Roost Sites Influence Habitat Selection of Sandhill Cranes (Antigone canadensis tabida) in Arizona and California

Wetlands in arid and semiarid regions are recognized as priority ecosystems for conservation of wetland-dependent species in these systems. Evaluation of habitat selection is necessary for effective habitat management and, consequently, population management. The Lower Colorado River Valley population of Greater Sandhill Cranes (Antigone canadensis tabida), winters exclusively in portions of southwestern Arizona and southeastern California. Therefore, there is a need for information pertaining to winter habitat selection to guide management decisions. We attached solar-powered satellite platform transmitter terminals to greater Sandhill Cranes and used daily global positioning system locations. Each used location paired with 10 randomly generated locations had equal probability of drawing any of the randomly generated locations. We evaluated habitat selection and found the model that included land use type (beta = -5.85, SE = 0.23, P < 0.001) and distance to roost (beta = -4.61, SE = 0.16, P < 0.001) as interactive effects was the most supported model in the candidate set. Our results emphasize the importance of maintaining wetlands in close proximity (similar to 5 km) to selected land use types, which can be challenging to manage for in arid systems but are particularly necessary for this high conservation priority population of greater Sandhill Cranes.

Automated summary

Wetlands in arid and semiarid regions are crucial for conserving wetland-dependent species. This study focused on evaluating the habitat selection of Greater Sandhill Cranes in the Lower Colorado River Valley population. Results showed that these cranes preferred wetlands within around 5 km of selected land use types.