APPENDIX E. INVENTORY AND MONITORING PROTOCOL FOR HARLEQUIN DUCKS 



These inventory and monitoring guidelines are based on data collected in Idaho, Montana, and 

 Wyoming breeding areas. Breeding chronology of harlequin ducks varies by area, for instance harlequin 

 duck arrival and breeding activities in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming occur 2-4 weeks later than 

 in northern Idaho (Wallen 1987, Cassirer and Groves 1994). Therefore, this protocol is only specifically 

 applicable to the area it was developed, and other areas where similar breeding chronology has been 

 documented. 



Monitoring 



A rotational survey design (Skalski 1990, 1995) has been selected for monitoring harlequin duck 

 pair numbers and productivity in the U.S. Rocky Mountains. All harlequin duck breeding streams and 

 probable breeding streams that can reasonably be surveyed are incorporated in this survey design. Streams 

 currently of unknown status should be added to this list in the future if inventory efforts reveal they are 

 harlequin duck breeding streams. Selected "bellwether" streams are monitored on an annual basis (Table 

 1). These streams were selected based on relative accessibility, consistence of harlequin duck use, and 

 distribution throughout the Rocky Mountain breeding range. A minimum of 25% of the remaining 

 breeding or probable breeding streams in the subprovince (Table 2) are randomly selected and surveyed 

 on a rotational basis. Monitoring should be conducted whether or not any management activites are 

 scheduled in the area. 



A population estimate is derived by combining the actual number observed during pair surveys on 

 the "bellwether" streams" and nonbellwether "rotational" streams. The number of pairs observed on the 

 "bellwether" streams is summed and the average number observed on the rotational streams is applied to 

 all remaining breeding or probable breeding streams (Skalski 1995). 



N T = rN r + (M- r)N p 



where M = the total number of breeding streams. 

 N = the number of pairs observed. 

 r = the number of bellwether streams surveyed every year. 

 p = the number of nonbellwether (rotational) streams surveyed every year. 



It should be noted, however, that this population estimate is an index, but likely underestimates the 

 true population size because of the observability of harlequin ducks (see pair surveys under survey 

 methodology). 



Variance is estimated assuming a total count on the bellwether streams, and a variance estimate 

 for observations on the rotational streams. 



Var (N r ) = (M - rf(llp-HM - r)S 2 

 where 



P A 



^^(Npj-Np) 



2 



(P-J) 



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