MORTALITY OF WHOOPING CRANE COLTS IN WOOD BUFFALO NATIONAL PARK, CANADA, 1997-99

Authors

DOUGLAS G. BERGESON, Parks Canada, Wood Buffalo National Park
BRIAN W. JOHNS, Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service
GEOFFREY L. HOLROYD, Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service

Date of this Version

2001

Document Type

Article

Citation

Bergeson, Douglas G., Johns, Brian W., and Holroyd, Geoffrey L. Mortality of whooping crane colts in Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada, 1997-99. In: Ellis, David H., ed., Proceedings of the Eighth North American Crane Workshop, 11–14 January 2000, Albuquerque, New Mexico (Seattle, Wash: North American Crane Working Group, 2001), pp. 6-10.

Comments

Reproduced by permission of the North American Crane Working Group (NACWG).

Abstract

Twenty-two whooping crane (Grus americana) pairs with 2 young were monitored in Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP) over 3 years to determine causes of colt mortality. The family groups were monitored from the ground, air, and with the aid ofradioteiemetry. We attached transmitters to 18 colts: 5 (28%) fledged, 5 (28%) succumbed to cumulative effects (head trauma, stress, exposure and/or infection), 4 (22%) were lost to unknown causes (3 of these went missing after they had lost their transmitters), 2 (11%) were taken by foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 1 (5.5%) was lost to raven (Corvus corax) predation, and 1 (5.5%) died of pneumonia. Of the 22 pairs we monitored, 16 young fledged. Of these, 2 (13%) were the younger sibling.