https://cpw.cvlcollections.org/files/original/474ff7649cb6b2e09e878371da23c3b6.pdf 404e2082dad81ad1f17746fde16075c1 PDF Text Text COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE - AVIAN RESEARCH PROGRAM PROGRESS REPORT September 2015 TITLE: Gunnison Sage-grouse Captive-Rearing AUTHORS: Anthony D. Apa, Ph.D., Michael Phillips, Ph.D., and Lief Wiechman PROJECT PERSONNEL: Karen Fox, Colorado State University; Alan B. Franklin, NWRC/APHIS; John V. Azua, Jr., Denver Zoo; Preston Alden, Chris Binschus, Caitlin Davis, Michelle Downey, Kyle LeDoux, Clare Mix, Sarah Ogden, Rob Sadowski, Ben Sedinger, Lisa Stoorza, Sarah Vincent, Clarinda Wilson, Lisa Wolfe, CPW. Period Covered: April 1, 2009 – November 1, 2015 All information in this report is preliminary and subject to further evaluation. Information MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED OR QUOTED without permission of the author. Manipulation of these data beyond that contained in this report is discouraged. OVERALL ABSTRACT 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 radiomarked 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. Objectives 1, 2, and 4: Abstract-Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus) are distributed across southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah, United States. Their distribution has decreased over the past century and the species has been listed as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Reduced genetic diversity, small population size, and isolation may affect Gunnison sage-grouse population persistence. Population augmentation can be used to counteract or mitigate these issues, but traditional translocation efforts have yielded mixed, and mostly unsuccessful, results. Captive-rearing is a viable, although much debated, conservation approach to bolster wild conservation-reliant species. Although there have been captiverearing efforts with greater sage-grouse (C. urophasianus), to date, no information exists about captiverearing methods for Gunnison sage-grouse. Therefore, we investigated techniques for egg collection, 1 �artificial incubation, hatch, and captive-rearing of chicks, juveniles, subadults, and adults for Gunnison sage-grouse to develop captive-rearing protocol early in conservation. In 2009 we established a captive flock that produced viable eggs. From 2009-2011, we collected and artificially incubated 206 Gunnison sage-grouse eggs from 23 wild and 14 captive females. Our hatchability was 90%. Wild-produced eggs were heavier than captive-produced eggs and lost mass similarly during incubation. We produced 148 chicks in captivity and fed them a variety of food sources (e.g. invertebrates to commercial chow). Bacterial infections were the primary cause of chick mortality, but we successfully reduced the overall mortality rate during the course of our study. Conservationists and managers should consider the utility in developing a captive-rearing program or creating a captive population as part of a proactive conservation effort for the conservation-reliant Gunnison sage-grouse. Publication Apa, A. D., and L. A. Wiechman LA. 2015. Captive-rearing of Gunnison sage-grouse for egg collection to adulthood to foster proactive conservation and recovery of a conservation-reliant species. Zoo Biology 34:438-452. Objective 3: Abstract- Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus) distribution in North America has decreased over historical accounts and has received federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. We investigated captive-breeding of a captive-flock of Gunnison sage-grouse created from individuals reared in captivity from wild-collected eggs we artificially incubated. We also introduced wild-reared individuals into captivity. Our captive-flock successfully bred and produced fertile eggs. We controlled the timing and duration of male-female breeding interactions and facilitated a semi-natural mating regime. Males established a strutting ground in captivity that females attended for mate selection. In 2010, we allowed females to establish 8 nests, incubate, and hatch eggs. Incubation of nests in captivity was more successful than brood-rearing. Although there are many technical, financial, and logistic issues associated with captive-breeding, we recommend that federal biologists and managers work collaboratively with state wildlife agencies and consider developing a captive-flock as part of a comprehensive conservation strategy for a conservation-reliant species like the Gunnison sage-grouse. The progeny produced from a captive-rearing program could assist in the recovery if innovative approaches to translocation are part of a comprehensive proactive conservation program. Publication: Apa, A. D., and L. A. Wiechman LA. In Press. Captive-breeding of captive and wild-reared Gunnison sage-grouse. Zoo Biology XX:XXX-XXX. Objective 5: Abstract- 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. Fifteen wild broods were augmented with 51 captive-reared chicks over 19 separate introductions. Overall adoption success (defined as successful if the chick is with the surrogate brood 24-36 hours post-introduction) was 35.3% (n = 18/51). Within Treatment I (7-days), our adoption success was 60% (15/25), although 1 chick was 2 �lost due to exposure, and 2 surrogate broods, including 7 domestic chicks were depredated within 24 hours of release, accounting for most of our failed adoptions. Apparent survival of the domestically reared chicks was 0% (0/39). Four of the 51 chicks were censored from the analysis after the transmitters fell off. Eight of the remaining 47 were missing and their fate is unknown. Currently the research portion of this project is completed and the publication process is in progress and some are completed. Publications Wiechman, L. A. and A. D. Apa. In Prep. Production, brood augmentation and chick survival of Gunnison sage-grouse. Wildlife Society Bulletin XXX:XXXX-XXXX. 3 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reports Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Gunnison sage-grouse captive-rearing Description An account of the resource Gunnison sage-grouse (<em>Centrocercus minimus</em>, 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 (<em>C. urophasianus</em>, 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. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Apa, Anthony D. Phillips, Michael Wiechman, Lief Subject The topic of the resource Gunnison sage-grouse <em>Centrocercus minimus</em> Wildlife management Extent The size or duration of the resource. 3 pages Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 2015-09 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource English