[Mike]

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?
BRD=2035&dept_id=416044&newsid=11231199&PAG=461&rfi=9
(04/02/04)

KEOKUK – Don’t be too surprised if you happen to spot a lime
green, fluorescent orange or bright red duck swimming across your
favorite wetland this spring.

According to Louisiana State University wildlife research
assistant, Mike Szymanski, the kaleidoscope-colored ducks are all
part of an ongoing study designed to provide answers as to why
populations of lesser scaup are on the wane. Known to most duck
hunters as bluebills, lesser scaup are an important waterfowl species
of the Mississippi Flyway.

But while most duck species have shown healthy increases during
the past decade, overall scaup numbers have shown an alarming
decline. Although no one can say why scaup populations are falling
off so rapidly, finding the answers may depend in part on keeping
track of color-coded bluebills as they travel to Canadian breeding
areas.

“This study will ultimately involve hundreds of people from
Louisiana to Canada,” Szymanski said. “Currently, we are (bait)
trapping, banding and color marking as many migrating lesser scaup as
we can get our hands on.”

The capture efforts are focused on the Mississippi River at
Keokuk, where large numbers of the ducks stage during spring and fall
migrations. With this year’s spring migration currently reaching its
peak, scientists hope to capture and color mark between 3,000 and
5,000 of the northbound ducks. As the birds disperse across Iowa and
points beyond, researchers are relying on public sightings to help
unravel the mystery of scaup migration.

“What we are attempting is to document migration corridors and
rates of movements from Keokuk to the breeding grounds in the boreal
forest region of western Canada,” Szymanski said. “It’s possible that
during the first half of the spring migration, a majority of scaup
may visit the Dakotas. Later in the migration, more birds may travel
north across Minnesota.

“At this point, we don’t know the exact routes they travel, and
visual sightings will play a key role in providing that information.
What we’re really looking for is the when and where of scaup
migration.”

What researchers do know is that when northbound scaup arrive
at Keokuk, they are in excellent body condition. However, as the
migration continues across Iowa many of the birds begin to lose
weight. Biologists say the weight loss could result in decreased egg
production, reduced survival of adult females, and lower population
recruitment.

“At this point, no one can say for sure why scaup are losing
weight as they travel across Iowa,” Szymanski said. “It could be
food; it could be parasites; it could be contaminates. Once we have
those answers, we can begin working on a solution.”

During the next two summers, biologists plan to sample wetland
feeding grounds in Iowa, Minnesota and North Dakota. Researchers will
be looking at the abundance of invertebrate marsh life (the primary
protein source for migrating scaup), testing for chemical pollutants
and measuring the level of sedimentation due to agricultural runoff.
“There is strong evidence that migrating scaup are missing some
important forage. It may be related to invertebrate abundance which
could be related to water quality,” Szymanski said. “During the next
two years we plan to look at habitat conditions across those areas.
We’ll also continue to monitor the body condition of migrating scaup
and see how that matches up against historical data.”
Public sightings are important to project success. Observations
of color-marked scaup can be reported via the Internet at
http://www.iowadnr.com/wildlife/ or by phone at (888) 646-6367.