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

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

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

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is inadequate to sustain “normal” survival rates would guide research <strong>and</strong> management activities<br />

toward potential causes for reduced body condition.<br />

12.1. Collect st<strong>and</strong>ard blood panels. Blood analysis provides an indication <strong>of</strong>overall body<br />

condition <strong>and</strong> stress in live birds. Opportunistic collection <strong>of</strong>blood samples from eiders<br />

trapped for o<strong>the</strong>r studies <strong>and</strong> from captive flocks was initiated in 1994. Samples should be<br />

collected from each population to allow comparisons between <strong>the</strong> body condition indicators<br />

<strong>and</strong> relative “health” <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> three populations, captive birds, <strong>and</strong> related species.<br />

12.2. Determine <strong>and</strong> evaluate body condition indices for <strong>Spectacled</strong> <strong>Eider</strong>s. Body condition<br />

(such as body fat level <strong>of</strong>dead birds or <strong>the</strong> ratio <strong>of</strong>body mass to some measures <strong>of</strong>body size<br />

<strong>of</strong>live birds) should be evaluated in <strong>Spectacled</strong> <strong>Eider</strong>s collected incidentally or h<strong>and</strong>led for<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r studies. These data should be compared to survival <strong>and</strong> reproductive success data for<br />

<strong>the</strong> represented population. Preliminary data would also establish sample sizes needed for a<br />

comprehensive study.<br />

12.3. Evaluate <strong>the</strong> physiological condition <strong>of</strong><strong>Spectacled</strong> <strong>Eider</strong>s throughout <strong>the</strong> year. Based<br />

on <strong>the</strong> results <strong>of</strong>12.2, a study should be designed <strong>and</strong> implemented to evaluate <strong>the</strong><br />

physiological condition <strong>of</strong> <strong>Spectacled</strong> <strong>Eider</strong>s at different locations throughout <strong>the</strong> year. Nonlethal<br />

methods should be used if <strong>the</strong>y provide statistically reliable information; collecting<br />

should be implemented only ifit is determined that it will not adversely affect any population.<br />

12.4 Compare distributions <strong>of</strong><strong>Spectacled</strong> <strong>Eider</strong> body condition with those <strong>of</strong>related<br />

sp~i~a. If<strong>the</strong> distribution <strong>of</strong><strong>Spectacled</strong> <strong>Eider</strong> body conditions differs from related species<br />

that are sharing similar habitats, mortality factors such as heavy metal contamination, food<br />

scarcity, parasites, or disease might be implicated. However, if<strong>the</strong> distribution <strong>of</strong>body<br />

conditions is comparable to that for o<strong>the</strong>r similar species, o<strong>the</strong>r mortality factors (e.g.,<br />

predation, subsistence harvest) would be implicated.<br />

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