Western Ecological Research Center
Spring Migration of Eurasian Wigeon from Northeastern California: Routes and Destinations | ||
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The Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope) is a frequent winter visitor to the west coast of North America, and long-term data suggests that the population has been increasing for several decades. The Sacramento Valley of California harbors the largest number of Eurasian Wigeon during winter south of Canada, and they are regularly observed in the wetland areas of the valley, including National Wildlife Refuges, state Wildlife Areas, and private wetlands and flooded rice fields. This species is also relatively abundant in the northeastern section of California, the Klamath Basin, after they depart the Sacramento Valley, suggesting that most of the ducks that winter in the Sacramento Valley probably stop in the Klamath Basin on their way north. Unfortunately, information on the winter and spring ecology of Eurasian Wigeon in North America is poorly known. The most important information to obtain at this point, however, is the location of the nesting regions from which the North American wintering birds are derived - this information is still unknown. Therefore, we are conducting a pilot project using satellite telemetry to obtain preliminary information on the potential location of the nesting grounds. We used rocket-nets during early 2009 in the Klamath Basin and captured one second-year male on 22 March. We attached a 16 g back-mounted solar satellite transmitter (known as a PTT), made by North Star Science and Technology (model 16GS), to the duck and released it at the point of capture the same day. The unit transmits location data periodically. We will obtain locations on the duck throughout the migration to the nesting period.
This project is headed by Jeremey Ashe, a graduate student at California State University, Chico (CSUC). This project will serve as Jeremey's Master’s Thesis project in consultation with Chico State advisors Raymond “Jay” Bogiatto, Donald Miller, and Colleen Hatfield. Michael Miller, a Wildlife Research Biologist of the U.S. Geological Survey's Western Ecological Research Center in Sacramento, is advising on the study. Dan Loughman of California Waterfowl in Sacramento headed the trapping effort. First year's funding was provided by a Chico State University Internal Research Grant of $5,000, and California Waterfowl's Jake Messerli, Director of Waterfowl and Wetland Programs, will administer any additional funding received for this project. Jeremey is currently searching for additional funding to support a larger study in spring 2010. For more information on this project please contact Jeremey Ashe at jeremey_ashe@hotmail.com. |
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://werc.wr.usgs.gov/sattrack/ewigeon/index.html
Page Contact Information: William Perry
Page Last Modified: April 6, 2009
