My Summer in Costume: Crane Reintroduction and the Conservation of Small Populations

Emily Lumsdaine, Oberlin College

Location

Science Center, A154

Document Type

Presentation

Start Date

4-25-2014 1:30 PM

End Date

4-25-2014 2:30 PM

Abstract

The critically endangered Mississippi Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis pulla) is found year-round along the Gulf Coast at the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge. At the refuge’s establishment, in 1975, only 30 to 35 individuals were left in the wild. Currently, about 110 Mississippi Sandhill Cranes are left in the wild, including only 20 to 25 breeding pairs. Conservation efforts focus on preserving the remaining wild habitat and improving population numbers through captive rearing and reintroduction. Challenges arise due to small population sizes and the difficulty of using a crane puppet to raise chicks with the necessary survival and reproductive skills.

Notes

Session I, Panel 1 - The Disorder of Things: Conservation and Risk with Cranes, Coral Reefs, and Crayfish
Moderator: Angie Roles, Assistant Professor of Biology

Major

Biology

Advisor(s)

Angie Roles, Biology

Project Mentor(s)

Angie Roles, Biology

April 2014

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Apr 25th, 1:30 PM Apr 25th, 2:30 PM

My Summer in Costume: Crane Reintroduction and the Conservation of Small Populations

Science Center, A154

The critically endangered Mississippi Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis pulla) is found year-round along the Gulf Coast at the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge. At the refuge’s establishment, in 1975, only 30 to 35 individuals were left in the wild. Currently, about 110 Mississippi Sandhill Cranes are left in the wild, including only 20 to 25 breeding pairs. Conservation efforts focus on preserving the remaining wild habitat and improving population numbers through captive rearing and reintroduction. Challenges arise due to small population sizes and the difficulty of using a crane puppet to raise chicks with the necessary survival and reproductive skills.