Graduation Year
2016
Graduation Month
December
Document Type
Thesis - Campus Access Only
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
School or Department
Wildlife Biology
Major
Wildlife Biology
Faculty Mentor
Mr. Mike Mitchell
Keywords
Canada, predation, duck, nesting
Subject Categories
Other Animal Sciences
Abstract
During the summer of 2014, I monitored a common eider duck (Somateria mollissima) colony nesting in La Perouse Bay, which is located on the southwestern shores of Hudson Bay, Canada. The colony consisted of 169 nests and predators ate every egg before a single duckling hatched. Employing visual observation and motion-activated game cameras, I monitored when and how nests failed. Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) preyed upon 65% of the nests, making them the main predator for the eider ducks. Sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) were the second most common predator, while herring gulls (Larus argentatus) and polar bears (Ursus maritimus) preyed upon fewer. Each predator species attacked nests across the colony rather than specializing in a specific area or density of nests. These patterns of predation and how they change across years can help scientists predict the future vulnerabilities of eider duck colonies in Hudson Bay. The goals of this study were to build on a 43-year long dataset of common eider nest success at La Perouse Bay as well as add detail as to what predators preyed upon nests and where.
Honors College Research Project
Yes
Recommended Citation
Moore, Neil, "Causes and Spatial Patterns of Predation on Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) Nests Along Hudson Bay" (2016). Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts. 116.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/utpp/116
© Copyright 2016 Neil Moore