Resources related to Times of Migration

Foraging Behavior of Surf Scoters (Melanitta perspicillata) and White-winged Scoters (M. fusca) In Relation to Clam Density: Inferring Food Availability and Habitat Quality

Auk 125:149-157.
Abstract.—Birds are known to modify their foraging behavior in relation to food availability.
Once understood, these relationships can be used to draw inferences about relative food
availability and habitat quality. We measured foraging behavior of Surf Scoters(Melanitta perspicillata)
and White-winged Scoters (M. fusca) feeding on clams during winter in the Strait of Georgia,
British Columbia, to evaluate the relative quality of the foraging landscape for wintering scoters.

Foraging Behavior of Surf Scoters (Melanitta perspicillata) and White-winged Scoters (M. fusca) In Relation to Clam Density:

Wind Power, Wildlife and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act: A Way Forward

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW [Vol. 38:1167
The “challenges facing wind energy remain both substantial and complex.Wildlife impacts
serve as one such obstacle for the wind industry, and as wind power expands in the United
States, so too do concerns about the impact of wind farms on avian and bat species.
In Part II we discuss anthropogenic effects on avian and bat species with particular emphasis
on wind turbines. In Part III, we provide a broad overview of the U.S. wildlife laws most pertinent

Wind Power, Wildlife and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act: A Way Forward

Behaviour and Ecology of Sea Ducks

Sea Ducks have been marginalized in Waterfowl conservation and management programs as most attention has been focused on the "sport ducks" notably mallards. In fact much of our understanding of the demography and harvest of ducks is based on the mallard model. Preceived lack of interest in the Sea Ducks had led to liberal management of this group. Large harvests in Southern areas and intense subsistence use in the North have proved a dangerous combination.

Behaviour and Ecology of Sea Ducks

Found Transmitter A Needle in a Haystack

At first glance the radio transmitter looked like a firecracker with a long fuse. It was a lucky fluke, not a firecracker – that transmitter lying on the Mendenhall Wetlands near Juneau had been implanted in a sea duck ten years earlier and 900 miles south.
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Scoters nests are scattered over a vast area from eastern Interior Alaska across northern Canada, and for this reason, scoter nesting habits have been poorly understood and historically difficult to research. Implanted radio transmitters for ducks have contributed valuable insights in recent years.

Found Transmitter A Needle in a Haystack

Atlantic and Great Lakes Sea Duck Migration Study

This study is a large scale, multi-year, collaborative project that will use satellite telemetry to document annual migration patterns and habitat use. Driven by a lack of knowledge on sea duck distribution, migration patterns, and seasonal habitats used, the Sea Duck Joint Venture (SDJV) partnership has launched a large-scale satellite telemetry study of sea ducks in the Atlantic Flyway. From 2009 to 2013, about 300 transmitters will be deployed in four species: Black Scoter, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, and Long-tailed Duck - all species of high conservation concern.

Atlantic and Great Lakes Sea Duck Migration Study
SDJV Launches ambitious Satellite Telemetry Study

Food Habits of Sea Ducks in the Atlantic Maritimes and Chesapeake Bay

Numbers of scoters (black, surf, and white-winged) and long-tailed ducks wintering in the Maritime provinces of Canada and the Chesapeake Bay (MD and VA, USA) have noticeably declined in recent years. Common goldeneye populations have also declined, but bufflehead populations have increased in numbers.

Food Habits of Sea Ducks in the Atlantic Maritimes and Chesapeake Bay

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