Updating movement estimates for American black ducks (Anas rubripes)
Understanding migratory connectivity for species of concern is of great importance if we are to implement management aimed at conserving them. New methods are improving our understanding of migration; however, banding (ringing) data is by far the most widely available and accessible movement data for researchers. Here, we use band recovery data for American black ducks (Anas rubripes) from 1951–2011 and analyze their movement among seven management regions using a hierarchical Bayesian framework. We showed that black ducks generally exhibit flyway fidelity, and that many black ducks, regardless of breeding region, stopover or overwinter on the Atlantic coast of the United States. We also show that a non-trivial portion of the continental black duck population either does not move at all or moves to the north during the fall migration (they typically move to the south). The results of this analysis will be used in a projection modeling context to evaluate how habitat or harvest management actions in one region would propagate throughout the continental population of black ducks. This analysis may provide a guide for future research and help inform management efforts for black ducks as well as other migratory species.
Citation Information
Publication Year | 2016 |
---|---|
Title | Updating movement estimates for American black ducks (Anas rubripes) |
DOI | 10.7717/peerj.1787 |
Authors | Orin J. Robinson, Conor P. McGowan, Patrick K. Devers |
Publication Type | Article |
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Series Title | PeerJ |
Index ID | 70192496 |
Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
USGS Organization | Coop Res Unit Atlanta |
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Upper Midwest Water Science Center - Madison, WI, Office
1 Gifford Pinchot Drive
Madison, WI 53726
United States
Related Content
Upper Midwest Water Science Center - Madison, WI, Office
1 Gifford Pinchot Drive
Madison, WI 53726
United States