Second North American Sea Duck Conference - Patuxent Wildlife ...

Nora A. Rojek
SECOND NORTH AMERICAN SEA DUCK CONFERENCE
STATUS, BREEDING BIOLOGY, AND CONSERVATION
OF STELLER’S EIDER NEAR BARROW, ALASKA, 1991-2005
Fairbanks Fish and Wildlife Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 101 12th Avenue, Room
110, Fairbanks, Alaska 99701; nora_rojek@fws.gov
The Alaska-breeding population of Steller’s eider (Polysticta stelleri) was listed as a U.S. Federally
threatened species in 1997 due to concerns over apparent declines in numbers inferred from a reduction
of nesting range in Alaska. Aerial survey and observational data indicate the region surrounding the
village of Barrow is the core of Steller’s eiders breeding distribution in northern Alaska. In 1991, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the North Slope Borough, Department of Wildlife Management
initiated breeding biology studies of Steller’s eider near Barrow. Between 1991 and 2005, breeding
has occurred in 53% of the years. A total of 116 viable nests have been monitored, with low nest
success averaging 15.7% (95% C.I.: 10.9-20.4%). Only four out of 17 hens monitored with VHF
radio-transmitters successfully fledged at least one duckling. Standardized ground-based breeding
pair surveys were initiated in 1999 to estimate abundance and distribution within 3 km of the road
system (total standard survey area of 135 km²). In non-nesting years (2001-2004), density has ranged
between 0 and 0.16 males/km², while in the last three nesting years (1999, 2000, and 2005) density
has ranged between 0.43 and 0.98 males/km². Due to the periodic non-breeding and rarity of finding
nests even in good nesting years, there is still much to learn about this species’ breeding biology in
order to determine what management actions would be most effective in assisting recovery. While
we now have an understanding that the abundance of lemmings and breeding status of lemming
avian predators is positively correlated with Steller’s eider breeding activity, we have not been able to
predict nesting frequency and lack an understanding of how Steller’s eider assess nesting conditions
upon arrival. In 2005, the first nests were found since 2000 and several new management actions
were implemented. These included deployment of video cameras to document causes of nest failure,
localized fox control, and artificial incubation of eggs to reduce predation and egg removal to start a
captive propagation program (implemented by the Alaska SeaLife Center).
NOV. 7-11, 2005 ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND, USA
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