Whooping Crane Collisions with Power Lines: an Issue Paper

• Main Authors: Stehn, Thomas V., Wassenich, Tom
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln 2008
• Subjects: Aransas; collisions; Grus americana; power lines; whooping crane; Animal Sciences; Behavior and Ethology; Biodiversity; Ornithology; Population Biology; Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology; Northwest Territories; Canada; Wood Buffalo
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nacwgproc/203; https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/nacwgproc/article/1203/viewcontent/Stehn.pdf

Collision with power lines is the greatest source of mortality for fledged whooping cranes (Grus americana) in the Aransas-Wood Buffalo population (AWBP) that migrate between the Northwest Territories, Canada to the Texas coast. This paper compiles 45 documented whooping crane mortalities from power line strikes in North America and provides known information on crane / power line interactions. A map of the AWBP whooping crane migration corridor was derived with 100 and 200-mile wide corridors delineated showing the location of known mortalities. Recommendations are provided to try to reduce this major threat facing whooping cranes.