Factors Associated with Duck Nest Success
in the Prairie Pothole Region of Canada
Nest Success by Study Area
Nest success estimates for all species combined varied considerably among area-years (Table 10). Annual estimates were at or above the threshold level suggested for stability of mallard (Cowardin et al. 1985) and northern pintail populations (Klett et al. 1988) in 8 of 31 area-years (2 of 17 in parkland and 6 of 14 in prairie) and at or above the threshold level suggested for gadwall, blue-winged teal, and northern shoveler populations (Klett et al. 1988) in 4 area-years (1 in parkland and 3 in prairie). During 4 years on the Shamrock Study Area, estimates of nest success were at or above threshold levels for all of the 5 common species in 1982, for mallards and northern pintails in 1983, but for none of the species in 1984-85. We did not obtain an estimate of nest success as high as the threshold level for any of the 5 common species on the Hanley Study Area during 4 years of study. Average estimates of nest success overall for all area-years were near the level suggested for stability of mallard and northern pintail populations during 3 of 4 years, but below levels suggested for the other 3 common species in all 4 years.
| Study area | Nest success (%) | |||
| 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | |
| Parkland | ||||
| Earl Grey | - | - | - | 13 |
| Hanley | 5 | 10 | 3 | 12 |
| Hay Lakes | - | 11 | 12 | - |
| Holden | - | 17 | - | - |
| Inchkeith | - | - | 9a | 11 |
| Leask | - | - | 12 | 11 |
| Moore Park | - | 10 | 9 | - |
| Penhold | - | - | 5a | 26 |
| Yorkton | - | - | - | 13a |
| Prairie | ||||
| Cartwright | - | 13 | - | - |
| Ceylon | - | 26 | 5 | - |
| Craik | - | - | 4a | 5 |
| Denzil | - | - | 4 | 7 |
| Gayford | - | - | - | 27 |
| Goodwater | - | 15 | - | - |
| Shamrock | 29 | 15 | 2 | 13a |
| Tichfield | 17 | - | - | - |
| Mean | 17 | 15 | 7 | 14 |
| aEstimate based on <5 species because breeding population of>=1 species was not detected. | ||||
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