A. Status of the Spectacled Eider - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

surface after a year and is no longer available to foraging ducks. Because soil dynamics are
different in sub-arctic and arctic wetlands, the long-term behavior oflead shot at higher latitudes
is not known. Controlled, site-specific studies ofmulti-year lead shot behavior should be
conducted in principal substrates found in arctic and sub-arctic wetlands used by foraging
Spectacled Eiders.
D6. 1. Investigate lead shot persistence and availability on the YKD. This task was initiated
in 1994.
D6.2. Investigate lead shot persistence and availability on the NS This task will only be
needed ifeider screening (task D4.2) indicates a problem with lead exposure on the NS. A
study oflead shot persistence on the NS potentially would illuminate concerns for both NS
and AR nesting populations, since wetland soils at similar latitudes might be similar.
D7. Determine contaminant sources. transport modes. and uptake mechanisms. If
contaminants are determined .to be a factor affecting Spectacled Eiders (tasks C5. 1 and Dl),
studies should be initiated to trace contaminants to their source(s) (also see task D3).
D8. Design and implement a monitoring program to assess contaminant levels in each
population over time. Ifcontaminants are determined to be adversely affecting Spectacled Eiders
(tasks Dl and CS. 1), a long-term monitoring program should be implemented.
E. ERilahlila
El. Assess eider diets in marine habitats used during summer, molting. fall staging. winter, and
~pring..~iaging. Knowledge ofeider diets is necessary to understand potential obstacles to
recovery such as contaminants and competition.
El. 1. Assess food habits from incidentally obtained data. Collecting adequate sample sizes
for a traditional food habits study (i.e., shooting tens ofbirds or more), may not be an
acceptable approach for a threatened species. Thus, food habits information should first be
gathered incidentally from dead birds and birds collected for other purposes (ongoing).
El.2. Develop means ofcapturing live Spectacled Eiders for marine diet sampling. Task
El. 1 may not result in adequate information about food habits. Iffood habits could be
determined without killing birds, then more accurate information about diet would be possible
without adverse effects on the population. Techniques for capturing live eiders at-sea should
be developed.
El.3. Determine food habits in marine environments. Stomach samples should be obtained
by methods developed in task El .2, iffeasible. Ifmethods for capturing live eiders at-sea
cannot be developed, then the population effects ofcollecting a valid sample ofwild birds
should be determined (see task C5.7). Ifthese population effects would not threaten any of
the populations, then collections should be implemented to assess eider diets in marine
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