Atlantic and Great Lakes Sea Duck Migration Study
Project Description
Several North American sea duck populations are smaller than they were historically, although reasons for declines are unknown. Population delineation (i.e., the links among breeding, molting, wintering, and staging areas) is critical information needed to design and interpret monitoring surveys, to better understand population ecology and population dynamics, and to determine limiting factors and potential strategies to improve conservation status of sea ducks. Sea ducks are one of the primary wildlife species utilizing coastal habitats in the Atlantic during winter and may serve as good barometers of the health of marine environments.
Extensive satellite telemetry studies have been done on several sea duck species on the Pacific coast, but relatively little is known about population delineation for sea ducks in eastern North America, most notably for Surf Scoter, Black Scoter, White-winged Scoter, and Long-tailed Duck – all of which are species of conservation concern. There is also an immediate need to identify the most important habitats and patterns of use for sea ducks prior to placement of wind turbines to minimize potential adverse effects on sea ducks and their habitats.
This project is a large-scale, multi-year, multi-partner satellite tracking program for sea ducks along the Atlantic coast and Great Lakes, with the following primary objectives:
- Fully describe the annual migration patterns for four species of sea ducks (surf scoter, black scoter, white-winged scoter, long-tailed duck) in the Atlantic flyway and Great Lakes by 2014.
- Map local movements and estimate length-of-stay during winter for individual radio-marked ducks in areas proposed for placement of wind turbines (e.g., Maine-Penobscot Bay, Nantucket Sound, and coastal Rhode Island).
- Identify near-shore and offshore habitats of high significance to sea ducks to help inform habitat conservation efforts.
- Estimate rates of annual site fidelity to wintering areas, breeding areas, and molting areas for all four focal species in the Atlantic flyway.
More than 400 satellite transmitters were deployed in sea ducks between 2009 and 2018. The project is funded in part by the Sea Duck Joint Venture and in part by various partners.
Reports and Publications
Progress Report – Results and overall Migration Maps – June 2015 [PDF]
General Study Information [PDF]
Migration Maps – Summary Maps, all Years
Long-tailed Duck: (click here for maps)
Black Scoter: (click here for maps)
Surf Scoter: (click here for maps)
White-winged Scoter: (click here for maps)
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Adult male black scoter. Photo: Matt Perry
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Scott McWilliams, Univ Rhode Island, prepares to untangle a black scoter captured in a mist net, Quebec. Photo: Scott Gilliland
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Tim Bowman, USFWS, with adult female black scoter captured in mist net, Quebec. Photo: Luc Gagnon
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Mist net with decoys; note scoter caught in second net; Quebec. Photo: Scott Gilliland
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Jay Osenkowski, RI DEM, with first-year white-winged scoter; Quebec. Photo: Scott Gilliland
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Roger Selesse, NB DNR, with radio-tagged female black scoter; Quebec. Photo: Scott Gilliland
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Radio-tagged adult female black scoter in recovery cage. Photo: Luc Gagnon
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Matt Perry, USGS, weighs a female black scoter, Quebec. Photo: Matt Perry
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Matt Perry , USGS, bands a male surf scoter, Quebec. Photo: Matt Perry
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Keith McAloney, CWS, and Tim Bowman, USFWS, setting up a mist net to catch black scoters, New Brunswick. Photo: Scott Gilliland
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Adult male surf scoter. Photo: Matt Perry
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Radio-tagged male black scoter takes flight after release, New Brunswick. Photo: Matt Perry
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Jay Osenkowski, RI DEM, with a pair of radio-tagged black scoters, Quebec. Photo: Matt Perry
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Radio-tagged female black scoter, Quebec. Photo: Matt Perry
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Two veterinary crews – black scoters, New Brunswick. Photo: Tim Bowman
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Holding and recovery room for ducks, New Brunswick. Photo: Scott McWilliams
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Black scoters in transport cages, New Brunswick. Photo: Jay Osenkowski
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Adult male black scoter tubed for surgery, New Brunswick. Photo Scott McWilliams
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Brandon Hicks, CWS, and Tim Bowman, USFWS, prepare to remove male black scoter captured in mist net. Photo: Jay Osenkowski
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Scoters and mist nets, Quebec. Photo: Jay Osenkowski
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Tim Bowman, USFWS, with male black scoter extracted from mist net, Quebec. Photo: Scott McWilliams
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Female black scoter entangled in mist net, Quebec. Photo: Jay Osenkowski
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A flock of black scoter in the intertidal area, New Brunswick. Photo: Tim Bowman
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Tim Bowman, USFWS, sucks blood from the jugular vein of a male black scoter. Photo: Scott Ford
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Adult male black duck entangled in mist net, New Brunswick. Photo: Scott Gilliland
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Matt Perry, USGS, and Keith McAloney, CWS, taking a swab sample to test for avian influenza, New Brunswick. Photo: Scott Gilliland
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Veterinarians Glenn Olsen (USGS, left) and Scott Ford (right) prepping a black scoter for surgery, New Brunswick. Photo: Scott Gilliland
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Adult female black scoter, New Brunswick. Photo: Scott Ford
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Untangling duck from net. Photo: Peter Paton
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Female white-winged scoter captured in mist net, Massachussets. Photo: Peter Paton
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White-winged scoters captured in mist net, Massachussets. Photo: Peter Paton
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White-winged scoters in and around mist net with decoys in foreground. Photo: Peter Paton
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Scoter capture crew pulling in decoys, Massachusetts. Photo: Peter Paton
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Adult male white-winged scoter. Photo: Peter Paton
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Adult male white-winged scoter Photo: Peter Paton