Black duck-mallard interactions on breeding areas in Maine
Transactions of the Northeast Section, The Wildlife Society
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Abstract
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) pairs (2-4) and broods (1-2) have occurred sporadically each year during recent (1977-86) waterfowl investigations in Maine. State-wide brood counts (1956-1986) for 36 wetlands in Maine depict an average increase of 1-3 mallard broods. Broods occurred mostly on man-made impoundments. Numbers of mallards captured during banding (as a percentage of combined mallards, American black ducks [Anas rubripes] and hybrids) have increased from 4.3 to 28.7% in southern Maine, 3.6 to 9.1% in central Maine, and 0.5 to 2.6% in eastern Maine during the last 3 or 4 decades. The percentage of mallards captured in northern Maine in the last decade averaged 11.8%. The occurrence of mallard x black duck hybrids handled during pre-season banding has been variable among decades, but < 2.0% for all the banding sites. Mixed-species pairs, usually a male mallard and a female black duck have been recorded. . Survival of mallard ducklings to fledging (4/brood) approximates that of black ducks, but our sample of broods (N=7) was small. Paired, male, black ducks aggressively drove away intruding mallards and conspecifics. The role of mallard releases and small marsh construction is implicated in the establishment of the 657 mallard pairs estimated as breeding in Maine.
Suggested Citation
Longcore, J.R., Corr, P., McAuley, D., 1987, Black duck-mallard interactions on breeding areas in Maine: Transactions of the Northeast Section, The Wildlife Society, v. 44, p. 16-32.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Black duck-mallard interactions on breeding areas in Maine |
| Series title | Transactions of the Northeast Section, The Wildlife Society |
| Volume | 44 |
| Year Published | 1987 |
| Language | English |
| Contributing office(s) | Patuxent Wildlife Research Center |
| Description | 16-32 |
| Larger Work Type | Article |
| Larger Work Subtype | Journal Article |
| Larger Work Title | Transactions of the Northeast Section, The Wildlife Society |
| First page | 16 |
| Last page | 32 |