Winter survival of female American black ducks on the Atlantic coast

We used radio telemetry to monitor the winter survival and cause-specific mortality of 227 female American black ducks captured in New Jersey and Virginia, 1983-1985. Mean survival rate for 19 December - 15 February was 0.65. Survival from hunting and nonhunting risk was 0.84 and 0.78, respectively. Causes of nonhunting mortality included predation and emaciation. There were no consistent patterns in survivorship in relation to mean daily temperature, although the timing of the onset of low temperatures and storms may have influenced movement patterns. Our estimated survival rates are consistent with estimates from other studies of seasonal and annual survival.