RENESTING OF MISSISSIPPI SANDHILL CRANES IN JACKSON COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI 1965-1989

Authors

Jacob M. Valentine Jr., University of Southwestern Louisiana

Date of this Version

1992

Document Type

Article

Citation

Valentine Jr., J.M. Renesting of Mississippi sandhill cranes in Jackson County, Mississippi 1965-1989. In: Wood D. A., ed. 1992. Proceedings 1988 North American Crane Workshop, Feb. 22–24, 1988. Lake Wales, Florida (Tallahassee, FL: State of Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission Nongame Wildlife Program Technical Report #12, 1992), pp. 173-176.

Comments

Used by permission of the North American Crane Working Group.

Abstract

Among 118 active nests of Mississippi sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis pulla) in Jackson County, Mississippi, 1%5-1989, 13 were renests. Three chicks from 19 wild and 3 from 3 Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (PWRC) switched eggs hatched in 13 first nests, but 5 died early and 1 after 2 weeks. Ten eggs were dead (infertile or the embryos died) in or at the nest. Two clutches (3 eggs) were destroyed by mammalian predators, 2 eggs were taken for captive propagation, and 1 was pecked and destroyed by the crane pair. Three chicks hatched from 22 wild eggs and 1 from a PWRC switch in 13 renests. Three died early and 1 wild chick fledged. Seventeen eggs from 11 clutches failed to hatch. One nest was deserted after 1 of 2 eggs was destroyed by predation; another was deserted (1 egg gone and 1 cracked). One second clutch was laid 17 days after a 1-egg clutch was removed for captive propagation. The time between first and second sets of other matings has been much longer. Mean clutch size for 13 completed first clutches was 1.46 eggs; for 13 renests was 1.69 eggs.