Distribution and status of the Greater Sandhill Crane in Wisconsin
File(s)
Date
1974Author
Gluesing, Ernest A.
Publisher
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The greater sandhill crane (Grus canadensis tabida)
was studied from September, 1972, through November, 1973.
Important nesting habitats are river marshes, lake marshes,
flooded meadows, cattail marshes, sedge marshes, cranberry
reservoirs, and bogs. The mean size of 143 marshes where
one or more pairs of sandhill cranes were located was 339
acres. Approximately 850 sandhill cranes were present in
Wisconsin during the summer of 1973. Of the 250 known pairs,
nests were located for 40 pairs and 66 pairs were known to have
produced 87 young. An estimated 55 additional pairs were
not observed and an estimated 152 cranes were present as
non-breeders. Thirty-three nests had a mean clutch size
of 1.788 and 55 percent of all known nests were on land in
private ownership. The densities of cranes in Wisconsin
were low in relation to other North American populations
indicating that the number of cranes in Wisconsin should
continue to increase if their habitat is preserved. White
collars were placed on 29 cranes and measurements of 36
captured cranes indicated that none could be definitely
classified as belonging to the rowani subspecies.