< Waterfowl

 

EFFECT OF LOW-LEVEL OVERFLIGHTS ON THE BEHAVIOR OF SPRING STAGING WATERFOWL IN CENTRAL LABRADOR

PROJECT PARTNERS
  • Institute for Environmental Monitoring and Research
  • Canadian Wildlife Service
  • Department of National Defence
  • McGill University
  • Innu Nation
BACKGROUND
The presence of Ashkui, or ice-free areas, on the lakes of interior Labrador provide important staging areas for migrating spring waterfowl. Many species of waterfowl utilize Ashkui to rest and rebuild energy reserves before traveling to breeding areas or continuing their northward migration. 'Ashkui' is a word from the Innu-aimun language that refers to the areas of open water in the spring.

Canada Geese flying over Ashkui at Fig Lake

Numerous Ashkui within the Military Training Area of Quebec-Labrador may be subjected to low-level jet overflights. There is concern as to whether these overflights have a negative impact on the activities of waterfowl using Ashkui sites.

The demands of spring migration on waterfowl are high. Disturbance by low-level overflights, including jet aircraft noise, could alter normal energy and activity budgets of waterfowl through disruption of feeding, displacement from feeding areas, increased energy expenditure and reduced energy reserves; thereby compromising reproductive performance. In addition, potential danger exists to flight crews piloting low altitude aircraft. Low-level training activities commonly include multiple aircraft (sorties) and pilots in trailing aircraft may strike birds flushed in response to initial (previous) flyovers.

Given the biological importance of Ashkui sites to spring staging waterfowl, the likelihood of Ashkui sites being subjected to overflights and the threat to human life, the Institute, and project partners, have collaborated in a project that aims to determine the effects of low-level overflights on the behavior of spring staging waterfowl.

THE SPRING STAGING WATERFOWL PROJECT
In May 2001, IEMR participated in a pilot study to examine the time activity budgets of spring staging waterfowl at Fig Lake in southern Labrador. The project was directed by Tina Newbury, M.Sc student at McGill University, under the supervision of Dr. Roger Titman (McGill University) and Dr. Greg Robertson (Canadian Wildlife Service).

Waterfowl on Ashkui site at Fig Lake

The objectives of the pilot study were to collect preliminary data on the time activity budgets of spring staging waterfowl, to test various sampling methods for collecting behavioral data on waterfowl and to measure sound levels at the study site. The information gathered from the pilot study will allow researchers to chronicle behavioral categories for waterfowl, determine the most useful sampling method for the research and correlate sound levels with changes in behavior. The full research program will commence in spring 2002 and will specifically address the effects of low-level jet overflights on the behavior of spring staging waterfowl.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
  • Determine whether waterfowl exhibit distinct behavioral responses after overflights.
  • Determine whether behavioral responses differ in relation to noise levels (and associated flight parameters, e.g. distance and altitude) or time of day.

M.Sc. student Tina Newbury scanning for waterfowl on Ashkui
  • Determine whether waterfowl time activity budgets differ between a site subjected to overflights and a site not subjected to overflights.
  • Determine whether site utilization of waterfowl differs between sites subjected to overflights and sites not subjected to overflights.

STUDY AREA
The preliminary research was conducted at Fig Lake (53º05', 63º14'), which is located approximately 80 kilometers southeast of Churchill Falls, Labrador. This site was chosen for the pilot study because it was known to have both Ashkui utilized by a relatively large concentration of spring staging waterfowl and some exposure to low level overflights. The Harlequin Duck research project that the Institute has been involved over the past 3 years is also based at the Fig Lake site. Lac Fourmont (52º05', 60º34'), located approximately 100 kilometers south of Goose Bay, is the proposed study area for the full research program to begin in 2002. This site supports an abundance of waterfowl species in the spring and receives an extremely high density of overflights.


Location of Fig Lake Study Area and the proposed study area at Lac Fourmont

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
The focus of this year's pilot study was to determine the time activity budgets of spring staging waterfowl using Ashkui sites while at the same time comparing behavior before and after disturbance events. A time activity budget refers to the amount of time an individual spends at various activities such as feeding, sleeping, preening, swimming, etc.

Potential noise disturbance: helicopter
slinging gear to camp

Researchers aimed to quantify the activity budgets of waterfowl by conducting behavioral observations throughout different time periods of the day and directly before and after disturbance events. From the data collected, researchers plan to compare the activity budgets of different species of waterfowl and to examine any changes in behavior that occur in relation to the time of day, weather parameters, and in response to disturbance events.

Sampling Methods
Behavioral data on spring staging waterfowl was collected from May 6th to May 26th on two main Ashkui sites at Fig Lake. Field crews set up a blind adjacent to each Ashkui and conducted observations daily over four time periods: dawn, late morning, mid afternoon and dusk. To record the behavioral ecology of waterfowl, four sampling methods were used: five minute focal samples, thirty minute scan samples, open-ended observations and dive-pause cycle observations.

M.Sc. student Tina Newbury conducts a behavioral observation
 The five minute focal sample involved watching one individual continuously for five minutes and recording all behaviors. The thirty minute scan sample was conducted by watching all members of one species within a flock for half an hour and recording the behavior of each individual at thirty second intervals.

The open-ended observation consisted of watching one individual continuously and recording all behaviors for as long as possible, until it became out of sight or the observer tired. The dive-pause cycle observation was initiated when one individual first dived into the water to feed then recording when it came to the surface to 'pause', then dived again, paused, and so on until the cycle was finished. Analyses of these sampling methods will determine which best depicts waterfowl behavior and which will be used as the sampling protocol in the 2002 field season.
In order to minimize disturbance to the birds on the Ashkui, observations were conducted within blinds using spotting scopes with high quality optics and zoom lenses that allowed researchers to observe from afar. The data was recorded using Psion ®Workabout data loggers and The Observer® software, which allowed continuous real time event recording and data storage.

Hand held data logger used to collect behavioral data in real time

NOISE MONITORING		  
Sound Pressure Levels were measured in the study area using a continuous logging Sound Level Meter set up adjacent to observed Ashkui. The sound meter recorded the average background noise and registered maximum noise levels reached during a noise disturbance. Potential disturbance events included military overflights and the passing of commercial propeller driven aircraft, such as floatplanes and helicopters that were trans-porting personnel and supplies to the camp.

Institute Biologist Colin Jones retrieves data from the Sound Level Meter

MILITARY OVERFLIGHTS
Low-level flight training involves navigating and maneuvering jet aircraft at subsonic speeds (~450 knots) from 30 to 300 meters above ground level. Since 1981, military low-level jet aircraft training has been conducted annually on a 130,000-km2 portion of the Quebec-Labrador peninsula, an area known to contribute significantly to Atlantic Flyway populations of waterfowl. The current training program typically involves 5000 to 6000 flights per year between the months of April and October. The Fig Lake study area is located within the Military Training Area of Labrador and is known to receive a low dose of military overflights. In an effort to attract an increased number of overflights to the study area, a mock target made of orange tarpaulin was deployed on an island in Fig Lake in 2001.


F-16 at 5-Wing Goose Bay

Mock target set up at Fig Lake

INNU COOPERATION
The Innu Nation is supportive of the Spring Staging Waterfowl project and is very interested in the findings of the study. An Innu camp was set up at Fig Lake in proximity to the Harlequin Duck Project field camp. Members of the Innu camp assisted with camp maintenance, participated in field activities and provided a wealth of information of the local environment. The Institute keeps the Innu Nation informed of the progress of the field research and the preliminary findings of the study.

Traditional Labrador Tent used at the Fig Lake base camp

RESULT HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2001
Upon arriving in early May, Fig Lake was 95% ice covered with two Ashkui, or open water sites, providing staging areas for Canada Geese and numerous duck species. Unseasonably warm temperatures this spring resulted in a complete thaw of the lake and surrounding water bodies within a three-week period. Despite the quick melt, and resulting short field season, field staff were able to collect numerous behavioral observations on a variety of waterfowl species.


East Ashkui site at Fig Lake

West Ashkui site at Fig Lake

There were no low-level overflights during the study period, however, 12 observations were associated with other noise disturbances, including, helicopter flights, local motorboat activity and shotgun fire. The noise from the helicopter and shotgun triggered the Sound Level Meter, however, the noise from the motorboat did not.

Observations
  • There were 307 five minute focal observations made on 10 species, ten of which were associated with a noise disturbance.
  • There were 19 dive-pause cycle observations made on 4 species, none of these observations were associated with a noise disturbance.
  • There were 15 open-ended observations made on 4 species, one of which was associated with a noise disturbance.
  • There were 4 thirty-minute scan sample observations, one of which was associated with a noise disturbance.

Canoe and snowshoes used for transportation around study area

Field Biologist Corinne Wilkerson conducts a behavioral observation

Behavioral observations were conducted on the following species:
  • Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)
  • Greater Scaup (Aythya marila)
  • Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)
  • Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata)
  • Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)
  • Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis)
  • Black Scoter (Melabitta nigra)
  • Common Loon (Gavia immer)
  • Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
Other waterfowl species that were present in the area included: American Black Duck (Anas rubripes), Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) and Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca).

Data Analysis
Planned analysis of the collected data will involve an examination of time activity budgets by species, sex, weather and time of day. These analyses will provide information on the behavior of spring staging waterfowl in Labrador and form the basis of experimental studies to be conducted in 2002. In addition, these analyses will assist in determining the field method that best captures the behavior of staging waterfowl.

M.Sc. student Tina Newbury compiles behavioral data at base camp

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
  • To see more photos from the Spring Staging Waterfowl research project, please check out the IEMR Photo Album
  • To search for reports and publications relating to waterfowl and Ashkui sites in Labrador, please check out the IEMR Library Keywords: waterfowl, Ashkui
  • For web sites related to waterfowl and Ashkui please refer to IEMR Links (Spring Staging Waterfowl Project)
SELECTED READING LIST
Bateman, M.C. and A.H. Hicks. 1995. Waterfowl populations in Labrador
  - A data compilation and analysis. Prepared for the Department of National Defense by the Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada. Report April 1995.
 Bateman, M.C. and A.H. Hicks. 1997. Waterfowl behavior and jet
  overflights. Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada. Progress Report July 1997.
 Bateman, M.C. and A.H. Hicks. 1999. Waterfowl populations in the
  low-level training area of Labrador - A data compilation and analysis. Prepared for the Department of National Defense by the Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada. Report April 1999.
 Belanger, L. and J. Bedard. 1990. Energetic cost of man-induced
  disturbance to staging Snow Geese. Journal of Wildlife Management 54: 36-41.
 Bergan, J.F., L.M. Smith, and J.J. Mayer. 1989. Time-activity budgets
  of diving ducks wintering in South Carolina. Journal of Wildlife Management 53:769-776.
Conomy, J.T., J.A. Dubovsky, J.A.Collazo and W.J. Fleming. 1998.
  Do Black Ducks and Wood Ducks habituate to aircraft disturbance. Journal of Wildlife Management 52: 1135-1142.
 Conomy, J.T., J.A. Collazo, J.A. Dubovsky and W.J. Fleming. 1998.
  Dabbling duck behavior and aircraft activity in coastal North Carolina. Journal of Wildlife Management 62(3): 1127-1134.
 Erskine, A.J (ed). 1987. Waterfowl breeding population surveys, Atlantic
  Provinces. Canadian Wildlife Service Occasional Paper No. 60. 82 pp.
 Fletcher, C. and H. Breeze. 2000. Ashkui sites in the low-level flight
  training area, Labrador. Gorsebrook Research Institute for Atlantic Canada Studies, Halifax, NS. Report Sept. 2000.
 Gauthier, J. and Y. Aubrey (eds). 1996. The breeding birds of Québec:
  Atlas of the breeding birds of southern Quebec. Association québécoise des groupes d'ornithologues, The Province of Quebec Society for the Protection of Birds, and the Canadian Wildlife Service, Quebec Region, Montreal QC, 1302 pp.
 Godfrey, W.E. 1986. The Birds of Canada. Revised Edition. D.W.
  Friesen and Sons, Ltd., Ottawa. 595 pp.
 Goudie, R.I. and C.D. Ankney. 1988. Body size, activity budgets, and
  diets of sea ducks wintering in Newfoundland. Ecology 67: 1475-1482.
 Newbury, T. 2001. Effect of low-level overflights on the behavior of spring
  staging waterfowl. Progress Report October 2001.
 Rave, D.P. and G.A. Baldassarre. 1989. Activity budgets of
  Green-winged Teal wintering in coastal wetlands of Louisiana. Journal of Wildlife Management 53: 753-759.
 Titman, R.D. 1981. A time activity budget for breeding mallards (Anas
  platyrhynchos) in Manitoba. Canadian Field Naturalist 95: 26-271.
 Turner, B. and K. Chaulk. 2000. Waterfowl use of spring staging
  areas in the eastern portion of the low-level flight training area of Labrador. Report.
 Turner, B. and A. Hicks. 2000. Breeding population trends of waterfowl
  in the low-level flight training area. Department of National Defense. Report January 2000.


Spring Staging Waterfowl field crew: (back l to r)
Corinne Wilkerson, Colin Jones, Tina Newbury;
(front) Kathy Hogan and Fiona (the 'white wolf')

Return to home page