Atlantic Flyway Waterfowl Banding Fred Hartman

Atlantic Flyway waterfowl banding Fred Hartman

Here I present a summaryof 2 reportsof the Atlantic Nova Scotia 1, Prince Edward Island 2, Newfoundland Waterfowl Councilon the progressof waterfowl band- 2, and New Brunswick 13. ing in the Atlantic Flyway. Bandingwas done co-opera- Black Duck banding activity was intensified in New- tively by the ProvincialGame Departmentsof Ontario, foundland.Surveys were flown in Quebecto locatenew Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Black Duck banding sites. Island, and Newfoundland;state wildlife agenciesin the Atlantic Flyway; the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; Pre-seasonbanding was conductedin the Atlantic Fly- Canadian Wildlife Service; the Wildlife Management way statesalso, under the quotasestablished by the U.S. Institute;and variousprivate agencies. Fish & Wildlife Service. The stationswere, approximately,ME 4, VT 2, MA 2, CT 2, RI 2, NY 12, PA 10,NJ 5, Background:The AtlanticFlyway CooperativeBanding WV 1, VA 2, DE 2, MD 5, NC 3, SC 4, GA 3, & FL 2. Programwas initiated in 1965by the Atlantic Waterfowl Councilto determinepopulation dynamics of selected The Wildlife ManagementInstitute continues to provide waterfowl speciesin easternCanada. This information administrative and financial assistance. is required to formulatewaterfowl huntingregulations and to have some knowledgeof waterfowl population levels in the Atlantic Flyway. These data are important to the states because much of their hunted waterfowl originates in Canada. The last 5-year study period ended in 1980. The Atlantic Waterfowl Council (July 1980] approved another 5-year extensionof this program, through1985. Revised banding quotaswere esta- blished and distributedby the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Servicein 1980.Emphasis has been and will continueto be on Black Ducks, Wood Ducks, and Mallards. Since 1965, totals of 272,992 ducks and 48,178 Canada Geesehave been bandedpre-season in easternCanada. During the same period, 258,417ducks and 31,489Cana- da Geesehave been bandedpre-season in the Atlantic Flyway states. Objectives: 1] To determine distribution of harvest from breeding and wintering areas, and to define the Findings: Eastern Canadian Provinces:A minimum breedingarea sourceof harvestbased on band recovery number of 10,895 ducks and 1,121 Canada Geese were information;2) To determinechanges in harvestpres- banded pre-season1981 at approximately25 banding sure on variouspopulations of migratorygame birds as stations. Fewer ducks but more Canada Geese were measured by recovery and/or harvest rates; 3] To banded in pre-season1981 than in 1980.Of the 10,895 determine annual and/or long term survival rates for ducks 3,083 were Black Ducks. The total number of importantbreeding and winteringpopulation segments ducksbanded was 1,943 (12%) less than in 1980.Duck of migratory birds. speciesbanded in 1981as comparedwith 1980:Black Procedures:Provincial Wildlife Departmentsand the Duck -38% (down 1,909];Mallard +23% (up 809); Canadian Wildlife Service have been instrumental in Wood Duck remained the same; Blue-winged Teal makingnecessary arrangements and conductingthe co- -21% (down 392);Green-winged Teal +18% (up 149); operativebanding in Canada. Pintail -13% (down 30); and Ring-neckedDuck -43% (down 115). Approximately 26 banding stationswere operational during1981 pre-season program in easternCanada. The Atlantic Flyway States:A known total of 21,779ducks stationswere, approximately,Ontario 6, Quebec 3, and 4,939Canada Geese were bandedpre-season 1981.

Page152 NorthAmerican Bird Bander Vol. 7, No. 4 Thesefigures represent a decreaseof 3,943 ducks and an increaseof 1,929geese over 1980 pre-season bandings. The duckspecies showing decreases: Black Duck -28%ø (746);Mallard -10% (1,285);Wood Duck -25% (2,029); Table I. 1981Pre-season binding totals by and Blue-wingedTeal -8% (80). Approximatelythe species.I July 1981to 1 October 1981 samenumbers of Green-wingedTeal and Pintail were Species Nul• efWaterfewl Baneled banded in 1981as in 1980.Eider bandingswere up. CaMde I• States Tetll CanadaGoose 1,121 4,943 6,060 Mallard 4,401 11,130 15,531 BlackDuck 3,083 1,936 5,019 8lackDuck X Mallard 81 101 182 Gadwall 2 100 102 CommonPintail 195 117 312 MallardX Pintail 1 0 1 Green-wingedTeal 989 233 1,222 Blue-wingedTeel 1,433 1,165 2,598 AmericanWigeon 154 12 166 NorthernShoveler 60 6 66 WoodDuck 326 6,220 6,546 Redheed 1 0 1 Ring-neckedDuck 151 2 153 Post-seasonefforts: A follow-up report of the post- CommonGoldeneye 11 26 37 seasonbanding is alsoshown as part of the continuing CommonEider 0 456 456 RuddyDuck 0 1 1 program. In the post-seasonefforts, no banding was HoodedMerganser 5 75 80 done in Newfoundland,New Brunswick,Ontario, Que- CommonMerganser 0 2 2 bec, Vermont, or Rhode Island. It should be noted that Red-breastedMerganser 2 0 2 the pre-seasonand post-seasonbandings were done in Total 12,016 26,718 38,734 different areas as the concentrations differed. Pre-season bandingswere done I July to I October1981; the post-seasonbandings were done 15 December1981 to 1 February1981. Data uses:Data from thisprogram continue to be used to monitorpopulations. There are plansto usethese data to determine distributionof harvestby state and provinceand to checkon over-harvestof specificpro- Table 2. 1981-82Post-season binding totals ductionareas as they relate to individual states.The by species increasedemphasis being placed on Black Duck re- Species Numberef WeterfewlBanded search and management will necessitatethe use of Canede United States Tetel CanadaGoose 3,957 3,957 bandingdata. The bandingprogram has aided New Brant 1,346 1,346 York and Pennsylvaniaand perhaps other states in Snow Goose 1 1 establishingand analyzingthe resultsof zonedhunting Mallard 25 6,577 6,602 BlackDuck 1,123. 6,609 7,732 seasons.The bandingdata have been extremelyvalu- CommonPintail 1 206 207 able in the preparationof EnvironmentalImpact State- Green-wingedTeal 1 116 117 mentson waterfowl huntingand on Black Duck, Snow Blue-wingedTeal 9 9 AmericanWigeon 165 165 Goose,and Brant regulations.Recently, groups from Northern Shoveler 1 1 North Carolina (Canada Goose),North Carolina and WoodDuck 25 25 Virginia (Wood Duckl, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Redhead 1,911 1,911 Canvasback 4,286 ' 4,286 Service(Ring-necked Duck and BlackDuck) have made RedheadX Canvasback 1 1 use of the data. GreaterScaup 262 262 LesserScaup 6,532 6,532 The completereport was prepared by the Banding CommonGoldeneye 7 6 13 Committee, Technical Section of the Atlantic Waterfowl Bufflehead 105 105 HoodedMerganser 5 5 Council. Assistingme with this report were Andre Total 1,186 32,602 33,788 Bourget,Bill French, JohnHarcus, GeorgeJonkel, and Bill Whitman. Copiesof the reportmay be obtainedfrom the author. Box 4341, RD //2, •onestown, PA 17038. Jonestown,PA 17038.

Oct. -- Dec. 1982 North American Bird Bander Page 153