Movements of Common eiders breeding along the north shore of the gulf of St. Lawrence: Relationships between breeding, molting and wintering sites
Project Number: 91
Year Funded: 2007
Lead Institution(s): Environment Canada
Project Lead: Jean-Pierre Savard
Collaborator(s): Jean-Franscois Giroux (UQuebec)
Location: Quebec
Focal Species: Common Eider (Somateria mollissima)
Project Description: It is unknown whether the eiders of the St. Lawrence estuary and gulf interact in their population dynamics and/or overlap in their molting and wintering areas. Knowledge of the relationships between breeding, molting and wintering locations for eiders of the lower north shore will complement efforts toward developing management plans for the species and environmental assessments of future development. Objectives of this study included: 1) Determine whether eiders breeding in the Gulf of St. Lawrence have different molting and wintering areas than the eiders breeding in the St. Lawrence estuary. 2) Determine whether their spring and fall migration are similar in terms of routes and timing. One male and nine females were captured with mist nets or with dip nets while on their nest and implanted with satellite transmitters by a team of experienced veterinarians. All birds survived implantation and their movements were tracked.
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