Human Disturbances to Waterfowl
Annotated Bibliography
Wildlife impact situations were reported by managers of 16 wildlife refuges in Region 5. Shorebirds (61.5%), waterfowl (16.9%), great blue herons (Ardea herodias) (12.8%), deer (Odocoileus spp.) (5.4%), eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) (2.0%), loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) (1.4%), and herons (0.7%) were reported as being affected (20 species total). Wildlife groupings were variably affected from refuge to refuge, but lowered productivity was reported as an impact most often (41.3%), followed by aberrant behavior/stress (16.2%), reduced use of preferred refuge habitat (13.5%), reduced use of refuge (12.8%), direct mortality (11.5%), and indirect mortality (4.7) among 148 instances of impact. Refuge manager's perception of the importance of impacts by species grouping was shorebirds (73%), waterfowl (17%), birds of prey (16%), deer (5%), bluebirds and herons (no data), and loggerhead turtles (2%). Overall, managers considered impact of great importance 58.5% of the time, of moderate importance 22.1%, and of minor importance only 19.5% of the time. Exploring on foot was involved in 48.0% of the impact situations, and driving on beaches was involved 20.9% of the time. Chief causes of direct mortality were indicated as hunting (83%) and driving on roads (50%); for indirect mortality, feeding/petting wildlife; for lowered productivity, harassing wildlife, collecting eggs, and littering (each 100%); for reduced use of the refuge, hiking-bicycling-jogging, and sunbathing-swimming (each at 50%); for reduced use of preferred habitat, exploring on foot (18%) and hunting (17%); and for aberrant behavior-stress, feeding-petting (50%) and wildlife observation on foot (29%).
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