Utilization Of Nesting Islands By Waterfowl In North Dakota

The ure of artificially constructed islands for nesting waterfowl has recently gained attention as a management technique for increasing local populations on the northern prairies which are otherwise declining.However, little quantitative information is available indicating which design features of these islands might best enable them to achieve their full potential. Waterfowl nesting on one natural and 21 artificial islands located in Pool 326 of the J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in North Dakota were studied from 1982-1983. A total of 286 duck nests of seven species were located, with gadwall (Anas strepara),mallard (A. platyrhynchos), and blue-winged teal (A. discors)representing over 90% of all nests discovered. Mean annual waterfowl densities were 8.7 nests/ha with an average Mayfield corrected hatching success of 24%, resulting in an annual duckling production of 27 birds/ha. Several physical and vegetative characteristics of these islands were quantified in o.

"Studies published in the late 1970s and early 1980s have provided us with a better understanding of waterfowl nesting on Islands in the St. Lawrence River between Montréal and Trois-Rivières. The objective of our study was to describe the use of the islands by dabbling ducks and to assess the role of habitat characteristics (e.g., area, plant cover, human activities) in the selection of the Islands by waterfowl"--Abstract.