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Wing Moult Chronology, Duration and Synchronicity in Captive Harlequin Ducks, Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters and Long-tailed Ducks

3rd North American

Sea Duck Conference

Château Laurier, Québec

Dr. Jean-Pierre L. Savard

Science and Technology

10-14 November 2008

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Authors

• Jean-Pierre L. Savard (S&T, EC)

• Matthew C. Perry (USGS)

• Jean-François Savard (Univ. Maryland)

• Alicia M. Wells-Berlin (USGS)

• Scott G. Gilliland (CWS)

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Preliminary results

•Morphometry

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Comparison of male and female weights

400.0

500.0

600.0

700.0

800.0

900.0

1000.0

1100.0

1200.0

1300.0

1400.0

SUSC WWSC LTDU HADU

Male weigth Female weight

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Male and female Wing Chord

150.0

175.0

200.0

225.0

250.0

275.0

300.0

SUSC WWSC LTDU HADU

Male wing chord Female wing chord

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Length of 9th primary

120.0

130.0

140.0

150.0

160.0

170.0

180.0

SUSC WWSC LTDU HADU

Male 9th primary Female 9th primary

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Correlation between morphometric measurements (males and females of all

species)

  Weight Tarsus CulmenCulmen

width9th

primary

Weight          

Tarsus 0.917        

Culmen 0.917 0.913      

Cul-width 0.935 0.866 0.973    

9th 0.985 0.925 0.929 0.954  

Wing 0.986 0.922 0.909 0.930 0.996

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•Differences in moult chronology between

species

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Comparison of moult chronology between species: males

0.010.020.030.040.050.060.070.080.090.0

100.0

08-0

7-0

8

08-0

7-1

5

08-0

7-2

2

08-0

7-2

9

08-0

8-0

5

08-0

8-1

2

08-0

8-1

9

08-0

8-2

6

08-0

9-0

2

08-0

9-0

9

08-0

9-1

6

08-0

9-2

3

Date

%

SUSC-M WWSC-M LTDU-M HADU-M

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Comparison of moult chronology between species: females

0.010.020.030.040.050.060.070.080.090.0

100.0

08-0

7-1

5

08-0

7-2

2

08-0

7-2

9

08-0

8-0

5

08-0

8-1

2

08-0

8-1

9

08-0

8-2

6

08-0

9-0

2

08-0

9-0

9

08-0

9-1

6

08-0

9-2

3

08-0

9-3

0

Date

%

SUSC-F WWSC-F LTDU-F HADU-F

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•Differences in moult chronology between

sexes

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Difference in moult chronology between males and females

0.0

20.0

40.0

60.0

80.0

100.0

08-0

7-08

08-0

7-15

08-0

7-22

08-0

7-29

08-0

8-05

08-0

8-12

08-0

8-19

08-0

8-26

08-0

9-02

08-0

9-09

08-0

9-16

08-0

9-23

Date

%

SUSC-M SUSC-F WWSC-M WWSC-F

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Difference in moult chronology between males and females

0.0

20.0

40.0

60.0

80.0

100.0

120.0

08-0

7-23

08-0

7-30

08-0

8-06

08-0

8-13

08-0

8-20

08-0

8-27

08-0

9-03

08-0

9-10

08-0

9-17

08-0

9-24

08-1

0-01

Date

%

LTDU-M LTDU-F HADU-M HADU-F

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Preliminary statistics (Anova)

• Males initiated moult 7.2 ± 2.4 days earlier than females (P = 0.0044)

• LTDU started moult 17.9 ± 3.6 days earlier than HADU (P = 0.0002)

• SUSC started 23.8 ± 3.4 days earlier than HADU (P = 0.0000)

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• WWSC 15.7 ± 2.7 days earlier than HADU (P = 0.000)

• WWSC 8.1 ± 3.5 days later than SUSC (P = 0.1538)

• WWSC and LTDU: +2.2 ± 3.5 days (P = 0.9397)

• SUSC and LTDU: -5.9 ± 4.1 days (P = 0.5660)

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Age (days)

0 10 20 30 40 50

Nin

th P

rim

ary

(m

m)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

Harlequin DuckLong-tailed DuckSurf ScoterWhite-winged Scoter

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9th primary growth rate

• Not constant

• Slow in first week

• Fast in following 3 weeks

• Slowing gradually in last 3 weeks

• Seems to slow down after fligth capability has been regained

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White-winged Scoter males (Growth: mm/day)

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

WWSC-134

WWSC-3725

WWSC-599

WWSC-652

WWSC-170

WWSC-174

WWSC-171

WWSC-643

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White-winged Scoter females (Growth: mm/day)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

WWSC-172 WWSC-483 WWSC-598 WWSC-600 WWSC-642 WWSC-490 WWSC-639

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Surf Scoter males: growth (mm/day)

00.5

11.5

22.5

33.5

44.5

5

SUSC-m-630 SUSC-m-626 SUSC-m-628

SUSC-m-629 SUSC-m-625

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Surf Scoter females: growth rate (mm/day)

0.000.501.001.502.002.503.003.504.004.505.00

15/0

7/20

08

22/0

7/20

08

29/0

7/20

08

05/0

8/20

08

12/0

8/20

08

19/0

8/20

08

26/0

8/20

08

02/0

9/20

08

09/0

9/20

08

16/0

9/20

08

23/0

9/20

08

30/0

9/20

08

07/1

0/20

08

SUSC-F635 SUSC-F632 SUSC-F633

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Long-tailed Duck males: growth rate (mmm/day)

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

LTDU-660 LTDU-565 LTDU-571

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Long-tailed Duck females: growth rate (mm/day)

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

LTDU-572 LTDU-191 LTDU-194 LTDU-343 LTDU-656 LTDU-659

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Harlequin Duck females: growth (mm/day)

0.000.501.001.502.002.503.003.504.004.505.00

HADU-554 HADU-544 HADU-546 HADU-561 HADU-562 HADU-556

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Harlequin Duck males: growth rate (mm3day)

0.000.501.001.502.002.503.003.504.004.505.00

06/0

8/20

08

13/0

8/20

08

20/0

8/20

08

27/0

8/20

08

03/0

9/20

08

10/0

9/20

08

17/0

9/20

08

24/0

9/20

08

01/1

0/20

08

08/1

0/20

08

HADU-548 HADU-550 HADU-559 HADU-560 HADU-552

HADU-555 HADU-557

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Harlequin Duck males: growth rate (mm/day)

0.000.501.001.502.002.503.003.504.004.505.00

30/0

7/20

08

06/0

8/20

08

13/0

8/20

08

20/0

8/20

08

27/0

8/20

08

03/0

9/20

08

10/0

9/20

08

17/0

9/20

08

24/0

9/20

08

01/1

0/20

08

HADU-558 HADU-541 HADU-542 HADU-543 HADU-545 HADU-547

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Mean growth rate (mm/day) (3 weeks with the greatest growth rates)

Males (9th mm) Females

WWSC 4.66 (178) 4.58 (169)

SUSC 4.26 (154) 4.19 (148)

LTDU 4.70 (142) 4.57 (134)

HADU 3.94 (131) 3.90 (129)

BAGO (van de Wetering 1997)

3.30 to 4.10

2.35 to 4.62

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Length of fligthless period (80%)

Males Females

WWSC 36 31

SUSC 33 32

LTDU 28 26

HADU 31 29

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9th primary length in captured moulting Surf Scoterson the Labrador coast

Ninth Primary (mm)

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160

Co

un

t

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Ag

e (

days)

0

10

20

30

40

50

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Surf Scoter 629

J-9

J-23

J-23

J-15

J-30

A-6

A-14

A-21

A-27

S-3

S-10

O-8

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July 23 (old)

July 15 (old)

July 8 (old)

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August 14 (40)

August 6 (6)

July 30 (0)

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August 21 (63)

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September 10(136)

September 3 (120)

August 27 (89)

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October 8 (155)

September 24(155)

September 17(153)

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Merci

Thank you