@article{70380612ae4848f68d0b46673769589e,
title = "Heterogeneity in migration strategies of Whooping Cranes",
abstract = "Migratory birds use numerous strategies to successfully complete twice-annual movements between breeding and wintering sites. Context for conservation and management can be provided by characterizing these strategies. Variations in strategy among and within individuals support population persistence in response to changes in land use and climate. We used location data from 58 marked Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) from 2010 to 2016 to characterize migration strategies in the U.S. Great Plains and Canadian Prairies and southern boreal region, and to explore sources of heterogeneity in their migration strategy, including space use, timing, and performance. Whooping Cranes completed ~3,900-km migrations that averaged 29 days during spring and 45 days during autumn, while making 11-12 nighttime stops. At the scale of our analysis, individual Whooping Cranes showed little consistency in stopover sites used among migration seasons (i.e. low site fidelity). In contrast, individuals expressed a measure of consistency in timing, especially migration initiation dates. Whooping Cranes migrated at different times based on age and reproductive status, where adults with young initiated autumn migration after other birds, and adults with and without young initiated spring migration before subadult birds. Time spent at stopover sites was positively associated with migration bout length and negatively associated with time spent at previous stopover sites, indicating Whooping Cranes acquired energy resources at some stopover sites that they used to fuel migration. Whooping Cranes were faithful to a defined migration corridor but showed less fidelity in their selection of nighttime stopover sites; hence, spatial targeting of conservation actions may be better informed by associations with landscape and habitat features rather than documented past use at specific locations. The preservation of variation in migration strategies existing within this species that experienced a severe population bottleneck suggests that Whooping Cranes have maintained a capacity to adjust strategies when confronted with future changes in land use and climate.",
keywords = "Grus americana, Grus americana, Whooping Crane, estrategia migratoria, heterogeneidad, heterogeneity, migration strategy",
author = "Pearse, {Aaron T.} and Metzger, {Kristine L.} and Brandt, {David A.} and Bidwell, {Mark T.} and Harner, {Mary J.} and Baasch, {David M.} and Wade Harrell",
note = "Funding Information: Logistical and administrative support was provided by the Canadian Wildlife Service, Crane Trust, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program, with additional support from the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, International Crane Foundation, and Parks Canada. A. Caven, F. Chavez-Ramirez, B. Strobel, and T. Stehn were integral to the initiation and continuation of the field project. We thank B. Hartup, M. Folk, S. Herford, W. Wehtje, G. Wright, and J. Dooley for assistance and support during crane capture or other aspects. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Funding statement: This project was funded by the Canadian Wildlife Service, Crane Trust, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program, and the Joint Canada-Alberta Oil Sands Monitoring program. Funding organizations did not have input into the content of the manuscript. U.S. Geological Survey required approval of the manuscript before publication. Ethics statement: Marking and capture were conducted under Federal Fish and Wildlife Permit TE048806, Texas research permit SPR-1112-1042, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge special use permit, Canadian Wildlife Service Scientific Permit NWT-SCI-10-04, Parks Canada Agency Research and Collection Permit WB-2010-4998, and Northwest Territories Wildlife Research Permits WL004807, WL004821, and WL500051. Procedures were approved by Animal Care and Use Committee at Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center and Environment Canada{\textquoteright}s Animal Care Committees. Author contributions: A.T.P., M.T.B., K.L.M., M.J.H., and D.M.B. formulated the questions; A.T.P. and D.A.B. analyzed data; all authors collected data and supervised data collection and wrote or provided review and revisions. Data deposits: Data are deposited with ScienceBase and can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.5066/P9NRAY6F. Funding Information: Logistical and administrative support was provided by the Canadian Wildlife Service, Crane Trust, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program, with additional support from the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, International Crane Foundation, and Parks Canada. A. Caven, F. Chavez-Ramirez, B. Strobel, and T. Stehn were integral to the initiation and continuation of the field project. We thank B. Hartup, M. Folk, S. Herford, W. Wehtje, G. Wright, and J. Dooley for assistance and support during crane capture or other aspects. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This project was funded by the Canadian Wildlife Service, Crane Trust, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program, and the Joint Canada-Alberta Oil Sands Monitoring program. Funding organizations did not have input into the content of the manuscript. U.S. Geological Survey required approval of the manuscript before publication. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 Published by Oxford University Press for the American Ornithological Society 2020.",
year = "2019",
month = dec,
day = "30",
doi = "10.1093/condor/duz056",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "122",
journal = "Condor",
issn = "0010-5422",
publisher = "University of California Press",
number = "1",
}