Effectiveness of dense nesting cover for increasing duck production in Saskatchewan
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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.
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.
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Plant wild bird seed or cover mixture Action Link |
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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).
