Distribution and status of the Greater Sandhill Crane in Wisconsin

[摘要] The greater sandhill crane (Grus canadensis tabida)was studied from September, 1972, through November, 1973.Important nesting habitats are river marshes, lake marshes,flooded meadows, cattail marshes, sedge marshes, cranberryreservoirs, and bogs. The mean size of 143 marshes whereone or more pairs of sandhill cranes were located was 339acres. Approximately 850 sandhill cranes were present inWisconsin during the summer of 1973. Of the 250 known pairs,nests were located for 40 pairs and 66 pairs were known to haveproduced 87 young. An estimated 55 additional pairs werenot observed and an estimated 152 cranes were present asnon-breeders. Thirty-three nests had a mean clutch sizeof 1.788 and 55 percent of all known nests were on land inprivate ownership. The densities of cranes in Wisconsinwere low in relation to other North American populationsindicating that the number of cranes in Wisconsin shouldcontinue to increase if their habitat is preserved. Whitecollars were placed on 29 cranes and measurements of 36captured cranes indicated that none could be definitelyclassified as belonging to the rowani subspecies.

[发布机构] University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point