Status and Management of the Harlequin Duck

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Status and Management of the Harlequin Duck

• BIO 586
• Kayle Baker

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Taxonomy

• Kingdom- Animalia
• Phylum- Chordata
• Subphylum- Vertebrata
• Class- Aves
• Order- Anseriformes
• Family- Anatidae
• Genus- Histrionicus Lesson
• Species- Histrionicus histrionicus

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Origin of Name

• From the latin word histrio
• Meaning actor
• Named for french and italian comic actors who
  dress up in colorful costumes
• Similar to American vaudeville

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General Description

• Diving duck
• Size small
• Length approximately 12 inches
• Wingspan 26 inches
• Has dark wings
• Weight 18-26 ounces
• Sexual maturity 2-3 years

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Adult Males

• Bluish gray body
• White area surrounding bill
• White cheek spots
• White streaking on body and face
• White scapula
• Brown sides
• Black tail

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Adult Females

• Dull coloration (brown)
• Pale stomach
• Splotchy white
• crescent around bill
• White cheek spots

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Breeding and Wintering Ranges

• Wintering occurs in coastal marine areas
• Harlequin ducks
• winter at rocky
• coasts in the
• northern U.S. and
• Canada

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Breeding and Wintering

• Winter in the rocky coastal areas of the northern
  U.S. and Canada.
• In May-June, they migrate to streams with fast
  moving water for breeding.
• Males leave in June-July to moulting sites and
  are followed by the females after incubation of
  eggs.
• Migrate back to wintering area in October-November

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Female Breeding

• Females are generally ground or crevice nesters.
• Nests are hidden. Often under low brush or fallen
  trees.
• Nests are lined with down, which is uncommon for
  ground nesters, but effective for the Harlequin
  duck, because of its dull color.

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Female Breeding contd

• Females typically lay 3-8 eggs
• Egg laying lasts for 2-4 days
• Eggs are pale cream colored
• Incubation lasts 28-32 days
• Females are thought to possibly use their nest
  site for more than one year
• Female will take ducklings to water within 24
  hours of hatching
• Ducklings have been seen playing in rapid moving
  water and near waterfalls.
• Ducklings begin flying within 40-50 days of
  hatching

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Distribution Range

• There are two major populations of the Harlequin
  duck
• The Atlantic and Pacific
• These two populations are then subdivided into
  four regional populations
• The Eastern North American, The Greenlandic, The
  Icelandic and the Pacific Population
• Each of the four populations has its own
  conservation status

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Population Status

• Although the population status of the Pacific is
  the most stable of the four populations, it is
  considered to be in decline, with an estimated
  population of 1 million ducks.
• The Icelandic and Greenlandic populations are
  estimated to have around 5000 ducks each.
• The Eastern North American population is the
  smallest of the four with around 1000 ducks.
• All populations are protected against hunting

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Status Contd

• The Harlequin Duck has been protected under the
  Migratory Birds Convention Act in Canada since
  1917.
• The Committee on the Status of Endangered
  Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) designated the
  Eastern North American Population of Harlequin
  Ducks as Endangered in 1990.
• In 2001, the Eastern Population was reclassified
  as a population of Special Concern due to numbers
  rising to a more acceptable level.

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Causes of Decline

• Harlequin Ducks have a relatively small clutch
  size and in certain years, it has been estimated
  that only half of sexually mature adults will
  breed.
• Reduction in food availability due to pollution
  killing aquatic invertebrates (ducks main food
  source)
• Human interaction and incidental harvesting.
• Oil spills
• Hydroelectric plants
• Low- level flying disturbances

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Management Efforts

• Harlequin Duck (Eastern Population) Recovery Plan
  
• Approved in 1994
• Created by The Harlequin Duck Recovery Team, a 22
  member committee
• Designed to rebuild eastern population to at
  least 3,000 ducks by 2010.
• Addresses concern about population isolation and
  discrepancies in population estimation.

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Recovery Plan Strategies

• Recovery strategies fall into three broad
  Categories

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Population Analysis

• New population studies to determine accurate
  numbers in wintering and breeding ranges
• Studies to evaluate population trends
• Comprehensive studies in the fields of biology,
  ecology and genetics to further determine
  recovery needs.
• Modeling, to assess the effects of management
  efforts

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Timeline for Research

• 1994 monitoring resulted in sighting of 1,000 or
  more ducks. Sponsorship of a survey questionnaire
  to identify unknown breeding areas
• 1994-1995 Canada and U.S. worked together to
  create a wintering survey plan
• 1995-1996 Wintering and Breeding surveys
  conducted populations estimated
• 1995-1996 research started to determine
  reproductive success
• 1997-1998 genetic studies conducted on Pacific
  and Atlantic populations determine that they are
  different. There is no difference determined
  between Atlantic populations. Studies continue
  because the sample size was very small.

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Habitat Management

• Habitat protection
• Preventing oil spills Wintering Ranges of the
  Harlequin duck are often located in oil rich
  areas or on shipping routes.
• Preventing pollution of streams acid rain
  causes reduced numbers of aquatic invertebrates
  and in turn can affect breeding.
• Hydroelectric plants effect water flow.
  Harlequin ducks are notoriously habitual about
  their breeding grounds.

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Law Enforcement/ Education

• Law enforcement to prevent hunting
• Education programs to prevent the accidental
  harvest of harlequin duck and disturbance of its
  habitat (harassment of the ducks)
• Handouts are given to hunters to help them
  distinguish between female and Juvenile harlequin
  ducks and other species such as scoters.

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Conclusion

• Although the Harlequin duck is protected by law,
  it is still a species in decline and of concern.
• The Harlequin Duck Recovery Plan is a
  comprehensive effort to maintain and rebuild
  population status, but the process is slow and
  often depends on human participation.
• The main goal of the Recovery Plan is to
  re-establish a population in Eastern North
  America of at least 3000 ducks, by 2010.
• Further studies on genetic isolation between the
  Eastern populations are pending.

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The End

• Questions, Comments or Concerns???

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Sources

• Hinterland Whos Who
• http//www.ffdp.ca/hww2.asp?cid7id47
• Species at Risk
• http//www.qc.ec.gc.ca/faune/sauvagine/html/harle
  quin_duck.html
• Alaska Department of Fish and Game
• http//www.adfg.state.ak.us/pubs/notebook/bird/ha
  rlequn.php
• Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlequin_duck