Greater Sandhill Crane – Oregon Conservation Strategy

Greater Sandhill Crane dancing. Photo Credit: Keith Kohl

Overview

Species Common Name Greater Sandhill Crane
Species Scientific Name Antigone canadensis tabida
State Listing Status Sensitive

Ecoregions

East Cascades

The East Cascade ecoregion extends from the Cascade Mountains’ summit east to the warmer, drier high desert and down the length of the state. This ecoregion varies dramatically from its cool, moist border with the West Cascades ecoregion to its dry eastern border, where it meets sagebrush desert landscapes.

Northern Basin and Range

The Northern Basin and Range ecoregion covers the very large southeastern portion of the state, from Burns south to the Nevada border and from the Christmas Valley east to Idaho. It is largely a high elevation desert-like area dominated by sagebrush communities and habitats.

West Cascades

The West Cascades ecoregion extends from east of the Cascade Mountains summit to the foothills of the Willamette, Umpqua, and Rogue Valleys, and spans the entire length of the state of Oregon. It is largely dominated by conifer forests, moving into alpine parklands and dwarf shrubs at higher elevations.

Special needs

Greater Sandhill Cranes require relatively large wetland-wet/dry meadow complexes with a mosaic of aquatic and herbaceous conditions for nesting and foraging.

Limiting factors

Greater Sandhill Cranes have large area requirements, and habitat availability may be the most important factor limiting this population. Reductions in wetland/wet meadow quality, quantity, and size due to hydrological changes, succession (shrub and conifer encroachment), and/or livestock grazing adversely affect this species. Agricultural practices (e.g., mowing, unmanaged grazing), coyote predation on young, Common Raven (Corvus corax) predation on eggs, and human disturbance can also have impacts on breeding success.

Data gaps

Estimate habitat area requirements relative to the quality of the habitat. Study differences in food resource utilization in wet and dry meadows and across breeding sites. Evaluate the effects of pesticides on food resources. Assess the impacts of livestock grazing on habitat suitability. Quantify the effects of nest predation under different habitat conditions. Evaluate the effects of recreational disturbance (e.g., off-highway vehicles) on this species.

Conservation actions

Maintain and/or enhance hydrological conditions to support suitable habitat conditions for nesting and foraging in tracts >20 acres. Where hydrology can be managed, include both wet and dry meadow habitat through the nesting season. Minimize disturbance during the breeding season (April 15-July 31) at known nesting areas. Use prescribed burning or hand-felling of trees periodically to set back plant succession.

Key reference or plan

Greater Sandhill Crane Habitat Initiative: Meeting the Information Needs for a Landscape Conservation Strategy