Whooping crane<i>Grus americana</i>chick mortality and management intervention

King, Richard; Espenshade, Jessica L.; Kirkpatrick-Wahl, Sarah; Lapinski, Monika K.; Malekan, I. S.; Ricket, Jennifer M.

doi:10.2981/12-133

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 51 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…A separate study found 84% of wild sandhill cranes that had granulomas were also shedding oocysts in the feces [ 19 ]. Wild whooping crane chicks are associated with high mortality (27%- 68%) during the first 20 days after hatching [ 20 – 22 ], and the role of DVC as a cause of wild chick mortality is poorly understood [ 11 ]. Additionally, infection with these Eimeria species may make surviving birds more susceptible to other disease or predation [ 12 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coccidian Parasites and Conservation Implications for the Endangered Whooping Crane (Grus americana)

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

While the population of endangered whooping cranes (Grus americana) has grown from 15 individuals in 1941 to an estimated 304 birds today, the population growth is not sufficient to support a down-listing of the species to threatened status. The degree to which disease may be limiting the population growth of whooping cranes is unknown. One disease of potential concern is caused by two crane-associated Eimeria species: Eimeria gruis and E. reichenowi. Unlike most species of Eimeria, which are localized to the intestinal tract, these crane-associated species may multiply systemically and cause a potentially fatal disease. Using a non-invasive sampling approach, we assessed the prevalence and phenology of Eimeria oocysts in whooping crane fecal samples collected across two winter seasons (November 2012–April 2014) at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge along the Texas Gulf coast. We also compared the ability of microscopy and PCR to detect Eimeria in fecal samples. Across both years, 26.5% (n = 328) of fecal samples were positive for Eimeria based on microscopy. Although the sensitivity of PCR for detecting Eimeria infections seemed to be less than that of microscopy in the first year of the study (8.9% vs. 29.3%, respectively), an improved DNA extraction protocol resulted in increased sensitivity of PCR relative to microscopy in the second year of the study (27.6% and 20.8%, respectively). The proportion of positive samples did not vary significantly between years or among sampling sites. The proportion of Eimeria positive fecal samples varied with date of collection, but there was no consistent pattern of parasite shedding between the two years. We demonstrate that non-invasive fecal collections combined with PCR and DNA sequencing techniques provides a useful tool for monitoring Eimeria infection in cranes. Understanding the epidemiology of coccidiosis is important for management efforts to increase population growth of the endangered whooping crane.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coccidian Parasites and Conservation Implications for the Endangered Whooping Crane (Grus americana)

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Reintroductions and translocations, the human‐mitigated movement of organisms from one area to release in another (International Union for Conservation of Nature ), are conservation management tools that provide a unique opportunity to explore these behavioral responses. Although accounting for behavior has been recognized as an important element to successful wildlife management, many reintroduction and translocation projects have occurred without understanding or consideration for behavioral responses, potentially limiting the success of translocation efforts (Letty et al , Sheean et al ), where success may be measured by survivorship (Troy et al ), breeding success (King et al ), integration into an existing population (Scillitani et al ), or restoration of key ecological functions (Griffiths et al ). For example, a study of northern water snakes ( Nerodia sipedon sipedon ) found thermoregulatory behaviors were impaired in translocated individuals, leading to management recommendations that included matching pre‐ and post‐translocation habitat conditions, releasing individuals into enclosures, and enriching environmental conditions for captive snakes prior to translocation (Roe et al ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of homing and movement behaviors on translocation: Desert tortoises in the western Mojave Desert

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Translocation of threatened or vulnerable species is a tool increasingly used for conservation and management. However, in some species, homing and movement behaviors may undermine the success of translocation efforts. For the federally protected Agassiz's desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), translocation is a strategy used to manage declining populations, yet homing behavior in this species is poorly understood. To explore homing behavior and movement patterns after translocation, we radio tracked 80 tortoises during a 2‐phase experimental translocation. Phase 1 included 40 tortoises that were translocated, then monitored for a period of 37 days (21 Sep–28 Oct 2009), and phase 2 included a different group of 40 tortoises that were translocated and then monitored for 186 days (13 Apr–20 Oct 2010). In both phases, we assigned tortoises randomly to 1 of 3 treatment groups: translocated (displaced 2, 5, or 8 km from their source location), handling control, or control. After translocation, 20% of the translocated tortoises were able to navigate to their source location, and translocation distance had an effect on their ability to navigate home. We found 44% of tortoises in the 2‐km translocated group returned home; 1 tortoise in the 5‐km group, and no tortoises in the 8‐km translocated group returned. The time required to reach home ranged from 5 to 37 days for the 2‐km group, and 34 days for the 5‐km group. We deemed tortoises to have homed successfully if they returned to their source location within 37 days of translocation as this reflected the duration of phase 1 and allowed for a balanced comparison between the 2 phases. We found that translocated tortoises moved at least 1.5 times more overall than the control groups, with some individuals moving >10 km from the translocation site. These patterns persisted even after accounting for seasonal and sex differences in distance traveled. By identifying homing behaviors and quantifying post‐translocation movement patterns, this experiment addressed a key data gap in tortoise behavior that may limit the efficacy of tortoise translocation efforts. Our results point to the need to account for behavioral responses of tortoises to minimize risk to translocated individuals and maximize the success of translocation projects. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.

show abstract

“…The nesting phase is the most vulnerable period for many threatened ground‐breeding birds (Assersohn et al., 2021 ). Findings indicate that half of Whooping Crane ( Grus americana ) chick mortalities occur during hatching and before the chicks are 1 month old (King et al., 2013 ), while the hatching rate of GCCs is also low (Gichuki, 2000 ). While any approach to a nest site or family grouping for monitoring purposes likely causes some level of disturbance, researchers should note the response of the parents, which may vary depending on the perceived level of danger to either themselves or their offspring (Dowling & Bonier, 2018 ; Lima, 2009 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drones as a tool to study and monitor endangered Grey Crowned Cranes (Balearica regulorum): Behavioural responses and recommended guidelines

Demmer,

McIntyre

2024

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Crane populations are declining worldwide, with anthropogenically exacerbated habitat loss emerging as the primary causal threat. The endangered Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum) is the least studied of the three crane species that reside in southern Africa. This data paucity hinders essential conservation planning and is primarily due to ineffective monitoring methods and this species' use of inaccessible habitats. In this study, we compared the behavioural responses of different Grey Crowned Crane social groupings to traditional on‐foot monitoring methods and the pioneering use of drones. Grey Crowned Cranes demonstrated a lower tolerance for on‐foot monitoring approaches, allowing closer monitoring proximity with drones (22.72 (95% confidence intervals ‐ 13.75, 37.52) m) than on‐foot methods (97.59 (86.13, 110.59) m) before displaying evasive behaviours. The behavioural response of flocks was minimal at flight heights above 50 m, whilst larger flocks were more likely to display evasive behaviours in response to monitoring by either method. Families displayed the least evasive behaviours to lower flights, whereas nesting birds were sensitive to the angles of drone approaches. Altogether, our findings confirm the usefulness of drones for monitoring wetland‐nesting species and provide valuable species‐specific guidelines for monitoring Grey Crowned Cranes. However, we caution future studies on wetland breeding birds to develop species‐specific protocols before implementing drone methodologies.

show abstract

Whooping craneGrus americanachick mortality and management intervention

Cited by 6 publications

References 51 publications

Coccidian Parasites and Conservation Implications for the Endangered Whooping Crane (Grus americana)

Coccidian Parasites and Conservation Implications for the Endangered Whooping Crane (Grus americana)

The effects of homing and movement behaviors on translocation: Desert tortoises in the western Mojave Desert

Drones as a tool to study and monitor endangered Grey Crowned Cranes (Balearica regulorum): Behavioural responses and recommended guidelines

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About