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Tracking the Mallard Migration

AMiller

Junior Member
53
0
I stumbled across some a good read and thought I would share.

http://www.ducks.org/conservation/w...ding-waterfowl-tracking-the-mallard-migration

and



In summery, biologist put GPS back packs on mallards to see when and where mallards stop during their migration.

High lights

* satellite-marked mallards completed fall migration in less than a month on average, with the majority of the birds starting their southward journey almost a month before freeze-up. In fact, 20 percent of the ducks marked in Arkansas during the winters of 2004−2007 returned south the next fall in one nonstop flight.

* The average distance traveled by satellite-marked mallards during spring migration was more than 730 miles. The average distance traveled by individual birds during fall migration was almost 875 miles.

* One of the first mallards (a drake) ever marked with a GPS satellite transmitter in Arkansas flew more than 500 miles during spring migration, from Minnesota to Saskatchewan, in only four days.

* This same bird made a remarkable one-day flight in early fall from Saskatchewan to south-central Iowa—a distance of more than 900 miles!

* Although fall migration commonly is thought of as a one-way trip, several mallards in the tracking study made south-to-north movements during fall and winter.

There is another article I am looking for, but am afraid this may time-out before I find it.

Only 32 more days until North Zone opends :smiley_cowboy:
 

AMiller

Junior Member
53
0
Here is the other article, talks about habitat usage from GPS tracked ducks

http://www.ducks.org/conservation/research/scientific-waterfowling/page4

* But now we know that it's better to progressively flood new food and habitat as the season wears on.

*research has also documented that the highest densities of mallards and other dabbling ducks occur in areas with a combination of natural wetlands, where the birds can rest and find natural foods, and agricultural crops, which provide reliable foraging habitat

*ideal mix of habitat for wintering ducks consists of approximately 50 percent flooded cropland, 20 percent forested wetlands, 20 percent moist-soil wetlands, and 10 percent permanent wetlands

* results emphasize that a complex of multiple habitats attracts a greater abundance and diversity of ducks than single habitat types
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
Good stuff, Aaron. Some great information there. I've been a believer in the south-to-north movements for a long time. It seems almost every fall (especially the last couple) we get a relatively early cold snap that causes a lot of wetlands to freeze up for a short period of time. During that time the birds seem to hit the road south, just as you'd expect. However usually after just a couple weeks or so the temps climb back up and the wetlands thaw. When things thaw out it always seems like we get an influx of birds that come back from the south. It's a strange thing that's for sure. It's like the birds kind of "yo-yo" north and south in relation to the weather during their fall migration.

The second article is spot on about habitat diversity too. Ducks and geese are like most other species of wildlife... a diverse habitat is the most attractive habitat. That's what kind of worries me about the ever-increasing amount of flooded crops we see around here. "Corn is king" is a popular attitude up this way. As a result, the clubs plant more and more each year... turning over perfectly good wetlands just to plant it to corn or buckwheat. Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against flooded crops. If I owned my own wetland, a certain percentage would consist of flooded crops too. It's just that I wonder what kind of impact we're having on the birds as more and more land is converted from moist-soil or hemi-marsh habitat to flooded crop habitat. As the article suggests, 50% flooded crop is ideal. What happens when it becomes 70%?... or 80%... or even 90%? Maybe the ducks and geese will flourish, I don't know. I think there are a ton of other species that will suffer from it though.
 

epe

Senior Member
6,113
93
Lancaster
We definitely notice birds flying south to north during the season. Usually right after our season goes out...lol