ARRANGEMENT AND CONTENT OF SPECIES ACCOUNTS 



Waterfowl are among the most studied species of birds, and the technical 

 and popular literature on this group is tremendous in volume and scope. Three 

 major works (Johnsgard 1975; Bellrose 1976; Palmer 1976a, 1976b) on North Amer- 

 ican waterfowl were published in the past decade. Each of these works provides 

 information on life history, distribution, status of populations, and other as- 

 pects of waterfowl biology. Each also approaches the study of waterfowl in a 

 different way (Weller 1977) and to some extent is based on a different set of 

 primary literature, although there is a great deal of overlap. Another source 

 (Cramp et al. 1977) summarized what is known of waterfowl in waterfowl in Europe, 

 the Middle East, and North Africa. Many of the species covered by Cramp et al. 

 also occur in North America. We relied heavily on these works in the prepara- 

 tion of this report, both for their informational content and as a guide to the 

 primary literature. However, we supplemented these summaries with literature 

 that has appeared since their publication and that provides some kinds of infor- 

 mation that none of these works fully explored. 



The accounts for the 41 species included in this section of the report vary 

 considerably in length and in detail. Twenty-four of the species covered are 

 either uncommon in the southeastern states or are found there primarily in fresh 

 water. Because these species, for reasons of geographic distribution or habitat 

 selection, form a very insignificant part of the marine avifauna of the south- 

 east and because their populations would not be threatened by development of 

 energy resources along the coast, their accounts are much abbreviated: we pre- 

 sent only a short synopsis of the status and distribution of the species, with 

 emphasis on the southeastern states, and a statement about the potential effects 

 of development of petroleum resources offshore. We present a full bibliography 

 for each of these species. 



Seventeen species of waterfowl treated herein are either important members 

 of the fauna of the southeastern United States or are species (e.g., Oldsquaw 

 [ Clangula hyemalis ] ) known to be highly susceptible to oil pollution elsewhere. 

 For these species, we provide more detailed accounts. 



SPECIES INCLUDED 



None of the waterfowl treated here are truly pelagic in the sense of occur- 

 ring primarily far offshore. Most of the species for which we provide full ac- 

 counts are found primarily in the open sea or on large embayments while wintei- 

 ing in the southeastern states or passing through on spring and fall migrations. 

 Many sea ducks and diving ducks tend to congregate into large rafts when feeding 

 or resting, making them vulnerable to oil pollution. Other species included 

 here frequent inshore areas or coastal marshes primarily, where their vulnera- 

 bility to contamination may be indirect, by contamination of food resources. 

 Other species occur almost solely on fresh water in coastal areas and are quite 

 unlikely to suffer any direct effect from oil pollution. 



This report includes accounts for 41 of the 53 species of ducks, geese, 

 and swans that we know have been reported in the coastal southeastern states. 



