Publications

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eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus and culiseta melanura activity at the patuxent wildlife research center, 1985-90.mosquito population densities, virus isolations and seroconversion in sentinel quail were used to monitor eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus (eee) activity at the patuxent wildlife research center, laurel, maryland, from 1985 through 1990. a dramatic increase in the number of culiseta melanura collected in 1989, as compared with the 3 previous years, was associated with virus isolations from this species (5/75 pools; n = 542 mosquitoes) and with seroconversion in sentinel quail (4/22 birds p ...19921357091
antibody response of sandhill and whooping cranes to an eastern equine encephalitis virus vaccine.as a possible strategy to protect whooping cranes (grus americana) from fatal eastern equine encephalitis (eee) viral infection, studies were conducted to determine the immune response of this species and sandhill cranes (grus canadensis) to a formalin-inactivated eee viral vaccine. viral-specific neutralizing antibody was elicited in both species after intramuscular (im) vaccination. subcutaneous and intravenous routes of vaccination failed to elicit detectable antibody in sandhill cranes. amon ...19872824863
detection of eastern equine encephalomyelitis viral antigen in avian blood by enzyme immunoassay: a laboratory study.an enzyme immunoassay (eia) was evaluated for its efficacy at detecting eastern equine encephalomyelitis (eee) virus in avian blood and brain specimens. preliminary analysis of blood from experimentally infected house sparrows and naturally infected whooping cranes showed that eee antigen could be detected with the eia. polyclonal mouse antibodies were selected for antigen capture, and rabbit antibodies were selected for antigen detection. overnight antigen incubation increased sensitivity. the ...19863010753
mortality of captive whooping cranes caused by eastern equine encephalitis virus.of 39 captive whooping cranes (grus americana), 7 died during a 7-week period (sept 17 through nov 4, 1984) at the patuxent wildlife research center, laurel, md. before their deaths, 4 cranes did not develop clinical signs, whereas the other 3 cranes were lethargic and ataxic, with high aspartate transaminase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, and lactic acid dehydrogenase activities, and high uric acid concentrations. necropsies indicated that the birds had ascites, intestinal mucosal discoloration, ...19863505915
avian tuberculosis and salmonellosis in a whooping crane (grus americana). 19863951043
efficacy of eastern equine encephalitis immunization in whooping cranes.an epizootic of eastern equine encephalitis (eee) at the patuxent wildlife research center (pwrc), laurel, maryland (usa), in 1989 provided an opportunity to determine if eee immunization protected whooping cranes (grus americana). based on seroconversion of 31% of sympatric hatch-year sandhill cranes, grus canadensis, and a previous 35% case fatality rate in whooping cranes, 17 (37%) of the 46 susceptible whooping cranes should have been exposed to virus and six should have died. as there were ...19979131565
isolation of a sex-linked dna sequence in cranes.a female-specific dna fragment (csl-w; crane sex-linked dna on w chromosome) was cloned from female whooping cranes (grus americana). from the nucleotide sequence of csl-w, a set of polymerase chain reaction (pcr) primers was identified which amplify a 227-230 bp female-specific fragment from all existing crane species and some other noncrane species. a duplicated versions of the dna segment, which is found to have a larger size (231-235 bp) than csl-w in both sexes, was also identified, and was ...200111773245
recommended design for more accurate duplication of natural conditions in salt marsh creation.construction of 653 ha of salt marsh habitat from dredged material near the aransas national wildlife refuge, texas, has been proposed, with the goal of increasing the area of habitat available to endangered whooping cranes ( grus americana). we assessed prototype created wetlands, and their similarity to natural reference sites, in terms of topography, vegetation, and hydrology. the created sites were steeply sloped relative to natural sites and were dominated by monotypic stands of spartina al ...200211992173
presence of encysted immature nematodes in a released whooping crane (grus americana).numerous nematode cysts were observed throughout the mesentery and on the surface of gastrointestinal organs in a whooping crane (grus americana) that was found dead in a central florida marsh. morphology of the excysted nematodes most closely resembled third-stage larvae in the order spirurida but were not similar to any species previously reported in whooping cranes. evidence presented suggests that the larvae may be physocephalus sexalatus, a swine spirurid in the subfamily ascaropsinae that ...200112785711
pathology and pathogenesis of disseminated visceral coccidiosis in cranes.disseminated visceral coccidiosis (dvc) caused by eimeria spp. was recognized as a disease entity in captive sandhill cranes (grus canadensis) and whooping cranes (grus americana) in the late 1970s. while most avian species of eimeria inhabit the intestinal tract of its host, the crane eimerians, eimeria reichenowi and eimeria gruis, invade and multiply systemically and complete their development in both digestive and respiratory tracts. in dvc, cranes, especially chicks, may succumb to acute in ...200415223553
campylobacter canadensis sp. nov., from captive whooping cranes in canada.ten isolates of an unknown campylobacter species were isolated from cloacal swabs obtained from captive adult whooping cranes (grus americana). all isolates were identified as campylobacter based on generic pcr and grouped with other campylobacter species based on 23s rrna gene sequence. none of the isolates could be identified by species-specific pcr for known taxa, and all ten isolates formed a robust clade that was very distinct from known campylobacter species based on 16s rrna, rpob and cpn ...200717978232
clinical use of recombinant human bone morphogenic protein-2 in a whooping crane (grus americana).to report use of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhbmp-2) as adjunctive therapy for treatment of a comminuted, open, proximal humeral fracture in an avian species.200819134105
evaluation of the enteric microflora of captive whooping cranes (grus americana) and sandhill cranes (grus canadensis).the enteric flora of captive whooping cranes (grus americana) and sandhill cranes (grus canadensis) has not been well described, despite its potential importance in the understanding of both the normal condition of the intestinal physiology of these animals and the altered colonization within disease states in these birds. nineteen whooping cranes and 23 sandhill cranes housed currently at the calgary zoo or its affiliated devonian wildlife conservation centre (dwcc) in calgary, alberta were sam ...200719360567
pathogenicity of west nile virus and response to vaccination in sandhill cranes (grus canadensis) using a killed vaccine.west nile virus was introduced into the united states in the vicinity of new york, new york, usa in 1999. the virus has since killed large numbers of birds nationwide, especially, but not limited to, crows (corvus brachyrhinchos). one sandhill crane (grus canadensis) at the bridgeport zoo (bridgeport, connecticut, usa) reportedly died from west nile virus, so sandhill cranes and endangered whooping cranes (grus americana), both in the wild and in captive breeding colonies at united states geolog ...200919569472
survey for antibodies to infectious bursal disease virus serotype 2 in wild turkeys and sandhill cranes of florida, usa.captive-reared whooping cranes (grus americana) released into florida for the resident reintroduction project experienced unusually high mortality and morbidity during the 1997-98 and 2001-02 release seasons. exposure to infectious bursal disease virus (ibdv) serotype 2 as evidenced by seroconversion was suspected to be the factor that precipitated these mortality events. very little is known about the incidence of ibd in wild bird populations. before this study, natural exposure had not been do ...201020688680
comprehensive mapping of common immunodominant epitopes in the eastern equine encephalitis virus e2 protein recognized by avian antibody responses.eastern equine encephalitis virus (eeev) is a mosquito-borne virus that can cause both human and equine encephalitis with high case fatality rates. eeev can also be widespread among birds, including pheasants, ostriches, emu, turkeys, whooping cranes and chickens. the e2 protein of eeev and other alphaviruses is an important immunogenic protein that elicits antibodies of diagnostic value. while many therapeutic and diagnostic applications of e2 protein-specific antibodies have been reported, the ...201323922704
coccidian parasites and conservation implications for the endangered whooping crane (grus americana).while the population of endangered whooping cranes (grus americana) has grown from 15 individuals in 1941 to an estimated 304 birds today, the population growth is not sufficient to support a down-listing of the species to threatened status. the degree to which disease may be limiting the population growth of whooping cranes is unknown. one disease of potential concern is caused by two crane-associated eimeria species: eimeria gruis and e. reichenowi. unlike most species of eimeria, which are lo ...201526061631
coccidia of whooping cranes.coccidial oocysts were observed in 6 of 19 fecal samples from free-ranging whooping cranes (grus americana) and 4 of 16 samples from captive whooping cranes. eimeria gruis occurred in four free-ranging whooping cranes and e. reichenowi in two free-ranging and two captive whooping cranes. fecal samples from two captive cranes contained oocysts of isospora lacazei which was considered a spurious parasite. oocysts of both species of eimeria were prevalent in fecal samples collected from three free- ...1978633514
pulmonary lesions in disseminated visceral coccidiosis of sandhill and whooping cranes.fifty cranes, consisting of 46 sandhill (grus canadensis) and four whooping cranes (grus americana), were studied. eighteen sandhill cranes and the four whooping cranes were naturally infected with disseminated visceral coccidiosis (dvc). the remaining sandhill cranes were chicks experimentally infected with oocysts of eimeria reichenowi and/or e. gruis; five chicks served as controls. there were no clinical signs attributed to respiratory infection. necropsy of naturally infected adult birds re ...19892810553
disseminated visceral coccidiosis in whooping cranes.three 13- to 18-day-old whooping cranes (grus americana) and a 9-year-old whooping crane died in outdoor pens at the patuxent wildlife research center. the deaths were associated with an overwhelming systemic infection by an intracellular protozoan parasite, which resulted in enteritis, granulomatous bronchopneumonia, hepatitis, splenitis, and myocarditis. the clinical, histopathologic, and electron microscopic findings were similar to those in sandhill cranes (grus canadensis) at the patuxent c ...19807451323
microsatellite loci characterized in three african crane species (gruidae, aves).forty-three microsatellite loci originally isolated in grus americana and g. japonensis were tested for polymorphism in the blue crane (g. paradisea). amplified products were sequenced in the blue crane to aid in the design of blue crane-specific primers. when characterized in 20 unrelated blue crane individuals from south africa, 14 loci were polymorphic, with each locus displaying between 2 and 7 alleles. eight polymorphic loci were characterized in the grey-crowned crane (balearica regulorum) ...200921564635
helminth and arthropod parasites of experimentally introduced whooping cranes in florida.nine species of nematodes, unidentified larval nematodes, three species of trematodes, two species of acanthocephalans and a single species of chewing louse were collected from 1993 to 1995 from 25 introduced whooping cranes (grus americana) in florida (usa). in spite of a quarantine procedure involving anthelmintic therapy, three helminth parasites may have been introduced from captive populations. other parasites acquired were similar to those found in a local congener, the florida sandhill cr ...19968627935
time within reproductive season, but not age or inbreeding coefficient, affects seminal and sperm quality in the whooping crane (grus americana).all living whooping cranes (grus americana) are descended from 16 or fewer birds that remained alive in the early 1940s, a bottleneck that puts the species at potential risk for inbreeding depression. although ai is commonly used in the management of the captive population of this species, little is known about seminal traits or factors affecting sperm quality in the whooping crane. in the present study, semen samples were collected from 29 adult males (age 3-27 years) during the early (march), ...201526259642
allozyme evidence for crane systematics and polymorphisms within populations of sandhill, sarus, siberian, and whooping cranes.electrophoretic analysis of proteins yielded evidence on the relationships of species of cranes and on genetic diversity within populations of some species. diversity within the greater sandhill crane and a florida population of the florida sandhill crane was similar to that of most other vertebrates, but diversity was low in the mississippi sandhill crane, in the okefenokee population of the florida sandhill crane, and within the siberian and sarus cranes. diversity was surprisingly high among ...19921342943
demographic analysis from summaries of an age-structured population.demographic analyses of age-structured populations typically rely on life history data for individuals, or when individual animals are not identified, on information about the numbers of individuals in each age class through time. while it is usually difficult to determine the age class of a randomly encountered individual, it is often the case that the individual can be readily and reliably assigned to one of a set of age classes. for example, it is often possible to distinguish first-year from ...200314969455
head-bobbing behavior in foraging whooping cranes favors visual fixation. 200515823521
exertional myopathy in whooping cranes (grus americana) with prognostic guidelines.exertional myopathy developed in three whooping cranes (grus americana) secondary to routine capture, handling, and trauma. presumptive diagnosis of exertional myopathy was based on history of recent capture or trauma, clinical signs, and elevation of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and serum potassium. treatments were attempted in each case, but ultimately were not successful. gross and microscopic lesions at necropsy confirmed the d ...200517312770
disseminated visceral coccidiosis in sandhill cranes.disseminated visceral coccidiosis (dvc) caused by eimeria spp was first recognized as a disease entity in captive sandhill cranes (grus canadensis) and whooping cranes (g americana) at the patuxent wildlife research center. because cranes produced at the center are reintroduced to the wild to augment wild populations, studies involving both experimentally induced and natural infections were initiated to determine the potential or actual occurrence of dvc in wild gruidae. nine sandhill cranes dos ...19846511579
genome of the whooping crane.the genome of an endangered avian species, the whooping crane (grus americana) has been examined using the methods of karyotype analysis, cytofluorometry, and analytical ultracentrifugation. this species has a karyotype (2n = 82) common to the other crane species previously examined with five autosomal pairs and one sex chromosome pair as the macrochromosomes, and a large number of microchromosomes. sex chromosomes are heteromorphic in females permitting sexing by means of chromosome analysis. t ...20067096981
demography of a reintroduced population: moving toward management models for an endangered species, the whooping crane.the reintroduction of threatened and endangered species is now a common method for reestablishing populations. typically, a fundamental objective of reintroduction is to establish a self-sustaining population. estimation of demographic parameters in reintroduced populations is critical, as these estimates serve multiple purposes. first, they support evaluation of progress toward the fundamental objective via construction of population viability analyses (pvas) to predict metrics such as probabil ...201425154087
characterization of visual pigments, oil droplets, lens and cornea in the whooping crane grus americana.vision has been investigated in many species of birds, but few studies have considered the visual systems of large birds and the particular implications of large eyes and long-life spans on visual system capabilities. to address these issues we investigated the visual system of the whooping crane grus americana (gruiformes, gruidae), which is one of only two north american crane species. it is a large, long-lived bird in which uv sensitivity might be reduced by chromatic aberration and entrance ...201425267845
use of opportunistic sightings and expert knowledge to predict and compare whooping crane stopover habitat.predicting a species' distribution can be helpful for evaluating management actions such as critical habitat designations under the u.s. endangered species act or habitat acquisition and rehabilitation. whooping cranes (grus americana) are one of the rarest birds in the world, and conservation and management of habitat is required to ensure their survival. we developed a species distribution model (sdm) that could be used to inform habitat management actions for whooping cranes within the state ...201525926004
computed tomographic anatomy and characteristics of respiratory aspergillosis in juvenile whooping cranes.respiratory diseases are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in captivity reared, endangered whooping cranes (grus americana). objectives of this retrospective, case series, cross-sectional study were to describe computed tomography (ct) respiratory anatomy in a juvenile whooping crane without respiratory disease, compare ct characteristics with gross pathologic characteristics in a group of juvenile whooping cranes with respiratory aspergillosis, and test associations between the number ...201626592357
female gonadal hormones and reproductive behaviors as key determinants of successful reproductive output of breeding whooping cranes (grus americana).reproductive success of endangered whooping cranes (grus americana) maintained ex situ is poor. as part of an effort to identify potential causes of poor reproductive success in a captive colony, we used non-invasive endocrine monitoring to assess gonadal and adrenal steroids of bird pairs with various reproductive outcomes and evaluated the relationships of hormones and behaviors to reproductive performance. overall, reproductively successful (i.e., egg laying) females had significantly higher ...201627080552
experience drives innovation of new migration patterns of whooping cranes in response to global change.anthropogenic changes in climate and land use are driving changes in migration patterns of birds worldwide. spatial changes in migration have been related to long-term temperature trends, but the intrinsic mechanisms by which migratory species adapt to environmental change remain largely unexplored. we show that, for a long-lived social species, older birds with more experience are critical for innovating new migration behaviours. groups containing older, more experienced individuals establish n ...201627597446
haemosporida prevalence and diversity are similar in endangered wild whooping cranes (grus americana) and sympatric sandhill cranes (grus canadensis).the population growth of endangered whooping cranes (grus americana) is not consistent with species recovery goals, and the impact of parasite infection on whooping crane populations is largely unknown. disease ecology and epidemiology research of endangered species is often hindered by limited ability to conduct invasive sampling on the target taxa. accordingly, we hypothesized that sandhill cranes (grus canadensis) would be a useful surrogate species to investigate the health impacts of haemos ...201727938437
a novel haemosporida clade at the rank of genus in north american cranes (aves: gruiformes).the unicellular blood parasites in the order haemosporida are highly diverse, infect many vertebrates, are responsible for a large disease burden among humans and animals, and have reemerged as an important model system to understand the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of host-parasite interactions. the phylogenetics and systematics of haemosporida are limited by poor sampling of different vertebrate host taxa. we surveyed the haemosporida of wild whooping cranes (grus americana) and sandhi ...201728012954
are whooping cranes destined for extinction? climate change imperils recruitment and population growth.identifying climatic drivers of an animal population's vital rates and locating where they operate steers conservation efforts to optimize species recovery. the population growth of endangered whooping cranes (grus americana) hinges on juvenile recruitment. therefore, we identify climatic drivers (solar activity [sunspots] and weather) of whooping crane recruitment throughout the species' life cycle (breeding, migration, wintering). our method uses a repeated cross-validated absolute shrinkage a ...201728428872
implementing artificial insemination as an effective tool for ex situ conservation of endangered avian species.approximately 503 of the known species of birds are classified as 'endangered' or 'critical'. captive propagation programs have proven useful in maintaining genetic diversity and restoring wild populations of certain species, including the peregrine falcon, california condor and whooping crane. artificial insemination (ai) has the potential of solving problems inherent to reproductive management of small, closed populations of endangered birds, including dealing with demographic instability, phy ...200919004491
identification, inheritance, and linkage of b-g-like and mhc class i genes in cranes.we identified b-g-like genes in the whooping and florida sandhill cranes and linked them to the major histocompatibility complex (mhc). we evaluated the inheritance of b-g-like genes in families of whooping and florida sandhill cranes using restriction fragment patterns (rfps). two b-g-like genes, designated wcbg1 and wcbg2, were located within 8 kb of one another. the fully sequenced wcbg2 gene encodes a b-g igv-like domain, an additional ig-like domain, a transmembrane domain, and a single hep ...20109987924
the geographical scale factor in orientation of migrating birdsmigration routes of birds throw light on orientation performance at different geographic scales, over distances ranging from a few kilometres to more than 104 km. detailed knowledge about the flight routes may be used to test predictions about optimal orientation according to theoretical principles and about the use of compasses based on celestial or magnetic cues. ringing recoveries demonstrate that the migratory journey of many species, such as the wheatear and willow warbler, is divided into ...19969317235
amputation of the wing in a whooping crane. 19846511601
survey of gross and histopathologic findings in two wintering subpopulations of sandhill cranes ( antigone canadensis).:  sandhill cranes ( antigone canadensis) of the midcontinent population (mcp) and rocky mountain population (rmp) are migratory game birds with stable populations that travel between canada and the southern us and mexico. in the winters of 2012-14, we performed gross and histologic examinations of 43 hunter-harvested sandhill cranes in texas (mcp) and new mexico (rmp) to assess the impact of disease on populations. lesions were significantly more common in the mcp relative to the rmp, likely re ...201829053431
postmortem evaluation of reintroduced migratory whooping cranes in eastern north america.reintroduction of endangered whooping cranes (grus americana) in eastern north america has successfully established a migratory population between wisconsin and florida. eighty birds (47 males, 33 females) were released between 2001 and 2006, and all birds were tracked following release with satellite and/or vhf monitoring devices. by the end of 2006, 17 deaths (12 males, five females) were recorded from this population. postmortem findings and field data were evaluated for each bird to determin ...200919204333
the whooping cranes of medicine. 200919813495
development and evaluation of methods to assess populations of black flies (diptera: simuliidae) at nests of the endangered whooping crane (grus americana).hematophagous insects can negatively affect the reproductive success of their vertebrate hosts. to determine the influence of hematophagous insects on endangered vertebrates requires specially designed programs that minimize disturbance to the hosts and address problems associated with their small populations. we developed and evaluated a surveillance program for black flies potentially affecting a population of whooping cranes (grus americana) introduced to central wisconsin, u.s.a. in one of t ...201223181852
social learning of migratory performance.successful bird migration can depend on individual learning, social learning, and innate navigation programs. using 8 years of data on migrating whooping cranes, we were able to partition genetic and socially learned aspects of migration. specifically, we analyzed data from a reintroduced population wherein all birds were captive bred and artificially trained by ultralight aircraft on their first lifetime migration. for subsequent migrations, in which birds fly individually or in groups but with ...201323990559
reintroduction medicine: whooping cranes in wisconsin.this paper presents veterinary management strategies and diagnostic findings in the reintroduction of the endangered whooping crane (grus americana). between 2005 and 2010, 63 (27 male, 36 female) hatchling whooping cranes were assigned to a reintroduction project involving autumn release of costume-reared chicks in wisconsin. veterinary care included preventive measures and comprehensive pre-release evaluations to improve fitness and reduce translocation of potential disease agents to native ha ...201324027128
a hierarchical nest survival model integrating incomplete temporally varying covariates.nest success is a critical determinant of the dynamics of avian populations, and nest survival modeling has played a key role in advancing avian ecology and management. beginning with the development of daily nest survival models, and proceeding through subsequent extensions, the capacity for modeling the effects of hypothesized factors on nest survival has expanded greatly. we extend nest survival models further by introducing an approach to deal with incompletely observed, temporally varying c ...201324340185
predicting and mapping potential whooping crane stopover habitat to guide site selection for wind energy projects.migratory stopover habitats are often not part of planning for conservation or new development projects. we identified potential stopover habitats within an avian migratory flyway and demonstrated how this information can guide the site-selection process for new development. we used the random forests modeling approach to map the distribution of predicted stopover habitat for the whooping crane (grus americana), an endangered species whose migratory flyway overlaps with an area where wind energy ...201424372936
nondetection sampling bias in marked presence-only data.species distribution models (sdm) are tools used to determine environmental features that influence the geographic distribution of species' abundance and have been used to analyze presence-only records. analysis of presence-only records may require correction for nondetection sampling bias to yield reliable conclusions. in addition, individuals of some species of animals may be highly aggregated and standard sdms ignore environmental features that may influence aggregation behavior.we contend th ...201324455151
monitoring whooping crane abundance using aerial surveys: influences on detectability.the whooping crane (grus americana), an endangered species, has been counted on its winter grounds in texas, usa, since 1950 using fixed-wing aircraft. many shortcomings of the traditional survey technique have been identified, calling into question its efficacy, defensibility, repeatability, and usefulness into the future. to improve and standardize monitoring effort, we began investigating new survey techniques. here we focus on efficacy of line transect-based distance sampling during aerial s ...201426388657
long-term demographic and genetic effects of releasing captive-born individuals into the wild.because of continued habitat destruction and species extirpations, the need to use captive breeding for conservation purposes has been increasing steadily. however, the long-term demographic and genetic effects associated with releasing captive-born individuals with varied life histories into the wild remain largely unknown. to address this question, we developed forward-time, agent-based models for 4 species with long-running captive-breeding and release programs: coho salmon (oncorhynchus kisu ...201930168872
validation of a mechanistic model for non-invasive study of ecological energetics in an endangered wading bird with counter-current heat exchange in its legs.mechanistic models provide a powerful, minimally invasive tool for gaining a deeper understanding of the ecology of animals across geographic space and time. in this paper, we modified and validated the accuracy of the mechanistic model niche mapper for simulating heat exchanges of animals with counter-current heat exchange mechanisms in their legs and animals that wade in water. we then used niche mapper to explore the effects of wading and counter-current heat exchange on the energy expenditur ...201526308207
comparison of serum protein electrophoresis values in wild and captive whooping cranes ( grus americana ).protein electrophoresis of serum samples from endangered, wild whooping cranes ( grus americana ) was performed to help assess the health of the only self-sustaining, migratory population in north america. serum samples from wild adult cranes (n = 22) were taken at aransas national wildlife refuge, texas, usa during winter. wild juvenile cranes (n = 26) were sampled at wood buffalo national park, northwest territories, canada, in midsummer. all captive crane samples were acquired from the intern ...201526378665
postmortem evaluation of reintroduced migratory whooping cranes (grus americana) in eastern north america.we reviewed necropsy records of 124 whooping cranes (grus americana) recovered following reintroduction of 268 individuals from 2001 to 2016 in the eastern us. causes of death were determined in 62% (77/124) of cases facilitated by active monitoring that limited decomposition and scavenging artifact. the greatest proportions of mortality were caused by predation (0.468; 95% confidence interval 0.356-0.580; 36/77), collision with power lines or vehicles (0.260; 0.162-0.358; 20/77), and gunshot (0 ...202032017665
wing abnormality in a wild-hatched whooping crane (grus americana) chick from the nonmigratory population in louisiana, usa.we describe a wing abnormality in a wild-hatched whooping crane (grus americana) chick from the reintroduced louisiana, us nonmigratory population. despite its seemingly compromised flight ability, the chick fledged, reached independence, and lived until 13 mo of age. necropsy revealed an axial malunion near the left carpus likely resulting from trauma.201931009307
serum biochemical analytes and trace elements in juvenile whooping cranes (grus americana).biochemical and trace element analyses of blood from wild whooping cranes (grus americana) were performed to assess the health of the only self-sustaining, migratory population in north america. juvenile cranes (n=31) approximately 49-70 d-old were sampled at wood buffalo national park, northwest territories, canada, in midsummer from 2010 to 2012. archived serum (n=24) and whole blood (n=31) samples from captive juvenile cranes were selected as age-matched controls. reference values were calcul ...201930896363
investigating whooping crane habitat in relation to hydrology, channel morphology and a water-centric management strategy on the central platte river, nebraska.the flow-sediment-mechanical approach is one of two management strategies presented in the platte river recovery implementation program's (program) adaptive management plan to create and maintain suitable riverine habitat (≥200 m wide unobstructed channels) for whooping cranes (grus americana). the program's flow-sediment-mechanical management strategy consists of sediment augmentation, mechanical vegetation clearing and channel widening, channel consolidation, and short duration high flow relea ...201830364589
delineating and identifying long-term changes in the whooping crane (grus americana) migration corridor.defining and identifying changes to seasonal ranges of migratory species is required for effective conservation. historic sightings of migrating whooping cranes (grus americana) have served as sole source of information to define a migration corridor in the great plains of north america (i.e., canadian prairies and united states great plains) for this endangered species. we updated this effort using past opportunistic sightings from 1942-2016 (n = 5,055) and more recent (2010-2016) location data ...201829447213
screening and application of microsatellite markers for genetic diversity analysis of captive eastern sarus crane grus antigone sharpii blanford, 1895 in thailand.the eastern sarus crane, grus antigone sharpii, is distributed in the indochina area, though it has become extinct in thailand. the thai government has tried to repopulate the cranes using wild individuals from cambodia as initial breeding stock. although captive breeding can reintroduce species back into the wild, the genetic diversity of the population is also important. this study aimed to screen microsatellite markers to investigate the genetic diversity of g. a. sharpii from two breeding fa ...201830088282
differential changes in the onset of spring across us national wildlife refuges and north american migratory bird flyways.warming temperatures associated with climate change can have indirect effects on migratory birds that rely on seasonally available food resources and habitats that vary across spatial and temporal scales. we used two heat-based indices of spring onset, the first leaf index (fli) and the first bloom index (fbi), as proxies of habitat change for the period 1901 to 2012 at three spatial scales: the us national wildlife refuge system; the four major bird migratory flyways in north america; and the s ...201830208065
cryopreservation effects on sperm function and fertility in two threatened crane species.the capacity to cryopreserve semen from captive cranes facilitates production of offspring from behaviorally incompatible or geographically separated pairs, and allows for long-term preservation of valuable genetic materials. the present study sought to develop effective cryopreservation protocols for whooping (grus americana) and white-naped (grus vipio) cranes, through examining the influences of two permeating (dma and me2so) and one non-permeating (sucrose) cryoprotectants, as well as vitami ...201829408447
trends in the occurrence of large whooping crane groups during migration in the great plains, usa.recent detections of large gatherings of whooping cranes suggest that flock sizes may be increasing at some stopover locations during both the spring and fall migrations. we used the public sightings database managed by the us fish and wildlife service from 1942 to 2018 to analyze data for long-term trends in group size. we then examined the spatial distribution of large groups to explore potential explanations for these occurrences. the proportion of whooping crane groups comprised of 2, 3, and ...202032274427
comparison of fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in hand- versus parent-reared whooping cranes (grus americana).endangered whooping cranes (grus americana) have been produced in captivity for reintroduction programs since the 1980s, using techniques such as artificial insemination, multiple clutching, and captive-rearing to speed recovery efforts. chicks are often hand-reared (hr) by caretakers in crane costumes, socialized into groups and released together, unlike parent-reared (pr) cranes that are raised individually by a male/female crane pair and released singly. hr cranes historically exhibit greater ...202032270553
whooping crane use of riverine stopover sites.migratory birds like endangered whooping cranes (grus americana) require suitable nocturnal roost sites during twice annual migrations. whooping cranes primarily roost in shallow surface water wetlands, ponds, and rivers. all these features have been greatly impacted by human activities, which present threats to the continued recovery of the species. a portion of one such river, the central platte river, has been identified as critical habitat for the survival of the endangered whooping crane. m ...201930625185
the dilemma of pest suppression in the conservation of endangered species.in the conservation of endangered species, suppression of a population of one native species to benefit another poses challenges. examples include predator control and nest parasite reduction. less obvious is the control of blood-feeding arthropods. we conducted a case study of the effect of native black flies (simulium spp.) on reintroduced whooping cranes (grus americana). our intent was to provide a science-driven approach for determining the effects of blood-feeding arthropods on endangered ...201930520153
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