PROCEEDINGS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN CRANE WORKSHOP

Title:
INLAND HABITAT SELECTION MODEL FOR WINTERING WHOOPING CRANES

Date: 2025

Authors:
KAREN TYRELL, Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc.
KRISTIN BRIGHTWELL, Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc.
MATTHEW CRANE, Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc.
WADE HARRELL, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
ROSA PALMER, Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc.
AARON T. PEARSE, USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
TED OWEN, Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc.

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Citation:
Tyrell, K., K Brightwell, M. Crane, W. Harrell, R. Palmer, A. T. Pearse, and T. Owen. 2025. Inland habitat selection model for wintering whooping cranes. Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop 16:95-103.

Abstract:
Abstract: Inland habitat use by wintering Aransas-Wood Buffalo whooping cranes (Grus americana) is expected to increase given projected population growth and observations of some whooping cranes using inland winter habitat in addition to coastal marshes. We developed resource utilization functions using ‘random forests’ to model whooping crane use as a function of environmental covariates considered important for whooping crane use. Covariates associated with distance to cropland, distance to development, and wetness or standing water were the most influential in model prediction. The model estimated that the 50% predicted use contour encompassed 34,925 ha and the 95% predicted use contour encompassed 328,928 ha within the study area. While presently limited by the small sample size of inland wintering areas observations (n = 7 cranes with ≥50 locations), this model provides an initial tool for identifying potential effects to whooping crane inland habitat use in proximity to anthropogenic development. The model can be expanded to incorporate future data to reduce uncertainty.

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