| Abstract: | The principal spring staging areas of the midcontinent population of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) are along the Platte and North Platte rivers in south-central Nebraska. Most of these lands are privately owned and managed for corn and cattle production. Diurnal habitat use by radio-tagged cranes was primarily in cropland (55%), native grassland (28%), and tame hayland (15%). Ninety-nine percent of the cropland use was in cornfields; 55% as grazed stubble, 36% as disced, cultivated, and plowed stubble, 7% as ungrazed stubble, and 1% unclassified. Grazed pastures accounted for 93% of the grassland locations and mowed alfalfa fields 77% of the tame hayland locations. Other habitats were seldom used. Time budget analyses indicated that cranes, while in croplands, grasslands, and haylands, spent 35, 36, and 50% of the time foraging, respectively. Cranes roosted in the shallows and on nearby sandbars of about 111 km of river channel. Cranes usually roosted where the channel was at least 150 m wide and avoided stretches narrower than 50 m. Height of woody vegetation along shorelines and on islands influenced where cranes roosted when unobstructed channel width was less than 150 m; bridges or roads adjacent to the channel also reduced use by about half. Management recommendations are made for maintaining suitable habitat for sandhill cranes on their staging areas in Nebraska. |
| Genre: | Article |
| ProdID: | 1001561 |
| Citation Author: | Krapu, G. L.; Facey, D. E.; Fritzell, E. K.; Johnson, D. H. |
| Citation Contributing Office: | Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center |
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| Citation End Page: | 417 |
| Citation Issue: | 2 |
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| Citation Language: | English |
| Citation Larger Work Title: | Journal of Wildlife Management |
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| Citation Number Of Pages: | 10 |
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| Citation Phsyical Description: | p. 407-417 |
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| Citation Search Results Text: | Habitat use by migrant sandhill cranes in Nebraska; 1984; Article; Journal; Journal of Wildlife Management; Krapu, G. L.; Facey, D. E.; Fritzell, E. K.; Johnson, D. H. |
| Citation Start Page: | 407 |
| Citation Volume: | 48 |
| Citation Year: | 1984 |
| Type: | citation/reference |
| Text: | Habitat use by migrant sandhill cranes in Nebraska; 1984; Article; Journal; Journal of Wildlife Management; Krapu, G. L.; Facey, D. E.; Fritzell, E. K.; Johnson, D. H. |
| URL (THUMBNAIL): | http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/thumbnails/outside_thumb.jpg |
| Date Other: | Sun, 1 Jan 1984 00:00 -0600 |
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