USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (PWRC) Research Wildlife Biologist Jeffrey A. Spendelow will make two presentations at the joint meeting of the Association of Field Ornithologists and the Wilson Ornithological Society to be held in Fort Myers, Florida from 11-14 April. Dr. Spendelow will present a poster showing the impact of the construction of a large rock revetment on the north end and east side of Falkner Island on the productivity of the endangered Roseate Terns that nest on this unit of the USFWS's Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge. Research on ways to reduce negative impacts before further construction takes place at this and other tern colony sites where revetment construction has been, or may be, proposed, is planned for 2002 and 2003. In an oral second presentation, Dr. Spendelow will describe a new method to estimate prebreeding (postfledging-to-first-breeding) survival and age-specific breeding rates in species with delayed maturity, and also show how secondary impacts of predation by Black-crowned Night-Herons are affecting the population dynamics of the Roseate Terns on the refuge.

Contact: Jeff Spendelow, USGS-BRD, Laurel, MD 301.497.5665

Patuxent Whooping Cranes began the 2002 season March 14 and we now have 4 pairs in production.  The Whooper eggs are placed in Sandhill nests for incubation.

The first Sandhill led south behind the ultralight aircraft has arrived at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in a snowstorm and the others in that 2001 release are on their way.  The five whooping cranes taken to Florida behind an ultralight remain in Florida and we don't expect them to leave until April or May.  Whooping Cranes in the Aransas-Wood Buffalo population leave for the Breeding Grounds later than the sandhills.

A pair of Whoopers from the Florida non-migratory flock hatched their first chicks of the year earlier this week. One was taken by a bald eagle but the other one continues to do well.  Predators often take the second chick to hatch.  In Wood-Buffalo National Park, ravens often take the second chick. 

Further information about cranes can be found at:  http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/cranes.htm

Contact: George Gee, USGS-BRD, Laurel, MD 301.497.5750

See Previous HiLites:

August 31, 2000
September 21, 2000
September 28, 2000
October 5, 2000
October 16, 2000
October 30, 2000
November 8, 2000
November 16, 2000
November 22, 2000
November 30, 2000
January 4, 2001
March 15, 2001
March 22, 2001
March 29, 2001
April 5, 2001

April 12, 2001
May 17, 2001
May 24, 2001
June 6, 2001
June 21, 2001
August 27, 2001
September 12, 2001
September 26, 2001
October 31, 2001
November 29, 2001
January 21, 2002
February 11, 2002
February 19, 2002
February 26, 2002
March 4, 2002