Flightless and Post-Molt Survival and Movements of Female Mallards Molting in Klamath Basin

Fleskes, Joseph P.; Mauser, David M.; Yee, Julie L.; Blehert, David S.; Yarris, Gregory S.

doi:10.1675/063.033.0209

Cited by 15 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…The high molting survival rates that we documented are consistent with high survival rates described for other species of sea ducks during remigial molt Esler 2007, Hogan et al 2013). Scoter survival rates during molt were higher than those found for dabbling ducks (Bowman and Longcore 1989, Miller et al 1992, Fleskes et al 2010. Dabbling duck life histories are characterized by lower annual adult survival and higher fecundity than sea ducks (Johnson et al 1992).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Waterfowl employ a variety of strategies to mitigate the costs associated with flightlessness, including adaptive mass loss (Brown and Saunders 1998, Fox and Kahlert 2005, Guillemette et al 2007) and reduced foraging activity (Adams et al 2000, Döpfner et al 2009, Fox and King 2011. Waterfowl survival during remigial molt is variable (Bowman and Longcore 1989, Miller et al 1992, Fleskes et al 2010, perhaps reflecting energetic constraints and elevated mortality risk in some situations.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Survival of surf scoters and white-winged scoters during remigial molt

et al. 2014

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Quantifying sources and timing of variation in demographic rates is necessary to determine where and when constraints may exist within the annual cycle of organisms. Surf scoters (Melanitta perspicillata) and white‐winged scoters (M. fusca) undergo simultaneous remigial molt during which they are flightless for >1 month. Molt could result in reduced survival due to increased predation risk or increased energetic demands associated with regrowing flight feathers. Waterfowl survival during remigial molt varies across species, and has rarely been assessed for sea ducks. To quantify survival during remigial molt, we deployed very high frequency (VHF) transmitters on surf scoters (n = 108) and white‐winged scoters (n = 57) in southeast Alaska and the Salish Sea (British Columbia and Washington) in 2008 and 2009. After censoring mortalities potentially related to capture and handling effects, we detected no mortalities during remigial molt; thus, estimates of daily and period survival for both scoter species during molt were 1.00. We performed sensitivity analyses in which mortalities were added to the dataset to simulate potential mortality rates for the population and then estimated the probability of obtaining a dataset with 0 mortalities. We found that only at high survival rates was there a high probability of observing 0 mortalities. We conclude that remigial molt is normally a period of low mortality in the annual cycle of scoters. The molt period does not appear to be a constraint on scoter populations; therefore, other annual cycle stages should be targeted by research and management efforts to change population trajectories. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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confidence: 99%

Survival of surf scoters and white-winged scoters during remigial molt

et al. 2014

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“…Studies of other treatment wetlands also have reported much higher waterbird densities when compared to reference wetlands (McAllister , ). Ducks require large permanent wetlands with abundant food and cover during the post‐breeding season wing molt, when they are flightless (Moorman et al , Fleskes et al ), and artificial impoundments within Stormwater Treatment Areas meet these needs (Beck et al ). Additionally, hunting in the fall and winter is heavily restricted within the Stormwater Treatment Areas relative to other public lands.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Movements and seasonal use of habitats by rural and urban female mottled ducks in southeast Florida

2014

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Florida will continue to undergo high rates of habitat loss, primarily the result of urbanization. In addition, invasive species are a major threat to Florida's biodiversity. The Florida mottled duck (Anas fulvigula), a bird unique to the state, is particularly vulnerable to loss of wetland habitats and hybridization with feral mallards. Because mottled ducks are more likely to encounter feral mallards in urban habitats, we trapped and radiomarked adult females in urban (n = 99) and rural (n = 146) habitats to estimate home ranges and rates of movement into and out of urban areas. We also determined habitat use in urban and rural areas during the breeding (1 Feb–31 Jul), post‐breeding (1 Aug–18 Nov), and hunting (19 Nov–31 Jan) periods and estimated seasonal habitat selection of rural female mottled ducks. Urban females used mostly aquatic habitats in low and high intensity human development year‐round. Rural ducks used freshwater marshes throughout the year, but selection of other habitat types varied seasonally. Use of glades marsh and agricultural habitats by rural ducks peaked during the breeding season. Rural ducks selected artificial impoundments and reservoirs during the post‐breeding and hunting periods. Median home range size of rural females was more than 65 times greater than those of urban females. Our results suggest the spread of mallard genetic introgression caused by females leaving urban areas may be slow because as few as 6% of the adult females moved between urban and rural areas. Focusing wetland conservation efforts on freshwater marshes and artificial impoundments in south Florida would likely benefit mottled ducks. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.

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“…Seymour 1991;Milstein 1993) and non-breeding sites (Robertson and Cooke 1999). Less is known about moult migrations (Salomonsen 1968;Anderson et al 1992;Bollinger and Derksen 1996) and movements, if any, during moult (Fleskes et al 2010). Further, most studies of moult migrations among waterfowl come from migratory northern hemisphere species, such as female Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) (Fleskes et al 2010), Gadwall (A. strepera) (Szymczak and Rexstad 1991) and American Black Duck (A. rubripes) (Bowman and Brown 1992).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Less is known about moult migrations (Salomonsen 1968;Anderson et al 1992;Bollinger and Derksen 1996) and movements, if any, during moult (Fleskes et al 2010). Further, most studies of moult migrations among waterfowl come from migratory northern hemisphere species, such as female Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) (Fleskes et al 2010), Gadwall (A. strepera) (Szymczak and Rexstad 1991) and American Black Duck (A. rubripes) (Bowman and Brown 1992). In South Africa, it is well known that more than 70% of the South African Shelduck (Tadorna cana) population moults at only 23 locations (Geldenhuys 1981) but movement to and from moulting sites, and that of flightless moulting birds, have not been quantified.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of moult and location on patterns of daily movement by Egyptian Geese in South Africa

Ndlovu

Cumming

Hockey

2014

Emu - Austral Ornithology

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Abstract. The daily movements of 18 Egyptian Geese (Alopochen aegyptiaca) in South Africa were recorded using satellite telemetry. General additive mixed models were used to explain the distances moved by the birds at different times of the day, correcting for sex, site, season and individual. Distances moved by birds in the mesic, winter-rainfall, south-western region (Strandfontein) of South Africa were compared with movements in the semi-arid, summer-rainfall region (Barberspan) of northern South Africa. Moulting birds all remained at single wetlands during moult, displayed crepuscular patterns of activity and nocturnal retreats to safety. At the end of moult, birds dispersed away from moulting sites. The longest daily distances travelled by individuals took place mainly just before moult was due to start or within the first 10 days after completing moult, providing strong evidence that Egyptian Geese undertake moult migrations. The daily pattern of movement was strongly skewed, with >70% of flights being short (<10 km) and longer flights mainly occurring at night (88%). There were considerable differences in patterns of dispersal between birds at the summer-rainfall site and the winterrainfall one. Summer-rainfall birds undertook long-distance movements between wetlands whereas Winter-rainfall birds appeared to move randomly and over short distances.

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Flightless and Post-Molt Survival and Movements of Female Mallards Molting in Klamath Basin

Cited by 15 publications

References 19 publications

Survival of surf scoters and white-winged scoters during remigial molt

Survival of surf scoters and white-winged scoters during remigial molt

Movements and seasonal use of habitats by rural and urban female mottled ducks in southeast Florida

Influence of moult and location on patterns of daily movement by Egyptian Geese in South Africa

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