Gunnison sage-grouse captive-rearing

Gunnison sage-grouse captive-rearing

Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus, hereafter GUSG) is a species of concern in Colorado. Two conservation issues addressed in the Gunnison Sage-grouse Rangewide Plan (RCP) are the population persistence of GUSG (especially the small populations) and the relatively low genetic diversity among GUSG. Augmenting small GUSG populations is a potentially useful management tool to address these conservation concerns. Five alternative techniques to transplanting yearling or adult individuals are discussed in the RCP, including use of captive-reared GUSG. Researchers at the U.S.D.A. National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) in Fort Collins, CO were able to maintain 18 yearling greater sage-grouse (C. urophasianus, hereafter GRSG) in captivity for 8 months. Recent Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) research on GRSG has evaluated different aspects of captive-rearing techniques. The objectives for this project were to: 1) collect 70 GUSG eggs, 2) artificially incubate and hatch eggs, 3) develop captive breeding techniques for GUSG,4) determine if captive GUSG can initiate incubation and rear a brood in captivity, 5) augment wild surrogate broods with domestically-reared chicks at 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7- weeks of age. Female GUSG were captured using spot-lighting techniques. Females were radio-marked and monitored to assist in locating nesting females. Eggs were collected from laying and incubating females. Eggs were transported from the Gunnison Basin to the CPW Foothills Wildlife Research Facility (FWRF) in Fort Collins and placed in an incubator in a newly constructed building until an external pip was observed (25-26 days) and then they were moved to a hatcher.

Apa, Anthony D.

Phillips, Michael

Wiechman, Lief

Gunnison sage-grouse

Wildlife management

3 pages

2015-09

Text

application/pdf

English