Population delineation, winter/spring habitat use and migration ecology of White-winged Scoters and Surf Scoters

Project Number: 26

Year Funded: 2004

Lead Institution(s): Canadian Wildlife Service

Project Lead: Sean Boyd

Email:

Collaborator(s): Dan Esler (SFU), USGS, USFWS, NSERC

Location: British Columbia

Focal Species: Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata), White-winged Scoter (Melanitta delgandi)

Project Description: Both White-winged Scoters and Surf Scoters winter in large numbers in coastal B.C., an area with an expanding shellfish aquaculture industry, proposed offshore oil/gas exploration and development of coastal wind-power turbines. However, we know very little about how scoters use coastal habitats, in particular their habitat use and movement patterns and how these might be affected by coastal developments. Scoters forage intensively on herring spawn in spring and this food source may be important to individual body condition, migration success and perhaps even reproductive success. Finally, information is needed on the timing of movements and affiliations between wintering, breeding and molting areas to accurately interpret spring survey data. The objective of this project was to describe the key migration routes, timing of movements, breeding and molting areas, and habitat use patterns of white-winged and surf scoters in winter and spring in the Strait of Georgia using satellite telemetry.

Project Reports:

SDJV26 Interim Report FY02
SDJV26 Interim Report FY03
SDJV26 Final Report FY04

Related Publications

Takekawa, J. Y., S. W. De La Cruz, M. T. Wilson, E. C. Palm, J. Yee, D. R. Nysewander, J. R. Evenson, J. M. Eadie, D. Esler, W. S. Boyd, and D. H. Ward. 2011. Breeding distribution and ecology of Pacific coast Surf Scoters. Pp. 41– 64 in J. V. Wells (editor). Boreal birds of North America: a hemispheric view of their conservation links and significance. Studies in Avian Biology (no. 41), University of California Press, Berkeley, CA http://www.sfu.ca/biology/wildberg/papers/Takekawa%20et%20al%20Studies%20in%20Avian%20Biol%202011.pdf

Lok, E., D. Esler, J. Takekawa, S. De La Cruz, W. Boyd, D. Nysewander, J. Evenson, and D. Ward. 2011. Stopover Habitats of Spring Migrating Surf Scoters in Southeast Alaska. JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 75:92–100. https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.5

De La Cruz, S. E. W., J. Y. Takekawa, M. T. Wilson, D. R. Nysewander, J. R. Evenson, D. Esler, W. S. Boyd, and D. H. Ward. 2009. Spring migration routes and chronology of surf scoters ( Melanitta perspicillata ): a synthesis of Pacific coast studies. Canadian Journal of Zoology 1086:1069–1086. https://doi.org/10.1139/Z09-099

Anderson, E. M., D. Esler, W. S. Boyd, J. R. Evenson, D. R. Nysewander, D. H. Ward, R. D. Dickson, B. D. Uher-Koch, C. S. VanStratt, and J. W. Hupp. 2012. Predation rates, timing, and predator composition for Scoters (Melanitta spp.) in marine habitats. Canadian Journal of Zoology 90:42–50. https://doi.org/10.1139/z11-110

Bianchini, K., S. G. Gilliland, A. M. Berlin, T. D. Bowman, W. Sean Boyd, S. E. W. De La Cruz, D. Esler, J. R. Evenson, P. L. Flint, C. Lepage, S. R. McWilliams, D. E. Meattey, J. E. Osenkowski, M. C. Perry, J.-F. Poulin, E. T. Reed, C. Roy, J.-P. L. Savard, L. Savoy, J. L. Schamber, C. S. Spiegel, J. Takekawa, D. H. Ward, and M. L. Mallory. 2023. Evaluation of breeding distribution and chronology of North American scoters. Wildlife Biology 2023:e01099. https://doi.org/10.1002/wlb3.01099

Lok, E.K., D. Esler, J.Y. Takekawa, S.W. De La Cruz, W.S. Boyd, D.R. Nyeswander, J.R. Evenson, and D.H. Ward. 2012. Spatiotemporal associations between Pacific herring spawn and surf scoter spring migration: evaluating a “silver wave” hypothesis. Marine Ecology Progress Series 457:139-150. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09692

Lok, E.K., M. Kirk, D. Esler, and W.S. Boyd. 2008. Movements of pre-migratory surf and white-winged scoters in response to Pacific herring spawn. Waterbirds 31:385-393. https://doi.org/10.1675/1524-4695-31.3.385

Lamb, J.S., C. Cooper-Mullin, S.G. Gilliland, A.M. Berlin, T.D. Bowman, W.S. Boyd, S.E.W. De La Cruz, D. Esler, J.R. Evenson, P.L. Flint, C. Lepage, J.E. Osenkowski, P.W.C. Paton, M.C. Perry, D. Rosenberg, J-P.L. Savard, L. Savoy, J. Schamber, C.S. Spiegel, D.H. Ward, J.Y. Takekawa, and S.R. McWilliams. 2024. Evaluating conservation units using network analysis: A sea duck case study. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2648

Population delineation, winter/spring habitat use and migration ecology of White-winged Scoters and Surf Scoters