Breeding biology and habitat use of King Eiders on the Coastal Plain of Northern Alaska

Project Number: 25

Year Funded: 2004 (year endorsed)

Lead Institution(s): University of Alaska Fairbanks

Project Lead: Abby Powell

Email:

Collaborator(s): Robert Suydam (North Slope Borough), Rebecca McGuire (UAF), Laura Philips (UAF)

Location: Alaska

Focal Species: King Eider (Somateria spectabilis)

Project Description: Little is known about the breeding biology of King Eiders, partly because they typically nest in remote areas in low densities. The western North American population of King Eiders declined by more than 50% between 1979 and 1996 for unknown reasons. Additionally, the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska is being leased for oil and gas exploration and may potentially be developed. Within the northeast planning area of NPR-A is the highest known density of nesting King Eiders on the north slope of Alaska. During the summers of 2002 and 2003 we studied King Eiders in an area to the southeast of Teshekpuk Lake and in the Kuparuk oilfields on the North Slope of Alaska to evaluate the potential impacts of development and to provide information on their basic breeding biology and habitat use. We examined and compared timing of nesting, clutch size, reproductive success, and habitat use between a relatively undisturbed site at Teshekpuk Lake and an area with considerable human activity at Kuparuk.