Survival of Captive, Parent‐Reared Mississippi Sandhill Cranes Released on a Refuge*

Abstract

Valentine et al. (1976) proposed release of captive, parent-reared Mississippi sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis pulla) to augment the endangered wild population. Field testing of the proposal was first attempted with a nonendangered subspecies, the Florida sandhill crane (G. c. pratensis), in Florida. None of the 17 handreared released cranes survived more than a few months, but a single parent-reared released crane survived at least three years (Nesbitt 1979). Results of a second field test with another nonendangered subspecies in Idaho were more favorable. Seven of 11 captive parentreared greater sandhill cranes (G. c. tabida) integrated successfully with wild cranes and migrated south; one of the seven was later seen on the wintering grounds (Drewien et al. 1981). Longer term postrelease survival studies of captive, parent-reared sandhill cranes have not been reported. We present survival data and mortality causes for captive, parent-reared Mississippi sandhill cranes after six years of annual releases on a refuge.