Whooping Crane Conservation Association

By: NORMA MARTINEZ, Managing Editor Rockport Pilot
Published: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 12:22 AM CST

Representatives from The Aransas Project (AP) were on hand at last week’s Chamber of Commerce luncheon to explain why the organization exists and to encourage others to join the nonprofit organization.

The Aransas Project founders are focused on supporting a Texas water management policy for the Guadalupe River Basin (GRB) and its bays which takes into consideration the entire system in a reasonable, sustainable, and environmentally sound matter.

The AP is an alliance of organizations, communities, families and citizens who seek legislated change in the water management of the GRB. AP members believe environmental flow standards for the GRB are essential to support the bays and estuaries, particularly during times of drought. Currently with no environmental flows standards in place, there is no freshwater committed to protect the bays and estuaries. As a result, AP members believe the management practices of the state of Texas are partly or wholly responsible for the deaths of the 8.5 percent of the whooping crane flock in the winter of 2008-09.

The Aransas area includes a number of estuaries and bays like San Antonio, Mesquite, Carlos, St. Charles and Aransas, as well as the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The latter is the winter habitat of the federally endangered whooping crane. The record breaking death toll of the whooping crane indicates not enough freshwater is reaching the bays and estuaries.

This area is also dependent on tourism and commercial and recreational fishing, all reliant on the health of the bays. The habitats and ecosystems of the area bays and estuaries are dependent on freshwater inflows of the GRB. Aransas Bay begins where the river ends. The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority’s jurisdiction ends at San Antonio Bay, but the way it manages the GRB impacts Aransas.

The Texas Legislature recenty directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to focus on environmental flows and their importance to the health of bays and estuaries. AP founders state while it is obvious attention should be paid to San Antonio Bay, it may not be as obvious decisions made throughout the GRB impact the ANWR as well as Aransas Bay.

A recently completed study using state water models show the impact of reduced freshwater inflows from the Guadalupe. They show the current water diversion have a dramatic effect on the Aransas area. In years of drought, the salinity levels of the bays and estuaries increase and thus adversely impact species such as the blue crab and brown shrimp. They must travel to find freshwater for sustainability, and if none is to be found, they can not survive.

Area fisherman describe this year as the worst the region has seen for the blue crab and brown shrimp and link that impact to the drought. They also note future diversions will dramatically increase the salinity level and widen the number of species to be impacted.

In order to reduce that increased salinity, increased freshwater inflows from the Guadalupe are necessary. AP members also point to another critical indicator of the need for freshwater inflows – whooping cranes. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 protects such species as well as “the ecosystem upon which they depend.” Therefore, protecting whoopers is about more than just preserving an endangered species.

In 1941, the whooping crane population numbered only 16 birds. Since then, conservation efforts restoreds the world’s only naturally migrating flock to include more than 250 birds. They breed in Canada and winter at the ANWR. Its continued survival is at risk due to the loss of its primary food source, blue crabs. The diminished number of blue crabs has been linked directly to increased salinity levels around the ANWR.

As aforementioned, the winter of 2008-09 was the worst in recent history for whooping cranes wintering at the refuge. The flock experienced the death of 23 birds, which included 16 juveniles. That represents a 42 percent loss in the total number of juveniles. The second worst year was the winter of 1990-91, when 11 birds out of 146 (7.5 percent) of the flock died.

Scientific data behind the deaths shows the reduction in freshwater inflows from the GRB has directly impacted the number of blue crabs and subsequently impacted the whooping crane population.

Using state water models to run different scenarios, salinity studies projected by the AP consulting scientists show proposed future diversions of water from the Guadalupe will dramatically increase the salinity levels in the bays and estuaries along the Texas coast.

Not only will this impact the whooping crane, but it will also have a devastating effect on the fishing, recreational and tourism economy.

The AP founders also believe the bays and estuaries dependent on the Guadalupe River System are at risk. In 2002, American Rivers named the Guadalupe as one of America’s most endangered rivers, citing a significant amount of water diversion and the lack of any commitment to maintain sufficient river flow as main threats. It was noted the increasing demand for water resources has forced the GBRA to focus its planning efforts on municipal and industrial needs rather than environmental needs of the bays and estuaries of the Texas coast. As a result, the coast is not a priority in Texas water planning.

AP founders emphasize the approach for managing the water resources of the GRB must change or there is a risk of devastating economic and environmental damage to the Texas Coast.

They emphasize better planning processes are needed to ensure future water permits are not excessive and instream flows to the bays are sufficient. They state the GBRA is trying to “grab all the water it can” primarily to sell to upper basin industrial and municipal users. The water, however, is needed downstream to protect the bays and estuaries with freshwater inflows which are needed to maintain the habitat of the whooping crane, as well as that of crabs and fish. The GBRA has pointed this responsibility to the TCEQ so it is up to that agency to maintain beneficial inflows protecting the bays and estuaries.

Therefore AP members will file a notice of intent to sue the TCEQ for violation of section 9 of the Federal Endangered Species Act. Through the litigation, TCEQ’s system of water management and rights will be held accountable for the harm to whooping cranes. The desired outcome is it will result in legislative changes in the water management of the GRB, including higher environmental flow standards for the bays and estuaries.

Tom Stehn, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge completed the first 2009 fall whooping crane census recently. Tom reports, “The first aerial census of the 2009-10 whooping crane season was conducted 12 November, 2009 in a Cessna 210 piloted by Gary Ritchey of Air Transit Solutions of Castroville, Texas with USFWS observer Tom Stehn.

Weather conditions were ideal during the 4-hour flight with sunshine and light east winds. Sighted were 87 adults and 4 juveniles = 91 total. Based on August fledging surveys done on the nesting grounds by CWS, I am expecting up to 22 juveniles. With that number of juvenile produced, the flock may experience a break-even year with a flock total around 247 expected.”

November 12th – Recap of cranes (91) found at Aransas on the aerial:
[TABLE=4]

Migration Update: The first whooping crane arrival at Aransas was reported the morning of October 17th by refuge staff going over to Matagorda Island that saw a pair. This sighting was just one day after the average first whooping crane arrival date of October 16th. A cold front that reached Aransas early on 10/16 brought great migration conditions through 10/17 that aided the arrival of the first migrants. The next strong cold front at Aransas on the afternoon of 10/26 brought multiple reports of sandhill cranes moving through Texas and I had my first sighting of 125 sandhills in the farm fields north of the refuge on November 27th. A cold front October 30th brought favorable migration conditions lasting through November 5th. The next front on November 9th brought favorable migration conditions through November 12th.

Minimum # of Cranes
[TABLE=5]

From this and weather records, it appears that a low number of whooping cranes reached Aransas in the second half of October and the first week in November, but quite a few cranes arrived between November 7-12. These later than average arrivals were simply due to birds not moving down the flyway. The migration appears to be about a week later this year than average. Last year, we flew on November 14th and tallied 239 cranes, quite
a difference from the 91 counted on today’s flight. Numerous whooping cranes have been reported November 2-11 in Kansas and Oklahoma, including 39 at Quivira NWR in central Kansas on November 10. Quivira at one point had 36 cranes together, a record flock size for whooping cranes in migration. A flock of 32 was seen the following day by Salt Plains NWR in Oklahoma. The next strong pacific cold front is forecast to reach Aransas on November 16th, which I think will allow a large number of additional whooping cranes to reach Aransas.

Habitat Use: Tides were an estimated 1 foot above what I consider to be high water levels for the crane area. The high water levels were a result of Hurricane Ida that crossed the Gulf and reached Alabama as a tropical storm on November 10th. Ida raised tides 2.5 feet along the central Texas beaches. The cranes responded to the high water by being mostly in vegetated marsh, with 19 cranes on uplands next to the marsh. The distribution seen on today’s flight looked like the cranes were mostly responding to wolfberries that seems to have had a good crop this year.

Not a single commercial blue crab trap was seen in the crane area, including in the shallow bays edges next to the crane marshes. This is unusual and indicative of the poor harvest that has been ongoing all summer caused by the drought and insufficient inflows reaching the crane area.

Marsh salinities are approximately 24 ppt and continue above the threshold when whooping cranes must seek out fresh water to drink. Two cranes were observed on today’s flight at a fresh water dugout. Two cranes were observed at a private game feeder. The largest group size observed was 5 birds seen on a high salt prairie at Welder Flats.

– Tom Stehn, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

Tom Stehn, Whooping Crane Coordinator,U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has prepared a lengthy, detailed report concerning the 2008 – 2009 whooping crane population. The following summary of the report provides much new information. To read the entire report, you may download it by clicking here. The download is a PDF file.

The Aransas-Wood Buffalo population (AWBP) of whooping cranes reached a record population of 270 at Aransas in December, 2008. The number would have been substantially higher but for the loss of 34 birds that left Aransas in the spring, 2008 and failed to return in the fall. Faced with food shortages from an “exceptional” drought that hammered Texas, record high mortality during the 2008-09 winter of 23 cranes (8.5% of the flock) left the AWBP at 247 in the spring, 2009. Total flock mortality for the 12 months following April, 2008 equaled 57 birds (21.4% of the flock). The refuge provided supplemental feed during the 2008-09 winter to provide some cranes with additional calories. Two whooping cranes failed to migrate north, but survived the hot and dry 2009 Aransas summer.

A below-average 2009 production year in Canada with 22 fledged chicks from 62 nests was half the production of the previous summer and is expected to result in a break-even year for the AWBP. Threats to the flock including land and water development in Texas, the spread of black mangrove on the wintering grounds, and wind farm construction in the migration corridor all remained unabated in 2009.

The Cooperative Whooping Crane Tracking Project documented 79 confirmed sightings of whooping cranes in the U.S. Central Flyway during fall, 2008 and 38 sightings in spring, 2009.

The captive flocks had a very good production season in 2009. Twenty-nine chicks were reintroduced into the eastern migratory population, bringing that flock to 106 total birds. Three chicks of high genetic value were held back for the captive flocks.

Production in the wild from reintroduced flocks in 2009 was disappointing. In Florida because of the continuing drought, only 4 of 11 pairs nested and fledged 1 chick. In Wisconsin, all 12 nesting pairs abandoned their nests. Five or 6 pairs re-nested hatching 2 chicks, but neither chick survived. The major hurdle of nest abandonment in Wisconsin must be overcome for that reintroduction to have a chance of success. Although efforts to clear this hurdle should continue, the Recovery Team recommended starting reintroductions in different areas, both looking for other release sites in Wisconsin for the migratory whooping cranes, and starting a nonmigratory flock in Louisiana.

In 2009, total production could not quite keep up with mortality, with the total population of wild and captive birds dropping from 538 to 534 during a12-month period. The drop was primarily due to the high mortality experienced by the AWBP.

WCCA Newsletter – Fall 2009

The first migrating whooping crane was sighted in North Dakota last week (Sept 24). It departed the Wood Buffalo nesting grounds in Canada recently. The crane is now on its 2,400 mile journey to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas. We hope that all the whoopers have a safe migration because of the unusually high mortality in the flock this past year. And hopefully the recent rains in Texas have had a beneficial impact on whooping crane winter habitat.

Brian Johns, Wildlife Biologist, Canadian Wildlife Service reports that: “Kathy St. Laurent and I completed surveys for fledgling whooping cranes and found 22 family groups, each with a single young. Habitat conditions were excellent with water levels higher than I have ever seen them at this time of year. In order to achieve these high water levels a much higher than average amount of rain fell during June (113.6mm or 2.5 times normal) and July (86mm or 1.5 times normal). Although the rain was welcome it came at a time when the young were still vulnerable to cool wet conditions and may have contributed to the lower than average survival of chicks to fledging age (0.35 chicks/nest vs 0.47). The high water levels will however, ensure that spring 2010 conditions are favorable. Given the number of young produced this year and the number of adults and subadults that were lost last winter, the population will decline in 2009.”

8/25/2009, 6:21 p.m. CDT
MARIA SUDEKUM FISHER
The Associated Press
(AP) – KANSAS CITY, Missouri – The world’s only naturally migrating whooping cranes, and the species’ best chance for survival, died at about twice their normal rate last year and will likely see an overall drop in their numbers, a worrying sign for the once near-extinct bird that has been making a comeback. The whooping crane-the tallest bird in North America at 5 1/2 feet (1 1/2 meters) tall-numbered just 15 in 1941 but now numbers 539 and is considered a success story by conservationists.

There are three North American flocks but only one that migrates without human help, traveling every autumn from northern Canada to the Gulf Coast in Texas. Normally, about 10 percent of the flock dies off each year, but last year about 21 percent died off. Including new births, this year’s flock is expected to drop by about 20 birds from last year’s 270 when counted after returning to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge this fall, said Tom Stehn, who oversees efforts to help the whooping crane for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

That would mark the first population decline for the flock since 2002. “We’re trying to figure out what’s killing all these whooping cranes,”Stehn said. That flock typically grows by about six birds each year, but it dropped 19 birds between April 2008 to April 2009, as 57 of the flock’s 266 birds died and were replaced by just 38 surviving hatchlings.

Hatchlings aren’t counted in the total population until they have made it to Aransas, outside Corpus Christi, Texas. This year only 52 birds hatched to the flock-a six-year low-and only 22 of those survived, Stehn said. “It’s disappointing,” he said. “It’ll be interesting to see how it turns out this year.” The flock’s population tends to dip about once each decade, but last year’s spring decline was so sharp and unexpected it was “alarming,”
Stehn said.

Because the flock that migrates 2,400 miles (3,860 kilometers) from Wood Buffalo National Park in northern Canada’s boreal forest to Aransas is the only self-sustaining flock, it is the species’ best chance for
survival, he said.

Whooping crane chicks from a flock in central Wisconsin are guided to Florida by ultralight aircraft. A third flock in central Florida that was heavily managed does not migrate and has not been reproducing. “The species remains so very endangered, and the threats are rising,” Stehn said.

It’s difficult to know exactly how the birds die in part because they’re not individually tracked and their 200-mile (320-kilometer) wide migration corridor is so large.

One likely cause for the population decline could be changes in habitat, Stehn said. A drought in Texas severely affected the whooping crane’s foods of blue crabs and berries. Corn feeders were set up to supplement the cranes’ diets, but only about half of them used the feeders. And wetlands and prairie have been making way for cornfields along parts of the flock’s flyway, which runs from northern Canada through Montana and the Dakotas, New Mexico, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Kansas. Birds are also threatened by disease, including infectious bursal disease, which was found in cranes in Florida in 2002 and again in one bird in the Aransas flock last year.
(c) 2009 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Brian Johns, Wildlife Biologist,Canadian Wildlife Service writes WCCA that: “It is with mixed feelings that I write this note. As some of you know I have had a very enjoyable 36 year career with the Canadian WildlifeService.

My first day on the job was May 1, 1973. Over the last 3.5 decades I have had the opportunity to work on whooping cranes, sandhill cranes, loggerhead shrike, grassland and boreal songbirds and even the odd duck. It has all been fun. There is no perfect time to go, however I have been contemplating retirement for a while and am thinking that the time is near for leaving government and forging ahead. In preparation for that, Lea Craig-Moore has been conducting the surveys this summer.

Not being in the field earlier this year has allowed me to celebrate my anniversary at home with my wife Dianne and see my apple trees in blossom. This is something I haven’t had in a long time. I will still be doing the fledging success surveys later this month.”

Brian explains that, “The Aransas/Wood Buffalo cranes have had a tough year but in my experience they are not only beautiful creatures, they are resilient and have gone through adversity before and came out strong. Hopefully this is just another one of those periodic dips in their 10 year cycle. This doesn’t mean that we can be complacent, we must still remain vigilant in our efforts. A total of 62 nesting pairs have been found this summer, only 4 fewer than the all time high.”

Brian states, “I have learned so much from the cranes and all of you who care so much about them. My days in the field and at meetings with you have been inspiring. Thanks for your dedication to whooping crane recovery and
support over the years, it is truly appreciated. I especially want to thank Tom Stehn, Lea Craig-Moore, Jim Bredy, Kathy St. Laurent and my friends and colleagues in Fort Smith. Thanks also to my friends and colleagues with Canadian Wildlife Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Geological Survey, Parks Canada, Governments of Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Florida, Wisconsin, Calgary Zoo, International Crane Foundation, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Platte River Trust, Species Survival Center, Whooping Crane Conservation Association, Operation Migration, the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership and all those that I have had the opportunity to work with over the years. Thanks again!”

Brian tells us, “Please remember, I am not gone, I have just moved over a bit, so feel free to pick my brain at any time. I will still be around the office for a couple of months yet. Long live cranes! Brian”

Marty Folk, Avian Research, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has provided WCCA with Update #6 for the Florida Non-migratory whooping crane flock. The Florida flock has experienced some serious difficulties during the past two years. Drought conditions in the whoopers Florida range have made the situation much worse. Yet, the Florida Avain Research team continues to monitor the whoopers.

Marty Folk advised, “Perhaps you have been waiting by your computer for my next report…sorry to take so long. I’ve been waiting to announce that our whooping crane chick fledged. The chick is 111 days old today. It is likely the chick fledged long ago, but I haven’t reported it yet, because we have not verified this. There are at least several reasons…this is a relatively immobile pair that doesn’t go anywhere. Apparently their territory supplies everything they need; there is no hurry to fly. Secondly, about the time the chick would have been fledging, the male shed his flight feathers (It takes 44± days to regrow them). Because crane families like to “stick together”, this means the family is grounded for a while. We expect the male to be flight-capable again in a couple weeks.”

Marty adds, “As expected, we saw no further nesting after my last report below. We ended the season with 4 nests and 1 chick.”

Lea Craig-Moore, Canadian Wildlife Service reports that, ” The June chick surveys were conducted June 16-20 in Wood Buffalo National park by Jim Bredy and Tom Stehn from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Lea Craig-Moore from the Canadian Wildlife Service. A total of 52 chicks were seen from 62 nests (61 nests had been found in May, and one additional family was found in June). Two chicks were seen at ten nests, one chick at 32 nests and 18 nests had no young. Two nests were still being incubated on the last day of surveys. This year’s June production is 0.84 chicks per nest which is on target with the long term average of 0.8 chicks/nest.”

Lea also advised that, “Water conditions were excellent in May but have dropped over the month due to negligible precipitation. August surveys are scheduled to begin about the 18th.”

I flew for 2.3 hours on June 30th and did NOT find any whooping cranes at Aransas.

Surveys done June 16-20 in Wood Buffalo National Park documented 52 chicks, including 10 sets of twins, hatching from the 62 nests.

During the last census report from Aransas National Refuge in Texas, several
whooping cranes were still there. Tom Stehn, Whooping Crane Coordinator,U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service recently reported that, “I flew for 2.3 hours on June 30th
and did NOT find any whooping cranes at
Aransas.”