What food sources characterize the diet upon reaching breeding grounds in Wood Buffalo National Park?
Answer
Seeds, insects, and sedge tubers
The dietary composition of the Whooping Crane changes dramatically depending on the location and season. When the birds arrive at their northern breeding grounds, exemplified by Wood Buffalo National Park, their diet shifts heavily toward locally available inland resources. This composition is weighted toward vegetation components like seeds and tubers derived from sedges, along with insects gathered in the inland environment. This contrasts sharply with the coastal diets focused on saltwater invertebrates or the migratory stopover diets focused on agricultural waste.
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