USGS Home
Contact USGS
Search USGS

Human disturbance of nests was not believed to be significant. However, the investigator's visits, although infrequent and conducted so as to cause as little disturbance as possible, may have caused some birds to abandon their nests. Possible predators in an urban setting are dogs and cats which might catch young birds straying too far from water. Park visitors were seen to handle ducklings and this might have separated young from the rest of the brood and caused abandonment.