Examining the Impact of Avian Cholera on the Population Dynamics of a Long-lived Sea Duck, the Northern Eider (multi-year 2 of 3)

Project Number: 105

Year Funded: 2008

Lead Institution(s): Environment and Climate Change Canada

Project Lead: Grant Gilchrist

Email:

Collaborator(s): E Jenkins (USask), S Lair (CCWHC), A Dallaire (CCWHC), D Blehert (USGS), Sebastien Deschamps (USask), I Buttler (USask), S Iverson (USask), D Henri (USask)

Location: Nunavut

Focal Species: Common Eider (Somateria mollissima)

Project Description: Field studies were conducted at East Bay, Southampton Island, Nunavut in 2009 to document the continuing impact of avian cholera on northern common eiders. The East Bay colony has been monitored intensively since 1996, thus yielding before (pre-2005) and after (post-2005) outbreak data for comparison of trends in abundance, survival and productivity. Live birds were again captured in mist nets, marked, and sampled for disease prior to breeding. These data will be used to test hypotheses related to morbidity, mortality, and breeding performance in relation to infection status.