Chronology and Rates of Migratory Movements, Migration Corridors and Habitats Used, and Breeding and

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Chronology and Rates of Migratory Movements,
Migration Corridors and Habitats Used, and
Breeding and Wintering Area Affiliations of
Female Lesser Scaup Stopping-over on Pool 19 of
the Mississippi River in SpringSome Preliminary
Resultsfrom a Pilot Study

• A Multi-Partner Research Project

Photo by Fred Greenslade
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STUDY PARTNERS

• Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Joint
  Venture
• Prairie Pothole Joint Venture
• U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 3
• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
• USGS-Louisiana Cooperative Fish and Wildlife
  Research Unit
• Louisiana State University
• Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
• University of Illinois College of Veterinary
  Medicine
• USGS-Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
• Iowa Department of Natural Resources
• Illinois Department of Natural Resources
• Ducks Unlimited Inc.
• North Dakota Game and Fish Department
• Long Point Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Fund
• Kibbe Research Station of Western Illinois
  University
• Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
• Missouri Department of Conservation
• Des Moines County Conservation Board
• Louisa County Conservation Board

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Major Hypotheses for Scaup Population Decline

• Decreased quality and quantity of food resources
  on winter and spring migration areas (H1)
• Accumulation of contaminants (H2)
• Climate and habitat changes on boreal forest
  breeding areas (H3)

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Hypotheses for Scaup Population Decline

• All 3 major hypotheses may be directly or
  indirectly affecting female survival or
  recruitment
• Hunting probably has not been a factor in the
  population decline, given low harvest rates and a
  recent band analysis that found no relationship
  between harvest rates and annual survival
  probabilities since the 1950s (Nicolai et al.
  2006)
• H1 has been formalized as the Spring Condition
  Hypothesis and is a focus of this Pilot Study

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This Pilot Study

• Is a follow up to previous research of scaup on
  Pool 19 (by Mike Anteau and Al Afton at LSU).
• They previously color-marked scaup on Pool 19 in
  2004 (spray paint) and 2005 (nasal saddles), but
  obtained too few re-sightings of marked birds to
  answer research questions of interest
• Thus, satellite radios were tested in a sample of
  females in spring 2007

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Objective 1

• Document migration corridors and affiliations to
  breeding and wintering areas of females
  stopping-over on Pool 19 during spring
• - To help identify and prioritize regions and
  areas for habitat conservation and management
• - To provide new information concerning the
  links and importance of Pool 19 to females
  utilizing various breeding and wintering areas in
  North America

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Objective 2

• Document migration chronology and estimate rate
  of movement (km/day) and flight distances (km)
  from Pool 19 to individual breeding sites
• - Further test the Spring Condition Hypothesis
  as a potential cause of the scaup population
  decline
• - Determine relative importance of stopover
  areas in the Upper-Midwest for accumulation of
  nutrient reserves used for breeding

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Objective 3

• Identify specific lakes and large wetlands used
  by migrating females after departure from Pool 19
• To allow subsequent quantitative analyses of
  habitat use across a large landscape
• - To provide guidance to managers for
  acquisition, protection, and management of
  important migration habitats in the Upper-Midwest

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Objective 4

• Band a large sample (gt2000) of lesser scaup
• To support and encourage subsequent annual
  operational bandings on Pool 19
• - To provide opportunity for direct estimates of
  harvest rate and survival using new band analysis
  techniques (Nicolai et al. 2006)

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Capture Methods

• We used dive-in traps developed by IL DNR
  personnel

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Capture Methods

• Traps were checked/emptied 2 to 3 times a day
• Mid morning
• Afternoon
• Just before dark

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Bird Handling

• Scaup were placed in holding pens

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Bird Handling

• Leg Banded

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Bird Handling

• Body mass was recorded

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Implantation of PTTs

• Surgeries by Dr. Mark Mitchell, U of IL

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Preliminary Results
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Banding

• We banded, weighed, and released 2482 Lesser
  Scaup in March 2007
• 309 females and 2173 males

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Recaptures

• We recaptured and released 6 male lesser scaup
  that were banded and nasal-saddled on Pool 19 in
  March 2005
• We recaptured and released 196 lesser scaup that
  had been banded during this pilot study
• No foreign recaptures

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17 Females Implanted with PTTs

• 14 females subsequently migrated from Pool 19
• 2 females died on Pool 19 (3 and 27 days after
  release)
• 1 females PTT failed on Pool 19

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14 Females Migrated from Pool 19

• 12 (86) took a northwesterly overland tract
• 2 (14) took a northerly tract
• 11 females arrived on breeding sites
• 3 females died in migration (40, 45 and 52 days
  after release)
• 3 females died after arrival on breeding sites
  (78, 82 and 163 days after release)
• 2 females PTTs failed after arrival on breeding
  sites
• 6 females remain alive for monitoring during fall
  migration

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14 Females Migrated from Pool 19
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11 Females Arrived on Breeding Sites
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Bluebill Tracker on DU Website

• http//www.ducks.org/scaupstudy