Recruitment rate of Sarus Cranes (Grus antigone) in northern Queensland
John D. A. Grant
Emu 105(4) 311-315 https://doi.org/10.1071/MU05056
Submitted: 27 April 2005 Accepted: 21 October 2005 Published: 21 December 2005
Abstract
Annual recruitment of Sarus Cranes was estimated from 1997 to 2002, by means of observed proportions of juveniles in non-breeding flocks on the Atherton Tableland. Survey conditions were considered free of confounding influences as to provide the first accurate estimate of recruitment for the Australian population of this species. Mean recruitment over the 6-year period was 6.58%, with no significant variation between years. Comparison with other crane populations indicates that the recruitment rate is low, but further detailed data are needed to evaluate properly the status of the population.
Acknowledgments
Thanks go to Elinor Scambler and K.S. Gopi Sundar for providing additional reference material, exchanges of ideas, constant support and encouragement and valuable criticism of an earlier draft. Betsy Didrickson of the International Crane Foundation also supplied some hard-to-obtain references, and Rob Heinsohn provided stimulating discussion and good company on field trips. Thanks also go to two anonymous referees and the editor, whose comments helped to improve the manuscript.
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