CO0052918 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Soil Investigations for Data Collection in the Delta Initial Study/Proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration 60 sandhill crane subspecies, with gray plumage, heavy body, long neck and legs, and red plumage on top of the head. The subspecies range includes much of North America; the population that occurs in the Study area breeds in western Canada, Washington, and Oregon, with a small number breeding in northeastern California, and migrates to the Central Valley of California to overwinter (CDFW 1994). Night roosting occurs in shallowly flooded open fields and open wetlands interspersed with uplands. Foraging habitat consists mainly of harvested corn fields, followed by winter wheat, irrigated pastures, alfalfa fields, and fallow fields close to roost sites (Ivey et al. 2016). Mid-day loafing typically occurs in wetlands and flooded fields along agricultural field borders, levees, rice checks, and ditches, and in alfalfa fields or pastures. Portions of the study area are used regularly and by large numbers of greater sandhill cranes (Ivey et al. 2016). Sandhill cranes are omnivores and primarily forage in harvested row crops (grains such as corn) for grains, seeds, and roots, and will opportunistically consume small rodents, birds, and invertebrates (CDFW 1994). The species tends to congregate in small to large flocks, exhibits strong site fidelity to traditional roost sites, and is sensitive to human disturbance Greater sandhill cranes are winter residents in the study area, arriving during early September, reaching maximum densities during December and January and departing during early March. Greater Sandhill Crane has been observed regularly in the winter in the vicinity of the Study Area, and there are known roost sites within the Study Area. Therefore, Greater Sandhill Crane has a high potential to occur within the Study Area. No take of Greater Sandhill Crane per California Fish and Game Code Section 3511 would occur due to the Proposed Project; however, CEQA considers potential effects beyond direct take of Fully Protected species. Implementation of Mitigation Measures MM BIO-1 and MM BIO-9 would reduce potential impacts to Greater Sandhill Crane to: Less than Significant with Mitigation Incorporated Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) Golden Eagle is designated as Fully Protected under California Fish and Game Code and protected by the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Golden Eagle is a large eagle that is uniformly dark with golden neck (Kochert et al. 2002). The species is found throughout North America but are more common in western North America. The bird is an uncommon permanent resident and migrant throughout California that lives in open and semi-open country featuring native vegetation where they forage in grasslands, rolling foothills, mountain areas, and desert. Golden Eagle forages for ground squirrels, rabbits, other mammals, and some carrion in open terrain. Nests are built on cliffs adjacent to open habitats, such as grasslands, oak savannas, and open shrublands (Grinnell and Miller 1944) although trees are also used for nesting. Breeding occurs from late January through August (CDFW 1990b).