cranes Antigone antigone gillae and the first records of the foods of their dependent young (crabs and grasshoppers). For Brolgas A. rubicunda, we report the first records of ducklings as prey, and of crabs, beetles and grasshoppers fed to dependent young. Both species have learnt to prey on rodents displaced or killed by sugar cane harvesting machinery in northern Queensland. A review of diet records since 1810 also reveals some overlooked foods and food-handling methods but, despite a sighting of a Brolga ingesting a whole Cane Toad Rhinella marina, there is no evidence of immunity to the toad’s toxin in either species of crane. The plant and animal components of the diet of the dependent young of both species remain almost unknown and there are also significant knowledge gaps for the animal prey of adult Australian Sarus Cranes; the vertebrate prey of adult Brolgas; and the balance of prey types for both species in the breeding and non-breeding seasons. To advance knowledge of crane diets and nutritional ecology in Australia and New Guinea, direct field techniques including faecal sampling, collection of shed feathers and camera trapping could be undertaken, supported by remote electronic technologies in relatively inaccessible breeding wetlands. Meanwhile – in anticipation of the forthcoming revision of the Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds – we urge fieldworkers, birdwatchers and others to examine their field notes for unpublished information on crane foraging and food items, especially for the dependent young of Brolgas and Australian Sarus Cranes.

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Whooping Crane (Grus americana) Family Consumes a Diversity of Aquatic Vertebrates During Fall Migration Stopover at the Platte River, Nebraska

Cited by 2 publications

References 70 publications

Record-Sized Flock of Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) Observed Staging in the Central Platte River Valley During Autumn 2021

Record-Sized Flock of Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) Observed Staging in the Central Platte River Valley During Autumn 2021

New records and a review of animal foods in the diets of the Brolga Antigone rubicunda and Australian Sarus Crane A. antigone gillae

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