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 Spring
Some Preliminary Results
from a Pilot Study
A Multi-Partner Research Project
Photo by Fred Greenslade
STUDY PARTNERS:
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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
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USGS-Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
• Illinois Department of Natural Resources
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Ducks Unlimited Inc.
North Dakota Game and Fish Department
Long Point Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Fund
• Kibbe Research Station of Western Illinois University
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Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Missouri Department of Conservation
Des Moines County Conservation Board
Louisa County Conservation Board
Tri Oak Foods
Mississippi Valley Calling Association
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)
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
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
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
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
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 UpperMidwest
Objective 4:
Band a large sample (>2000) 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)
Capture Methods:
• We used dive-in traps developed by IL DNR personnel
Dive-in
Funnel opening below water level
Capture Methods:
• Traps were checked/emptied 2 to 3 times a day
– Mid morning
– Afternoon
– Just before dark
Bird Handling:
• Scaup were placed in holding pens
Bird Handling:
• Leg Banded
Bird Handling:
• Body mass was recorded
Implantation of PTTs
• Surgeries by Dr. Mark Mitchell, U of IL
Preliminary Results
Banding
• We banded, weighed, and released 2482
Lesser Scaup in March 2007
• 309 females and 2173 males
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
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 female’s PTT failed on Pool 19
14 Females Migrated from Pool 19
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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
14 Females Migrated from Pool 19
Migration
Parameter
Mean
Min
Max
Departure
Date
22 April
10 April
5 May
Days spent
on Pool 19
25.6
13
40
11 Females Arrived on Breeding Sites
Migration
Parameter
Mean
Min
Max
Arrival date
25 May
13 May
9 June
No. of Stops
6.2
2
11
Total distance
(km)
3018.5
1860
4345
Days in route
34.1
24
51
Movement rate
(km/day)
89.3
68.6
112.0
Bluebill Tracker on DU Website:
http://www.ducks.org/scaupstudy