Whooping Crane Migrational Habitat Use Draft ‎(2)‎

• File Number: 8461.100
• Description: Adaptive Management Workgroup
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 8/6/2008
• Author: Shay Howlin, Clayton Derby, Dale Strickland, Western Ecosystems Technology, Inc.
• Title: Whooping Crane Migrational Habitat Use Draft
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

INTRODUCTION
This analysis summarizes the data obtained through the implementation of the whooping crane
monitoring protocol (PRESP 2005) during the Cooperative Agreement (CA) period of the Platte
River Endangered Species Partnership. The protocol was developed by the Technical Committee
of the CA and implemented during 11 migration seasons; the spring and fall seasons of 2001 to
2006, excluding the spring of 2003. This analysis was completed for the Platte River Recovery
Implementation Program (Program).
There were five obj ectives stated in the monitoring protocol:
1) Detect whooping crane migrational stopovers in the study area: Systematic aerial surveys
of the study area will be conducted and the data will be used to comparatively evaluate changes
in the frequency and the distribution of stopovers within the study area over time. Opportunistic
locates will also be used to evaluate whooping crane stopovers in the study area.
2) Identify the locations of crane group movements and use in the study area: Crane group
movements will be documented in order to identify use-sites, and to describe the patterns of
movement of each crane group.
3) Qualitatively document crane group activities at use-sites: Observers will qualitatively
document activities displayed by the crane groups. Observed activities may help identify factors
that influence how cranes use the area and aid in the interpretation of whooping crane behavior.
4) Document the physical and/or biological characteristics of use-sites: Habitat parameters
will be described and measured at areas of use for those whooping cranes observed stopping in
the central Platte River valley for comparative habitat analyses (e.g., as in determining habitat
suitability or preference analyses).
5) Landscape Data Collection: Basic landscape data of whooping crane use-sites in the
study area will be collected from aerial photography and Geographic Information System (GIS)
information and appropriate landscape data collected using other protocols. This information will
be used in landscape scale use/availability analyses.
We addressed these objectives through five analyses of the observed data: estimation of aerial
survey detection rates, movement pattern summary, trends in the index of use, activity summary,
and habitat selection.
METHODS
The CA study area extends from Chapman, Nebraska, westward to the junction of US Highway
283 and Interstate 80 near Lexington, Nebraska, and includes an area 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers)
on either side of the Platte River centerline (river mile 151 to river mile 258; PRESP 2005).
Daily aerial surveys took place from March 21 to Apri129 in the spring of 2001-02 and 2004-06,
and from October 9 to November 10 in the fall of 2001-06 to locate crane groups in the study
area (PRESP 2005). The study area was sampled along eight transects: one following the south