NOTE TO USERS This reproduction is the best 'copy available UMI THE ECOLOGY OF HARLEQUI. DUCKS (HISTRIONICUS HISTRIONICUS) BREEDING IN JASPER NATIONAL PARK, CANADA William Andrew Hunt BSc. University of Alberta 1989 A THESIS SUBMïiTED FI PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTEROF SCIENCE in the Department of Biological Sciences @WilliamHunt 1998 SIMON FRASER UNTVERSITY March 1998 Al1 rights reserved. This work rnay not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. National Library Bibliothèque nationale (*lof Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, nie Wellington Ottawa ON KIA ON4 Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Cana& Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accorde une Licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, disûibute or sel1 reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfom, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la fome de rnicrofiche/fi.lm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur fonnat électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Abstract i studied the ecology of harlequin ducks (His~rionicushistrionicus) breeding in the Maligne Valley, Jasper National Park, in the Rocky Mountains of Canada, between 1992 and 1995. This study was initiated by Parks Canada after concerns were raised about the potential impacts of commercial rafting on harlequin ducks on the Maligne River. Harlequin ducks arrive frorn coastal wintering areas in early April and initially forage along the Athabasca River. As higher areas become free of snow, harlequin ducks move up tributaries such as the Maligne River. Regular surveys throughout the Maligne Valley each year indicate a stable resident population of at least 30-40 adult harlequin ducks, with additional transient individuals. During May and June some harlequin ducks occupy territories on the lower Maligne River. Others feed in the larger lakes and in some years many congregate at a club site at the outlet of Maligne Lake (MLO) into the Maligne River. Here males are tolerant of other pairs and females feed intensely, gaining body condition prior to egg laying in late June. It appears that only females which gained considerable body condition attempted nesting. Most females nest on high alpine tributaries. Nesting is initiated immediately following peak flows on tributaries. Hens rear broods on tributaries then move downstream to forage in large lakes, such as Medicine Lake, in August and September. At higher elevations hens nest later and in some years these late broods grow faster. At the Maligne Lake outlet club site the density of the benthic rnacroinvertebrate larva preyed on by harlequin ducks is especially high, but usage of the site by harlequin ducks varies greatly between years. Commercial rafting began on the Maligne River in 1986. Rafts launch on the lake and pass through the club site as they enter the river. Observations showed that the passage of rafts most often caused harlequin ducks to take flipht. Detailed behavioural observations showed that when rafts were present, harlequin ducks fed significantly less. Cornparisons with and without rafting disturbance were confounded by poten tial seasonal effects, however the diurnal foraging pattern was clearly depressed during rafting activities while tirne spent flying and out-of-view increased. Downstreain of the Maligne Lake outlet, harlequin ducks were rarely observed on the middle Maligne River. This included two very similar river sections, one with rafting disturbances in July and August and one with no history of commercial rafting and very little human disturbance of any kind. Therefore if hens arrive at the breeding areas in May and must gain considerable body condition to reproduce in June and July, it is essential that hens are not displaced from preferred foraging areas. However the middle Maligne River downstream of the Maligne Lake outlet seems to be seldom utilized by breeding harlequin ducks. 1 conclude that the long term ecological integrity of the Maligne Valley for harlequin ducks requires that rafts not be allowed to transit the Maligne Lake outlet and commercial rafting activities should cease by August when broods move downstream to fa11 foraging areas on Medicine Lake. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The field work for this research could not have been completed without the hard work, patience and dedication of the "Duck Crew". Thanks to Tara, Brenda and Alex and especially to Karen the-survey-machine and Terry the-bug-picker, who put up with me for three years straight! Ron Ydenberg, Fred Cooke and Ian Goudie, the mernbers of my cornmittee, al1 visited the field site and provided useful assistance, teaching, and advice. Finally thanks to the gang at SFU for making my stay there enjoyable and filling me in on al! the stuff 1 didn't know. To Laura, for-putting 2p with me through this long process and to Andrew for inspiring me toJinalZy gct it finished! To Moln and Dad for ge'elting me interested in this stuflto begrn wiih and Laurie and Dan for Zeading the way! TABLE OF CONTENTS .. Approval Pagje 11 a.. Abstract 111 Acknowledgements v Dedication vi Table of Contents vii a.. List of Tables VIU List of Figures x CHAPTER ONE - General Introduction 1 CHAPTER TWO - Ecology of Harlequin Ducks in the Maligne Valley, Jasper National Park. 6 Introduction 6 Methods 7 Results 19 Discussion 64 Summary 71 CHAPTER THREE - Behaviour of Harlequin Ducks at an Undisturbed Club Site 74 Introduction Methods Results Discussion CHAPTER FOUR - Behaviour of Harlequin Ducks at a Disturbed Club Site Introduction Methods Results Discussion CHAPTER FIVE - Commercial Rafting on the Maligne River: Effects and Impacts on Harlequin Ducks Literature Cited vii LIST OF TBLES Table 2.1 - Distribution aiid rafting staius of survey sites establislied dong the Maligne Lake Road in Jasper Natioiial Park for ille Maligne River survey, 1993 - 1995. 13 Table 2.2 - Diversity and idative abundance of potentid food items for har1equi.n ducks, collected from the Maligne River, Jasj~erNational Park, 1995, using two different sampling techniques; kick smpling and bloçk settipling (iiiulti-plate sampler). Groups marked with cin X are common to both sampling teclmiqiies. mie hiomass index is the product of frequency and size cius. 32 Table 2.3 - Nruiibers of malc. fernale, adult and young-of-year hwlequin ducks banded in Jasper National Park, during 1994 md 1995. 45 Talilc 2.4 - Mcasuremenl of 38 adult females, 34 adult males, 19 young females and 22 young males (some vslucs of n will be less as some measurement sets of adults were incomplete). Values are means, braçkets are staiidard deviation, bold lettering indicatites a ~ig~cantdifference behveen males and lkmrilcs of tliat agç class (adult p< 0.00 1; young p < 0.05). Males were captured between 10 May and 08 July, wliereas lkmales were captured between 10 May and 06 September. 47 TaMe 2.5 Iniluence of ses. üge, hatcli date, elevation and year eeffects on the mus of young of year harlequin ducks (ANOVA. n = 41, rZ = 0.447). 57 Tal~lc3.1 - Caiegoiies of bcliüviom assigned during instantaneous focal sampling at 30 second Intervais for 30 iiiiniitcs at the Maligne Lake outlet in Juper Nationd Park. Each behaviour was ftrst grouped into one of îiic iive iiiiun ~ategoxies,then the appropriate sub-category \vas assigned. 78 Table 3.2 - Distribution of' pre-nesting harlequin ducks within the Maligne Lake outlet diuing May and June, 1993. and the distribution of feeding and lotdimg activities wiîiiin the outlet. Zone A is adjacent to Maligne Lake aiid Zone E defmes the furthesr downstream portion of the Maligne Lake outlet. 81 Table 3.3 - Beliovioius of Iiiirlequin ducks at the Maligne Lake outlet in Jasper National Park in May and June, 1993. Tliese beliaviours were measured using instantmeous focal samphg, at 30 second intervals, for viii 30 iiiiiiutes (n is the number of sampling periods). Values are expressed as perceritages. asterisks Uidicxtes ü signiliçant difference between males and females for that behaviour category. 82 Table 3.4 - Variation in geiicrd behaviours of male tuid female harlequin ducks while paired and unpaixed (solo). Note thül these çiassiîicationsrefer to mate guarding activities during the observation period, and not iiccessarily the breeding status for the season. 83 Taide 4.1 - Rextions of groups of 1 -7 harlequin ducks to watercraft disturbances during 86 separate interactions iit iiie Maligne Lakc outlet in Jasper National Park from O 1 to 22 Juiy 1993. Total = 263 interactions (2 13 iiiales and 50 t'eriides). 97 Table 4.2 - Chüiiges in the mean percent of time hulequin ducks devoted to dserent behaviours with the Maligiic River closed (June) and open (July) to human use in 1993. Results of 277 focal animal observation sessions at the MLO. 1 recorded behaviours every 30 seconds during each 30 minute session. Values in brackets are the standard error of the mem. 102 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1 - Map of the Maligne Valley Study are% Jasper Nationd Park showing river sections as indicated by liglit bars. 8 Figure 2.2 - Map of MaIigne Valley study ami, Jasper National Park, showing the survey sites used in the Maligne Itiver Suivey and the area covered by the Maligne Lake swey. 14 Figure 2.3 - Map of tlie Maligne Valley study area, Jasper National Park, showing tributaries surveyed for Iiürlçqtiui duck broods and nests, 1993 - 1995.