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ABSTRACT 



In 1995, Harlequin Duck pair surveys were conducted on 329 km of 22 streams finding a 

 minimum of 37cr and 23?. A sex ratio of 1.51:1 (m:f, n =600) was observed during 1974-1975 

 and 1989-1995 Montana pair surveys. Brood surveys were conducted on 371 km of 23 streams 

 yielding a minimum of 16?, 40 juveniles, and 2 unknowns. Harlequins were reported on 19 

 additional streams. Breeding was confirmed for the first time on both the Middle Fork of Rock 

 Creek, Deerlodge National Forest (Ben Canard pers. comm.) and the West Fork of the Yaak 

 River, Kootenai National Forest in 1995. John Gangemi observed six female Harlequins in June 

 1995 on the Wigwam River, just north of the U.S./Canada border in Alberta, indicating for the 

 first time that this stream has a breeding population. Though breeding was observed in 1990 on 

 Big Creek (Koocanusa) and Trout Creek (Superior), no birds were seen during 1995 pair surveys. 

 Likewise ducks were seen in 1988 on Quartz Creek but not during this year's survey. A 

 minimum of 151 pairs of ducks nest in Montana representing an estimated 198 total pairs; there 

 are currently 33 Harlequin Duck EOs and 32 streams, surveyed 0-5 times each, where Harlequin 

 Ducks have been observed or reported but on which the breeding status is unknown. 



Reproductive success, on streams surveyed both for pairs and broods in 1995, averaged 

 0.23 broods per female; average brood size at or near fledging (Class III) was 3.82. In Montana 

 during 1974-1975 and 1989-1995, annual numbers of ducklings fledged per adult female 

 averaged 1.39 and ranged from 0.13 - 3.15 (n=305 adult females). Brood size (lib to fledging) 

 averaged 3.59 and ranged from 2.00 - 5.86 (n=l 18 broods). The proportion of females 

 successfLilly raising a brood in a single year varies widely between years. In Montana, stream 

 surveys between 1974 and 1995 found 305 females raising 118 broods, for an average of 38.7% 

 (range 7-55%). 



We continued banding Harlequin Ducks in the Flathead and Clark Fork drainages. 

 During 1995 in Montana, 10 adult males, 12 adult females, and 35 juveniles were captured and 

 banded on 7 streams, bringing the total number banded since 1991 to 249 (39 males, 53 females, 

 157 juveniles). Adult males returned to their breeding streams from the previous year on 53% 

 (n=51) of occasions, while females returned at a rate of 57% (n=81). 



A minimum of 24 birds banded in Montana have been sighted in Oregon (2), Washington 

 (1), and southern British Columbia (21), including Vancouver Island and Hornby Island. Sexes 

 and ages at banding show the following numbers and percentages observed: adult females (6, 

 11%), adult males (2, 5%), juvenile females (9, 7%), and juvenile males (7, 5%). 



In Montana and Idaho, several relatively long-distance movements have been 

 documented both within and between years. Two males and several breeding females were 

 observed using different nearby drainages during different years, indicating that movements 

 within a drainage of up to 30 km may regularly, but rarely, occur. 



Of 100 ducklings marked in 1992-93 in Montana, 14 females are known to have survived 

 at least 2 years; of these, 5 were reported only fi-om their natal stream, 1 only from the coast, and 

 8 from both the coast and the natal breeding stream. Seven males marked as juveniles were seen 

 only on the coast; none have been reported from their natal stream. 



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