At least three sandhill cranes have been injured or killed since May at a Richmond golf course, according to a wildlife biologist.
One chick was killed and two adult cranes were injured by golf ball strikes, said Myles Lamont, who has volunteered to look after the dwindling number of metre-tall cranes at Country Meadows since 2013.
Since then, Lamont is aware of at least eight birds who have been killed or injured on the No. 6 Road course. The most devastating injuries are often to the birds’ legs, because in those cases they often have to be euthanized.
In the most recent cases, one bird was left with a broken wing and the other a broken leg.
“It’s always an ongoing trend, and one that doesn’t seem to be getting any better,” Lamont said.
“And the frustrating part with all this, of course, is that there’s only 10 to 12 breeding pairs left in the Fraser Valley.”
But Susan Hogler, who owns Country Meadows with her husband, Harry Hogler, said that Lamont’s cited number of injuries or deaths related to golf-ball strikes is not correct.
“Most times when they go missing, it’s because of a predator,” said Susan Hogler. She also said that the cranes like the golf course and feel safe there.
The cranes nest in the small wetlands just north of the golf course, one of the few wetlands left in the region.
After the cranes have nested, said Lamont, they often bring their chicks across to the golf course, as the wide, open green space allows the birds to see predators coming from a far distance.
In late June, Country Meadows put up signage to warn golfers about the cranes. Harry Hogler said that the signs were put up at each of the tees warning people not to tee off when they saw a bird.
“It’s a very unhappy time for most people (when the birds get hit),” said Harry Hogler.
Lamont said the signs are a “very minimal step,” and one that should have been taken in 2013 when the first crane injuries were recorded.
“There’s no guarantee that anyone’s going to do anything to oblige by those rules, and it certainly doesn’t prevent any accidental strikes from occurring,” said Lamont.
He wants the rear part of the property to be fenced off, which would protect the chicks from golf ball strikes until they are old enough to fly. Another option would be to remove the birds from the course, or improve the wetland site so the birds are less inclined to go on the golf course.
The sandhill cranes are “quite revered” by the clubs’ many members, said Susan Hogler, adding that both golfers and course marshals look out for the birds and are proud to have them on the property.
Lamont has contacted the provincial and federal governments to inform them of the ongoing issue and spike in injuries, adding that both the golf ball strikes and subsequent deaths are breaches of the B.C. Wildlife Act and the Federal Migratory Bird Act.
The Hoglers have also spoken to the Ministry of Environment about the cranes.
“They told us there’s not much we can do once (the cranes) have chosen the area,” said Susan Hogler, adding that they have further plans to meet with the ministry for guidance on how to keep the birds “as safe as possible.”
With only 10 to 12 breeding pairs left in the Fraser Valley, the golf-ball injuries are “completely unsustainable,” said Lamont.
While sandhill cranes look similar to great blue herons, they are identifiable by their light grey or rusty brown feathers, black or dark grey bills and distinctive red crown. According to the Canadian government, the cranes are vulnerable despite population growth across North America, as they face habitat change and loss.
Since the 1960’s, the cranes have faced “historic” habitat loss in the Fraser Valley, said Lamont, as wetlands were converted into agricultural, commercial and industrial landscapes.
Lamont is currently working to document sandhill crane numbers throughout the Fraser Valley, and has recently surveyed most of the known breeding locations in the region.
He has launched a citizen-based science project, where the public can submit their observations of the cranes to track their distribution, habitat and numbers. Lamont said he hopes to be able to band the cranes to identify individual birds and their movements, and encourages people to send in their sandhill crane sightings at CraneSightings.com
