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INTRODUCTION <br />Palustrine and riverine habitats in the central Great Plains provide roosting and foraging habitat to <br />whooping cranes (Grus americana) during spring and fall migration. Characteristics of roost habitat have <br />been examined in detail for the Platte River in Nebraska (Johnson 1982, Lingle et al. 1984, Faanes 1992, <br />Faanes and Bowman 1992, Faanes et al. 1992), an area long recognized as a critical habitat for the <br />whooping crane. Although the Platte River is the best known spring migratory stopover area for whooping <br />cranes, whooping cranes use many other areas during spring and fall migration. Whooping cranes have <br />been observed on various roosting and feeding areas throughout the migration path, which extends through <br />North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Because these habitats play a key role <br />in crane migration, the recovery plan for the whooping crane (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1994) <br />identified the collection of data on the use of these habitats as an important task in the conservation of the <br />species. <br />The Whooping Crane Recovery Team compiled a list of documented whooping crane observations <br />for the period 1943 -79. Collection of information on whooping crane use of roost and feeding areas was <br />begun in 1975. Observations were categorized as confirmed (verified by state or federal biologist or other <br />known, qualified observer), probable (no verification, yet details seem to identify the birds as whooping <br />cranes, based on factors such as location within normal migration corridor and on appropriate site, <br />accurate physical description provided, number of birds is reasonable, and behavior does not eliminate <br />whooping cranes), and unconfirmed (details of sightings met some but not all of the factors listed for a <br />probable sighting). Observations dating back to 1943 were also added into the database. Basic data <br />collected for these records included number of birds, sex, age class, location, and number of days observed. <br />Beginning in 1978, site evaluations were initiated for collection of more extensive information on roost and <br />feeding sites. This greatly expanded the scope and detail of data collected to include wetland type and size, <br />2 <br />