areas are built of dead vegetation gathered near the 

 nest site (Recovery Team for Mississippi Sandhill 

 Crane 1976). Walkinshaw (1960) found nests of 

 dried sedges that were 124 by 104 cm across and 

 13 cm high and were situated in water 21 cm 

 deep. Mcllhenny (1938) described a nest of dried 

 grasses and weed stalks about 128 cm across and 

 20 to 36 cm above water 15 cm deep. The active 

 nest is often within a short distance of the one 

 used the previous year. Old or "dummy" nests 

 are often in close proximity to active nests (Re- 

 covery Team for Mississippi Sandhill Crane 1976). 

 Valentine found one instance of the same nest 

 being used 3 consecutive years; two used for 2 

 years; and another use 1 year, deserted for one 

 season and used again the next year (Valentine 

 1978, pers. comm.). 



The main winter roost is in the Pascagoula 

 River marsh, in the vicinity from Bluff Creek, 

 Bayou Castelle, and Paige Bayou to the West 

 Pascagoula River (Recovery Team for the Missis- 

 sippi Sandhill Crane 1976). The Pascagoula River 

 marsh roosts are used mainly from Ausust to 

 March. During the breeding season, most cranes 

 roost in the nesting and feeding range. Cranes 

 may be vulnerable to hunters as they fly into and 

 out of the roost, generally only during brief pe- 

 riods at daybreak and sundown (Recovery Team 

 for the Mississippi Sandhill Crane 1976). 



RITUAL REQUIREMENTS 



All subspecies of sandhill crane engage in 

 spectacular dances. Sometimes a single member of 

 a pair will dance, sometimes both; sometimes a 

 group forms a circle, facing inward. The dances 

 consist of a great variety of postures, particularly 

 bowing low and leaping 2 or more meters into the 

 air, accompanied by vocalizations. Walkinshaw 

 (1949) describes these dances in detail. They 

 seem to be related to courtship in some cases, but 

 may take place at any time of the year. 



OTHER CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL 

 REQUIREMENTS 



None known. 



POPULATION NUMBERS AND TRENDS 



Leopold (1929) estimated 50 to 100 or more 

 cranes in Mississippi. Mcllhenny (1938) reported 

 1 1 nests in the Fontainebleau area and counted 

 34 in one flock in April 1938. Walkinshaw (1949) 



estimated more than 25 pairs in 1940. Turcotte 

 (1947) estimated 30 in 1947. Strong (1969) es- 

 timated 16 pairs and a population of 50 to 60 

 birds. Valentine and Noble (1970) estimated about 

 38 to 40. Valentine (1975) judged a minimum of 

 10 to a maximum of 15 breeding pairs with a 

 population between 30 and 50 individuals. He 

 found 20 fairly distinct nesting territories in 11 

 areas during 1965 through 1978, but the most 

 nests found in any one year was 8 in 1969. 



During the period 19-22 January 1977, a total 

 of 52 cranes was counted in the wintering area of 

 Mississippi sandhill cranes. It is not known whether 

 they were all of that subspecies or some were 

 migrants from elsewhere (Jacob Valentine, official 

 trip report U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 27 Jan. 

 1977). 



REPRODUCTION 



Paired cranes select a breeding territory for 

 courtship, mating, and nesting and defend it from 

 other cranes. Territory size may depend on the 

 density of cranes and physical attributes of the 

 habitat. In open savannas, it appears that only 

 one pair has possession of a territory despite the 

 size of the savanna. The smallest savanna occupied 

 by one pair was 36 ha, the largest, over 202 ha. In 

 Ben Williams Swamp and other areas where open- 

 ings suitable for nesting are shielded from each 

 other by large trees and shrubs, cranes will nest 

 close together. In 1971, three nests in a row along 

 southern edge of Ben Williams Pond were only 

 0.8 km apart. The same nesting territories are 

 often used year after year. Territories have been 

 deserted (or searchers could not find the nest) for 

 years and then reoccupied. Desertions may have 

 been caused by brush or tree encroachment on 

 the open area around the nest. Three territories ap- 

 parently were not occupied after roads were built 

 nearby. One nesting site was destroyed by excava- 

 tion of a borrow pit in construction of Interstate 

 10. Of the 14 or 15 known nesting territories, 6 

 appear to be abandoned (Recovery Team for the 

 Mississippi Sandhill Crane 1976). 



The egg-laying period is 4 April to 20 May. 

 Hatching occurs between 11 April and 20 June, 

 with a peak during 1-20 May. Of 54 nests found 

 between 1965 and 1975, 9 contained 1 egg and 

 45 held 2, a mean of 1.83 eggs per clutch. The 

 incubation period is 30 to 31 days. Both parents 

 incubate. The hatching success of 38 eggs in the 

 wild was 61%, compared to 60% of 42 eggs arti- 



