Wood Buffalo National Park

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50th Anniversary of Whooping Crane International Partnership

50th Anniversary of Whooping Crane partnership

by Pam Bates, FOTWW

It is noteworthy that this year, 2016, marks the 50th anniversary of an international conservation partnership intended to save Whooping Cranes – North America’s tallest bird species. They nest and fledge in Canada’s Wood Buffalo National Park in the spring and winter in the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas. They travel 2,500 miles (5,500 kilometers) two times each year between their summer and winter habitats.
Parks Canada is taking this occasion to highlight what their conservation efforts have accomplished. Friends of the Wild Whoopers has examined their achievements and they are indeed impressive and continuing to show progress.

Wood Buffalo-Aransas Whooping Crane flock grows

Mike Keizer, External Relations Manager, Wood Buffalo explained that, “We have watched the Wood Buffalo-Aransas Whooping Crane flock grow from 48 birds in 1966 to 329 today. In fact, there are almost as many chicks born this year as there were cranes in existence when this partnership began and when annual surveys began in 1966. The 2016 chick count in August 2016 found that 45 chicks were born in 2016. 43 Whooping Crane pairs had one juvenile each and one pair had two juveniles. Annual productivity was 0.57 juveniles per nest, well above than the 20-year average of 0.48 but within the long-term natural range of variation.

Keizer emphasized that, “We are proud of our Canada-USA partnership, of our work and commitment to this endangered species and to the steady progress we continue to see. On this 50th anniversary” we want to share the results of our work with Canadians and our United States friends.”

Successful international stewardship

“This example of successful international stewardship is a model for cooperation amongst conservation groups in the preservation of endangered species that cross international borders” emphasized Friends of the Wild Whoopers President Chester McConnell.

Canada has a network of protected areas, managed by Parks Canada, that play an important role to mitigate the impacts of climate change by protecting and restoring healthy, resilient ecosystems and contributing to the recovery of species at risk. Wood Buffalo National Park is one of those protected areas. It is Canada’s largest national park with 11,070,000 acres and supports numerous wildlife species.

 

***** FOTWW’s mission is to help preserve and protect the Aransas/Wood Buffalo
population of wild whooping cranes and their habitat. *****

Friends of the Wild Whoopers is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization.

50th Anniversary

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Indian Reservations have quality Whooping Crane “Stopover habitats”

Indian Reservations have quality Whooping Crane “Stopover habitats”
by Pam Bates, Friends of the Wild Whoopers

Indian Reservations

Figure 1. Two adults and one juvenile Whooping Cranes stop to rest and feed during their 2,500 mile migration between their Canadian nesting site and Aransas Refuge winter habitat on Texas coast.

Indian Reservations in the Great Plains Region have an abundance of quality Whooping Crane “stopover habitats” according to Friends of the Wild Whoopers (FOTWW). Stopover habitats are ponds (stock dams) or other wetlands where the Whoopers stop to rest and feed for one or two nights during their two 2,500 mile migrations each year. Stopover habitats along their migration corridor are equally essential to the survival of Whooping Cranes as are their Canadian nesting sites and Aransas Refuge wintering habitats on the Texas coast.

FOTWW’s mission continues

FOTWW is continuing its mission to identify, protect, enhance and develop existing or potential “stopover habitats” for the endangered wild cranes. Our wildlife biologist Chester McConnell, with the assistance of reservation biologists, recently completed a survey of tribal trust lands in the Great Plains Region. Seven Indian reservations involving 3.8 million acres of trust lands were visited. During the surveys McConnell instructs reservation biologist on habitat management practices necessary to make ponds/wetlands acceptable to Whooping Cranes.

Stopover ponds/wetlands on Indian Reservations

McConnell and reservation biologists identified over 1,700 potential stopover ponds/wetlands on Indian reservations in North Dakota and South Dakota within the Whooping Crane migration corridor. The biologists estimated that 75 percent of the 1,700 ponds would provide good “stopover habitat”. That equates to about 1,275 ponds.

Indian Reservations

Figure 2. Numerous wildlife species use the same habitats as wild Whooping Cranes.

FOTWW’s biologist explained that if needed some of the remaining 25 percent of ponds could be managed to become acceptable stopover areas with low cost management improvements. FOTWW believes, however, that there are currently enough stopover ponds within the 3.8 million acres of trust lands if their current management condition is maintained.

Continued need to secure stopover ponds

Importantly, there is a continued need for more secure stopover ponds throughout the remainder of the Whooping Crane migration corridor. FOTWW recently completed another survey of these habitats on U.S. military bases in five states. Approximately 100 quality ponds were identified with 65 percent needing minor management. Importantly, more ponds on some military bases could become stopover sites if the need becomes apparent.

Whooping Cranes migrate between northern Canada’s Wood Buffalo National Park nesting grounds and their Aransas National Wildlife Refuge wintering area on the Texas coast two times each year. During each of the 2,500 mile migrations the cranes stopover on wetlands/ponds/lakes and streams about 10 to 15 times. There they remain for a day or two to rest and feed. Regrettably, many “stopover habitats” are being destroyed or degraded on private property due to a variety of intensified developments.

Stopover sites important for survival of the whooping cranes

Insuring that sufficient areas are available with suitable conditions as stopover sites is important for survival of the species. Proactive approaches by land owners and managers can help reduce potential mortality that occurs during migration.

FOTWW is concentrating on the wild Whooping Crane migration corridor because we believe this important part of the total management effort deserves much more attention.

***** FOTWW’s mission is to help preserve and protect the Aransas/Wood Buffalo
population of wild whooping cranes and their habitat. *****

Friends of the Wild Whoopers is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization.

friendsofthewildwhoopers.org

friendsofthewildwhoopers.org

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