Decline of Spectacled Eiders Nesting in Western Alaska
Spectacled eider (Somateria fischeri) populations in western Alaska are now less than 4% of the numbers estimated in the early 1970s. In 1992, an estimated 1721 nesting pairs remained on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Causes of this rapid and continuing decline of -14% per year are undocumented. Many as...
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The Arctic Institute of North America
1993
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Online Access: | https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64407 |
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ftunivcalgaryojs:oai:journalhosting.ucalgary.ca:article/64407 2023-05-15T14:19:11+02:00 Decline of Spectacled Eiders Nesting in Western Alaska Stehn, Robert A. Dau, Christian P. Conant, Bruce Butler Jr., William I. 1993-01-01 application/pdf https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64407 eng eng The Arctic Institute of North America https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64407/48342 https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64407 ARCTIC; Vol. 46 No. 3 (1993): September: 189–292; 264-277 1923-1245 0004-0843 Aerial surveys Animal distribution Animal food Animal migration Animal mortality Animal population Animal reproduction Bird nesting Endangered species Predation Spectacled Eiders Subsistence Wildlife habitat Kuskokwim Delta Alaska Yukon Delta info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion research-article 1993 ftunivcalgaryojs 2022-03-22T21:21:38Z Spectacled eider (Somateria fischeri) populations in western Alaska are now less than 4% of the numbers estimated in the early 1970s. In 1992, an estimated 1721 nesting pairs remained on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Causes of this rapid and continuing decline of -14% per year are undocumented. Many aspects of spectacled eider biology remain unknown, including their marine foraging habitats, food items, migratory movements, and population ecology. A review of some biological characteristics and possible threats to the species suggests the importance of quantifying potential impacts from parasites and disease, subsistence harvest, predation during brood rearing, and alteration of Bering Sea food resources. Factors causing the population decline of spectacled eiders must be determined and appropriate actions taken to reverse the trend.Key words: Alaska, declining species, Somateria fischeri, spectacled eider, waterfowl, Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Les populations d'eider à lunettes (Somateria fischeri) de l'Alaska occidental s'élèvent maintenant à moins de 4 p. cent du total estimé au début des années 70. En 1992, on a estimé à 1721 le nombre de paires nicheuses qui restaient dans le delta du Yukon-Kuskokwim. Les causes de ce déclin rapide et continu de -14 p. cent par an ne sont pas documentées. Bien des aspects de la biologie de l'eider à lunettes restent inconnus, y compris l'habitat marin où il trouve sa nourriture, ses aliments, ses déplacements migratoires et l'écologie de la population. Un examen de certaines caractéristiques biologiques et des menaces dont l'espèce pourrait faire l'objet suggère l'importance qu'il y a à quantifier les retombées potentielles des parasites et des maladies, des récoltes destinées à assurer la subsistance, de la prédation durant l'élevage de la couvée et des changements dans les ressources alimentaires de la mer de Béring. Il faut déterminer les facteurs responsables du déclin de la population de l'eider à lunettes et prendre les mesures qui s'imposent pour renverser la tendance.Mots clés : Alaska, espèce en déclin, Somateria fischeri, eider à lunettes, oiseau aquatique, delta du Yukon-Kuskokwim Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Bering Sea Kuskokwim Mer de Béring Alaska Yukon University of Calgary Journal Hosting Bering Sea Yukon ARCTIC 46 3 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Calgary Journal Hosting |
op_collection_id |
ftunivcalgaryojs |
language |
English |
topic |
Aerial surveys Animal distribution Animal food Animal migration Animal mortality Animal population Animal reproduction Bird nesting Endangered species Predation Spectacled Eiders Subsistence Wildlife habitat Kuskokwim Delta Alaska Yukon Delta |
spellingShingle |
Aerial surveys Animal distribution Animal food Animal migration Animal mortality Animal population Animal reproduction Bird nesting Endangered species Predation Spectacled Eiders Subsistence Wildlife habitat Kuskokwim Delta Alaska Yukon Delta Stehn, Robert A. Dau, Christian P. Conant, Bruce Butler Jr., William I. Decline of Spectacled Eiders Nesting in Western Alaska |
topic_facet |
Aerial surveys Animal distribution Animal food Animal migration Animal mortality Animal population Animal reproduction Bird nesting Endangered species Predation Spectacled Eiders Subsistence Wildlife habitat Kuskokwim Delta Alaska Yukon Delta |
description |
Spectacled eider (Somateria fischeri) populations in western Alaska are now less than 4% of the numbers estimated in the early 1970s. In 1992, an estimated 1721 nesting pairs remained on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Causes of this rapid and continuing decline of -14% per year are undocumented. Many aspects of spectacled eider biology remain unknown, including their marine foraging habitats, food items, migratory movements, and population ecology. A review of some biological characteristics and possible threats to the species suggests the importance of quantifying potential impacts from parasites and disease, subsistence harvest, predation during brood rearing, and alteration of Bering Sea food resources. Factors causing the population decline of spectacled eiders must be determined and appropriate actions taken to reverse the trend.Key words: Alaska, declining species, Somateria fischeri, spectacled eider, waterfowl, Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Les populations d'eider à lunettes (Somateria fischeri) de l'Alaska occidental s'élèvent maintenant à moins de 4 p. cent du total estimé au début des années 70. En 1992, on a estimé à 1721 le nombre de paires nicheuses qui restaient dans le delta du Yukon-Kuskokwim. Les causes de ce déclin rapide et continu de -14 p. cent par an ne sont pas documentées. Bien des aspects de la biologie de l'eider à lunettes restent inconnus, y compris l'habitat marin où il trouve sa nourriture, ses aliments, ses déplacements migratoires et l'écologie de la population. Un examen de certaines caractéristiques biologiques et des menaces dont l'espèce pourrait faire l'objet suggère l'importance qu'il y a à quantifier les retombées potentielles des parasites et des maladies, des récoltes destinées à assurer la subsistance, de la prédation durant l'élevage de la couvée et des changements dans les ressources alimentaires de la mer de Béring. Il faut déterminer les facteurs responsables du déclin de la population de l'eider à lunettes et prendre les mesures qui s'imposent pour renverser la tendance.Mots clés : Alaska, espèce en déclin, Somateria fischeri, eider à lunettes, oiseau aquatique, delta du Yukon-Kuskokwim |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Stehn, Robert A. Dau, Christian P. Conant, Bruce Butler Jr., William I. |
author_facet |
Stehn, Robert A. Dau, Christian P. Conant, Bruce Butler Jr., William I. |
author_sort |
Stehn, Robert A. |
title |
Decline of Spectacled Eiders Nesting in Western Alaska |
title_short |
Decline of Spectacled Eiders Nesting in Western Alaska |
title_full |
Decline of Spectacled Eiders Nesting in Western Alaska |
title_fullStr |
Decline of Spectacled Eiders Nesting in Western Alaska |
title_full_unstemmed |
Decline of Spectacled Eiders Nesting in Western Alaska |
title_sort |
decline of spectacled eiders nesting in western alaska |
publisher |
The Arctic Institute of North America |
publishDate |
1993 |
url |
https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64407 |
geographic |
Bering Sea Yukon |
geographic_facet |
Bering Sea Yukon |
genre |
Arctic Bering Sea Kuskokwim Mer de Béring Alaska Yukon |
genre_facet |
Arctic Bering Sea Kuskokwim Mer de Béring Alaska Yukon |
op_source |
ARCTIC; Vol. 46 No. 3 (1993): September: 189–292; 264-277 1923-1245 0004-0843 |
op_relation |
https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64407/48342 https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64407 |
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ARCTIC |
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46 |
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3 |
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