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Show Volume II, Issue XVIII THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 11 September 15, 2000 The Sandhill Crane, Grus canadensis tabida Sandhill cranes are large birds with long legs and necks. They are about four feet tall and weigh approximately 12 pounds. These slate gray birds have a red patch of skin on their foreheads. In Utah, there are two populations of greater sandhill cranes. They are the Rocky Mountain population, which nests in north central Utah, and the lower Colorado River Valley population, which nests in the western part of the state. The sandhill crane is slightly smaller than the whooping crane. It also lacks the black wing tips and is gray rather than white. It has a six-foot wingspan. Courtship and Reproduction Sandhill cranes mature when they are about three years old. A female will lay two eggs each year. Nesting occurs in the spring and summer in Utah, Montana, Idaho, western Colorado, and western Wyoming. Cranes are monogamous and pair bonds are long lasting. Migration In the fall, cranes migrate from their breeding grounds to winter areas in southeast Arizona, central New Mexico, and northern Mexico. Large groups of cranes gather in areas throughout the Intermountain Region, including northern Utah, for this journey. The cranes’ major rest stop is the San Luis Valley of south central Colorado during their flight south and on their return trip. Increasing Populations In the early 1940s only five breeding pairs of sandhill cranes were reported in Utah. Today, sandhill cranes have responded to wildlife management efforts with a self-sustaining breeding population, and their numbers are increasing in the state. Presently, the Rocky Mountain flyway population has over 17,000 cranes. More than 600 sandhills summer in Utah. The majority of these are breeding pairs. In the fall, some 1,500 birds congregate in Utah from surrounding states in preparation for their annual migration. Management Plan Since sandhill cranes are migratory birds, it makes little sense for each state to manage them separately. For this reason, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the states of the Central and Pacific flyways organized a management plan for sandhill cranes. The major objectives of the sandhill crane population management plan are: Maintain a stable population of 18,000 to 22,000 Rocky Mountain greater sandhill cranes. Allow for the expansion of current distribution where possible. Maintain and protect sufficient habitats to support population and distribution objectives. Allow for the consumptive and nonconsumptive uses of sandhill crane populations. Continue to use a portion of this population as foster parents to help reestablish whooping cranes. Recreational Opportunities The two benefits identified specifically in the [USFWS’s] management plan are crane watching and crane hunting. These forms of recreation are mutually compatible. In addition to its recreational benefits, hunting is an important activity because it can relieve depredation problems caused by sandhills. The management plan details criteria for states to use in proposing, conducting, and evaluating a hunt. In states where hunting has taken place for many years, opportunities to watch cranes are abundant. Many opportunities to watch cranes are available in Utah. Cranes arrive in late March and can be found in several areas of the state until mid- to late September. Cranes can be seen in much of northern and northeastern Utah. Hunting Sandhill Cranes The management plan for sandhill cranes requires that their flyway numbers be sustained at a minimum of 16,000 birds. For many years, this population has far exceeded that number. Now the legal taking of cranes is planned to keep their numbers between 18,000 to 22,000. All hunting is carefully monitored. An intricate formula is applied for the allocation of permits available to individual states. Permits that are not used in one state can be allotted to other states. Disease and Depredation Most of the Greater Rocky Mountain sandhill cranes, along with the Canadian and lesser sandhills and an expanding population of snow geese, winter in the Middle Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico. Despite efforts by the USFWS to provide feeding areas, crowded conditions sometimes result in inadequate food supplies. Cranes are forced to leave wintering areas early and are more susceptible to diseases (such as avian tuberculosis and cholera). Avian tuberculosis, more common in starving birds, may take weeks to kill. Inadequate feed in states throughout the flyway causes the birds to congregate in farmers’ fields where they can damage crops. Utah farmers have complained that damage by cranes is severe in some years. Sandhill cranes damage crops by trampling them, as well as by eating grain. Management for Sandhill Cranes in Utah Since 1986, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources biologists have marked cranes to distinguish between the Rocky Mountain population and the Lower Colorado River Valley population that nests in the western margin of the state. Air and ground surveys are also taken each year to determine the number of sandhills on summer and staging area. In addition, Utah biologists monitor any presence of the blood parasite luecocytozoonosis, which can afflict sandhills, ducks, and geese. Efforts by Utah DWR The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is actively involved in land acquisition programs that are beneficial to sandhill cranes. Important areas have recently been acquired in Davis, Weber, Cache, and Rich counties and other areas are under investigation throughout northern and central Utah. Other habitat improvements include planting cover and food crops (the Weber-Delta Unit of Ogden Bay, and the Salt Creek wildlife management areas) to benefit cranes and waterfowl and help keep them out of farmers’ fields. Note: This information was taken from a brochure printed by the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Department. Kids Summer Camp Fun - Kids Summer Camp Fun Realtor/Appraiser Computer Discovery - Your Mobile Computer Service Summer Computer Classes for: Preschool & School Aged Kids Helping Build your Child’s Future!! Colors, Letters, Numbers, Shapes Math & Reading Skills Beginning to Advanced History, Science, Geography, Spanish Keyboarding & More... 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