The diets of wild and reintroduced whooping cranes

Abstract: We characterized the diets of the recently established Eastern Migratory Population (EMP) and the extant Aransas Wood Buffalo population (AWBP). Starting in 2013, frozen proventriculus and ventriculus contents from previously collected dead whooping cranes from both populations were examined to identify dietary items and quantity. EMP whooping cranes (n = 29) consumed benthic macro-invertebrates, beetles, crabs/crayfish, vegetation, seeds, mollusks, and unidentifiable vertebrates. The diets of AWBP whooping cranes (n = 7) examined included all the same food items except benthic macro-invertebrates. Both populations also consumed a variety of non-food items, including plastic and metal. Our data suggests that the wild and reintroduced whooping crane populations are consuming similar types and amounts of food items to meet their dietary requirements.