Hillary Thompson, USA
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Hillary Thompson, Clemson Univ, Dept Forestry and Env Conservation, USA
xRemote xSpecies xBirds xEndangered xMovement x2015Talk xTalk
2015 Conference Student Paper: 2015 Presentation -pdf 2015 Video -mp4
"Non-breeding movements and habitat use of Whooping Cranes using Satellite telemetry"
Session: Habitat Suitability Modelling
ABSTRACT: "In the late 1940s, the endangered wild population of Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) was about 15 individuals that bred in Canada and wintered in coastal Texas. To safeguard this species from extinction, another migratory population of 100 cranes was reintroduced in 2001 that bred in Wisconsin and initially wintered in coastal Florida. Wintering habits of Whooping Cranes are well-known for the wild population, but relatively less is known about the reintroduced population. Unlike the wild population, the reintroduced population is using a variety of habitats across the southeastern United States. The winter range of this population has also expanded in recent years to include areas between Florida and southern Indiana. For a migratory species that occupies a large range including remote areas, 
satellite telemetry is an important tool to learn more about their spatial ecology. The objective of this study is to identify wintering use areas, migration distances and routes, stopover locations, and winter home range sizes. Analyses include satellite telemetry data from 70 individuals from 20022014. We also identify and describe habitat characteristics of wintering and stopover sites using a remotely-sensed national land cover data set. This research will aid in the management or protection of wintering areas and stopover sites used by this population. Remotely-sensed land cover and telemetry data are an essential part of understanding non-breeding ecology of Whooping Cranes.
