Whooping crane migration habitat selection data and distance to wind-energy infrastructure, 2010-2016
Dates
Publication Date
2020-10-07
Start Date
2010
End Date
2016
Citation
Pearse, A.T., Brandt, D.A., Metzger, K.L., Bidwell, M.T., and Harrell, W. 2020, Whooping crane migration habitat selection data and distance to wind-energy infrastructure, 2010–2016: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9SVV311.
Summary
These data were developed to support an effort to understand how whooping cranes select stopover habitat in the presence of wind-energy infrastructure. Location and associated data came from whooping cranes from the Aransas-Wood Buffalo Population, 2010–2016. We marked a sample of 57 whooping cranes with leg-mounted transmitters that acquired locations via the global positioning system (GPS) network and transmitted those data through the Argos satellite system. Cranes were captured either at their natal areas in and adjacent to Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada or at their winter terminus along the Texas Gulf Coast. Data herein include 9,347 ground locations used by whooping cranes during migration coupled with 19 potentially available [...]
Summary
These data were developed to support an effort to understand how whooping cranes select stopover habitat in the presence of wind-energy infrastructure. Location and associated data came from whooping cranes from the Aransas-Wood Buffalo Population, 2010–2016. We marked a sample of 57 whooping cranes with leg-mounted transmitters that acquired locations via the global positioning system (GPS) network and transmitted those data through the Argos satellite system. Cranes were captured either at their natal areas in and adjacent to Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada or at their winter terminus along the Texas Gulf Coast. Data herein include 9,347 ground locations used by whooping cranes during migration coupled with 19 potentially available locations for each used location (see processing steps for more information). Predictor variables hypothesized to explain variation in space use were included for all locations (used and available).
Determine if presence of wind-energy infrastructure influenced the probability of whooping cranes using sites to stop, rest, and forage during migration (i.e., stopover sites). To identify potential avoidance behavior, we estimated a threshold distance at which wind infrastructure affected habitat selection (i.e., zone of influence), the magnitude of the effect within the zone of influence, and potential amount of habitat loss within the migration corridor that could be associated with presence of wind infrastructure.
