Aerial Survey of Wintering Sea Ducks in Northern British Columbia

Project Number: 69

Year Funded: 2005

Lead Institution(s): US Fish and Wildlife Service

Project Lead: John Hodges

Email:

Collaborator(s): Deb Groves (USFWS), Andre Breault (CWS)

Location: British Columbia

Focal Species: All Sea Ducks, Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola), Barrow’s Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica), Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula), Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus), Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis), Common Eider (Somateria mollissima), King Eider (Somateria spectabilis), Spectacled Eider (Somateria fischeri), Steller’s Eider (Polysticta stelleri), Common Merganser (Mergus merganser), Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus), Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator), Black Scoter (Melanitta americana), Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata), White-winged Scoter (Melanitta delgandi)

Project Description: The proposed Nai Kun wind farm project is situated in a unique and expansive shallow water shelf off the northeast coast of Graham Island. This is the first grand scale wind farm of its kind on the west coast of North America. Good sea duck abundance and distribution information will be necessary for project planning, monitoring of effects, and developing an experimental design for future projects of this type.