Study

Effectiveness of dense nesting cover for increasing duck production in Saskatchewan

  • Published source details McKinnon D.T. & Duncan D.C. (1999) Effectiveness of dense nesting cover for increasing duck production in Saskatchewan. Journal of Wildlife Management, 63, 382-389.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Plant wild bird seed or cover mixture

Action Link
Bird Conservation
  1. Plant wild bird seed or cover mixture

    A replicated, controlled study in May-July 1992-94 of 31 wild bird cover and 31 control prairie-parkland plots in Saskatchewan, Canada (McKinnon & Duncan 1999) found that mallard Anas platyrhyncos and gadwall A. strepera displayed higher nest survival rates in wild bird cover than in unmanaged plots (14-16% vs. 4%). There was no difference in nest survival for blue-winged teal A. discors and northern shoveler A. clypeata nests (10-15% vs. 10-14%). Nest survival rates differed significantly between years (8-26% in wild bird cover and 4-16% in control plots) and overall nesting density in wild bird cover plots was low (1.1-1.4 nests/ha). Consequently, the authors suggest that wild bird cover plots would need prohibitively large areas of establishment to be effective. The wild bird cover plots were planted on previously cultivated land with a grass-legume mix (average 37 ha); unmanaged plots were cropland (average 40.4 ha).

     

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