APC 2007: A Season of Success!
By Julia (Watson) Martinson
Avian Care Specialist

By the beginning of 2007, the APC staff organized the breeding bird population into the 24 genetically assigned pairs. Extra birds are always on-hand in case a hen isn’t happy with her mate or a rooster doesn’t find his enclosure suitable for booming. By the end of June and after a few changes we had 18 pairs and 2 trios (a rooster and two hens). We collected 367 eggs from the hens and found 310 to be fertile. That 85% fertility is very good compared to Fossil Rim’s average 73% fertility. From those 310 eggs, 223 developed and hatched and about 170 lived to at least six weeks of age. That’s about 75% chick survivability! Historically, that percentage has been around 55%! We measure to six weeks of age because in the wild, this is about when the chicks will start to distance themselves from the hen. This fantastic survivability is due to the dedication of the caretakers and veterinary staff. This past summer we had the assistance of two interns. Christina Taylor and Anastasia Morrow were on board from early March through July and August respectively. Without their hard work and patience we would not have had as successful of a season. Of course, our high chick survival is also thanks to the incredible Vet staff and all their hard work and numerous trips back and forth to the APC facilities!

Starting in early July and running through August, we coordinated four groups of birds to be transferred back into the wild. A total of 102 birds were released from Fossil Rim in two groups of 30 birds, one group of 20, and the final group of 22. Overall that represents about half of the birds slated for release from all of the breeding facilities this year! Another 2007 milestone is the release of some of our birds onto a privately-owned expanse of prairie. As with the APCs sent to APC National Wildlife Refuge or to the Nature Conservancy property near Texas City, the individuals were radio-collared and their movements will be tracked.

Lastly, next year we plan to breed another 24 pairs of birds. We also anticipate construction of another new enclosure. This will help Fossil Rim to continue to be a leader in captive breeding efforts and the recovery of this species. Be sure to schedule a Behind the Scenes tour during late March through June to be able to hear the males booming and see the new chicks!!