The fifteen species of sea ducks (Tribe Mergini) are the most poorly understood group of waterfowl in North America. The most basic biological information is unknown for some species. Few species have reliable population indices or estimates of annual productivity, and much of our knowledge is based on a very few, localized studies. Also, current survey design is unable to accurately estimate sea duck harvest.
Black and white-winged scoters are not federally listed species but are protected under the
Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The North American Waterfowl Management Plan (2004) lists all
scoter species as decreasing in numbers in North America.
The Alaska breeding population of Steller’s
Eider (Polysticta stelleri) was classified as
threatened under the Endangered Species Act in
June 1997 (USFWS 2002). Recent records suggest
that the species’ current breeding range in northern
Alaska has been greatly reduced and now is
restricted mostly to the vicinity of Barrow
(Quakenbush et al. 2002). Results of aerial surveys
in the past decade verify this distribution pattern
(e.g., Larned et al. 1999, Obritschkewitsch et al.
2008, Ritchie and King 2001).
The Canadian Arctic contains much of Canada’s coastal and marine zones, and these areas support
tremendous numbers of marine birds. At the start of the 21st century, the Canadian marine zone is
the subject of much concern as a result of a variety of anthropogenic threats. The Canadian
Wildlife Service (CWS) is the federal agency responsible for the conservation of migratory bird
populations and their habitats in Canada. As part of its mandate, CWS has produced this report
identifying key marine habitat
Sixty seven Abstracts 45 posters presented 12-16 September 2011 in Seward Alaska
The Condor 113(1):52-60. 2011
Seventy Abstracts of the Third North American Sea Duck Conference,
presented10-14 November 2008 Quebec City, Monteal, Canada
One hundred and five Abstracts of the Second North American Sea Duck Conference presented
in Annapolis Maryland 7-11 November, 2005
One hundred and eighteen Abstracts of the First North American Sea Duck Workshop and Conference
presented in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada 6-10 November, 2002
This report outlines the results of the internationally coordinated census of wintering waterbirds in the Baltic Sea 2007-2009 undertaken under the SOWBAS project (Status of wintering Waterbird populations in the Baltic Sea). The estimated total number of wintering waterbirds was 4.41 million compared to 7.44 million during the last co-ordinated census 1992-1993. Despite the general declines stable or increasing populations of herbivorous species were recorded.