Summary of Potential Impacts to Long‐Tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) • The Nantucket Sound provides overwintering habitat for as much as 1/3 of the world’s population of Long‐Tailed Ducks (White et al, 2009) • Parts of the population fly from the Nantucket Sound toward the Nantucket Shoals daily to feed. • Tens (even hundreds) of thousands of ducks can make this commute each morning and evening. • ESS Group, Inc. (2006) performed 12 days of ground surveys documenting that the birds generally fly either over Tuckernuck Island or through the Madaket Harbor. See below:
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SummaryofPotentialImpactstoLong‐TailedDuck(Clangulahyemalis)
• TheNantucketSoundprovidesoverwinteringhabitatforasmuchas1/3oftheworld’spopulationofLong‐TailedDucks(Whiteetal,2009)
• PartsofthepopulationflyfromtheNantucketSoundtowardtheNantucketShoalsdailytofeed.
• Tens(evenhundreds)ofthousandsofduckscanmakethiscommuteeachmorningandevening.
• ESSGroup,Inc.(2006)performed12daysofgroundsurveysdocumentingthatthebirdsgenerallyflyeitheroverTuckernuckIslandorthroughtheMadaketHarbor.Seebelow:
• Usingradio‐telemetrytotrack21ducksover2winters,MassAudubonfoundthatindividualssometimesuseNantucketIsland:
• Thereissignificantindividualvariation.Duringsomeyears,individualduckswillrarelymakethecommute.Figurebelow(courtesyofMassAudubonwebsite)showstrackingpointsforthesameindividualduckfor2years:
• Ducksflyatlowelevation(nearoceansurface)whenthereareheavyheadwindsbutoftenflyhigher(25‐150ft.)withtailwinds(ESSGroup2006).
• Duckstendtoswitchtohighelevationflight(25‐150ft)whenpassingoverland(ESSGroup2006),potentiallyenteringtherotorsweepzone.
• Long‐tailedducksgenerallyarriveinNantucketSoundareaaroundmid‐Novemberandmigratenorthtobreedinggroundsbetweenmid‐Marchandmid‐April(ESSGroup2006,Davis1997).
LiteratureCited
1. ESSGroup,Inc.Long‐TailedDuckReport,Winter2005‐2006.PreparedforCapeWindAssociates,LLC.15September2006.
2. TimothyP.White,RichardR.VeitandMatthewC.Perry.(2009)FeedingEcologyof
Long‐TailedDucks(Clangulahyemalis)WinteringontheNantucketShoals.Waterbirds32:2,293‐299
3. Perry,MatthewC.2006.FoodHabitsofaSmallSampleofLong‐tailedDucksfrom
NantucketSound.USGSPawtuxentWildlifeResearchCenter.http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/resshow/perry/scoters/Seaduck_Nantucket_Food.htmAccessed28September2010.
4. Davis,WE.1997.TheNantucketOldsquawflight:NewEngland'sgreatestbirdshow.BirdObserver,1997.
5. MassachusettsAudubonSociety.(2010)Long‐tailedDuckResearch:Details.http://www.massaudubon.org/Conservation_Science/LTDUresearchDetails.php#results.Accessed28September2010
6. SimonPerkins,GiancarloSadoti,TaberAllison,andAndreaJones.(2004)RelativeWaterfowlAbundancewithinNantucketSound,Massachusettsduringthe2003‐2004WinterSeason.MassachusettsAudubonSociety.
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