Identifying targets for conservation: the arrival and loss of Common Eider Somateria mollissima ducklings in an estuarine nursery ...

• Main Authors: Brooker-Carey, Hilary, Redfern, Chris P.F., Morrison, Paul G.
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Taylor & Francis 2023
• Subjects: Genetics; FOS Biological sciences; Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified; Ecology; Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified; Inorganic Chemistry; FOS Chemical sciences; Infectious Diseases; FOS Health sciences; Common Eider; Somateria mollissima
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24787649; https://tandf.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Identifying_targets_for_conservation_the_arrival_and_loss_of_Common_Eider_i_Somateria_mollissima_i_ducklings_in_an_estuarine_nursery/24787649

The arrival of Common Eider Somateria mollissima ducklings into a reception and nursery area is a measure of breeding success and phenology but reveals gaps in knowledge for effective conservation. Estuarine habitats are important wildlife areas but are continually under threat from human activities. Common Eiders may be an indicator species for monitoring the impacts of development in estuaries used by them as nursery areas. The aim of this study was to understand the arrival and distribution of ducklings in a commercial and recreational estuarine environment. Coquet Island, Northumberland, is a breeding site for Common Eiders at the southern limit of their range on the east coast of the UK. Numbers of ducklings arriving in the adjacent Coquet Estuary nursery area were monitored daily during the breeding season over a 27-year period from 1995 to 2021 inclusive. Counts of ducklings were higher overall in less disturbed parts of the estuary, but there were no consistent patterns of habitat use. First-arrival ...