A Field Trip into the World of Sea Ducks

Key Habitat Sites for North American Sea Ducks

Sea ducks are a unique group of birds that depend on coastal habitats, and are often found in extremely remote arctic and subarctic areas.  The Sea Duck Key Habitat Sites Atlas  identifies 85 important areas in North America that are essential to the welfare of sea ducks, highlighting habitats that are most critical to sea ducks during at least one season. Strict criteria based on sea duck abundance and density were used to restrict key site designation to areas that are vital to sea ducks at a scale that is meaningful and practical in terms of habitat conservation and protection.

The Atlas is intended to heighten awareness of valuable sea duck habitats, aid in prioritizing habitat conservation and protection efforts, and help in evaluating environmental assessments.

Meet the Sea Ducks

There are 15 species of sea ducks in North America in several groups including eiders, scoters, goldeneyes, mergansers, Harlequin Duck, Long-tailed Ducks, and Bufflehead. Learn more about them  on our website , and see all the species below.

Photo Credits & species (top to bottom, left to right): Hooded Merganser, Shiva Shenoy, Creative Commons; Steller's Eider, Peter Pearsall, USFWS; Long-tailed Duck, J. Mills, NPS; Surf Scoter, Deborah Freeman, Creative Commons; White-winged Scoter, Angie Armstrong, Creative Commons, King Eider, Tim Sackton, Creative Commons; Harlequin Duck, Bob Wick, BLM; Spectacled Eider, Peter Pearsall, USFWS; Barrow's Goldeneye, Gannon Castle, USFWS; Common Goldeneye, Tom Koerner, USFWS; Black Scoter, Kristine Sowl, USFWS; Common Eider, Peter Pearsall, USFWS; Red-breasted Merganser, Bill Thompson, USFWS; Bufflehead, Allan Hack, Creative Commons.

Sea Duck Joint Venture Key Sites Atlas

While many of these sites may be remote, our new virtual field trips will transport you around the globe, helping us showcase the incredible beauty, scale, and importance of these places to sea duck populations. Let's dive in.

Flying across North America to the Northeast, we first land in the Eastern Canadian Arctic.

The Eastern Canadian Arctic

1

Quasauqtuuq (East Bay) Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Nunavut, Canada

East Bay Island is home to the largest colony of Northern Common Eiders in the eastern Canadian Arctic and is dominated by rocky tundra habitat.

Research in a Changing Arctic: 30 Years of Studying Eider Ducks and Community Ecology at East Bay, in the Canadian Arctic

Created by: Grant Gilchrist, Oliver Love, Reyd Smith, Christina Semeniuk, and Holly Hennin

The first video showcases photographs and clips from the East Bay Research Program, giving a peek into what it looks like to work in the Quasauqtuuq (East Bay) Migratory Bird Sanctuary on Southampton Island. One of the projects researchers are focused on here is monitoring Common Eider hens on the nest, using nest cameras, and banding eiders for telemetry tracking studies. Additional research involves using drones to track polar bear activity.

2

Key Site #50: Rivière-du-Loup, Québec, Canada

Moving inland, we reach  Rivière-du-Loup  in the southwestern St. Lawrence Estuary. This key site contains an array of small islands, most of which are within the  Estuary Islands National Wildlife Area .

The habitats here are key stopover sites for American Common Eiders, as well as the primary breeding site for thousands each spring. Pairs gather and nest in colonies on the many offshore islands, with approximately 15% of the continental population breeding here.

2

Wild and Magnificent Islands in the St. Lawrence River

Created by: Duvetnor

Founded in 1979 by a group of biologists, Duvetnor aims to conserve the Lower St. Lawrence Islands and the seabirds that rely on these areas.

This video from Duvetnor shares the organization's work to protect the Lower St. Lawrence Islands, and how through the sustainable harvesting of eider down and ecotourism, the organization can fund critical conservation activities.

3

Now, we travel to the Gulf of St. Lawrence 

4

Key Site #61: Îles de la Madeleine, Québec, Canada

In the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Quebec, Canada lies the  Îles de la Madeleine , unofficially known as the Magdalen Islands.

These islands include sand bars, spits, dunes, and rocky shores. This site is significant for wintering Common Eiders, with an estimated 32,000 birds sighted in a 2018 survey. This is in addition to White-winged Scoters, Surf Scoters, Common Goldeneyes, Long-tailed Ducks, and Red-breasted Mergansers which have also been observed offshore during winter.

4

Where Have All the Eiders Gone? Uncovering the Journey of American Common Eiders

Beginning in 2021, a research team including federal, state, provincial, academic, and non-profit partners began to deploy Argos satellite transmitters in adult female eiders in major breeding areas. The goal was to improve the understanding of breeding propensity and population connectivity for the species.

Tags have been deployed in major breeding areas in Maine, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, southern Labrador, and the St. Lawrence Estuary, Québec – all areas of distributional change for the species.

This information will not only give insight into the population dynamics, it’s also being used to inform harvest limits and regulations, marine planning, restoration, and protections.

The Atlantic Coast

4

From the Gulf of St. Lawrence to

5

Key Site #79: Nantucket Sound, Massachusetts, USA

 Nantucket Sound  is located between Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket Island in Massachusetts.

Expansive seagrass beds in Buzzards Bay and Nantucket Sound provide critical nursery habitats for shellfish and crustaceans, providing prey for a high density of wintering sea ducks.

Extensive aerial surveys over Nantucket Shoals, an expansive area of shallow, sandy habitat, have estimated a minimum of 73,000 scoters, 117,000 Common Eiders, and 159,000 Long-tailed Ducks at one time. Astonishingly, around 94% of the U.S. Atlantic coast's White-winged Scoter population winters here, and Christmas Bird Counts commonly estimate hundreds of thousands of Long-tailed Ducks commuting between nighttime roosts on Nantucket Sound and foraging areas in Nantucket Shoals.

5

Long-tailed Ducks in Nantucket Sound and Shoals

Created by: Tori Mezebish Quinn and Glenn Olsen

In this video, Glenn Olsen of the Eastern Ecological Science Center for the USGS shares his 20+ years of experience working with Long-tailed Ducks.

Glenn plays a key role in this research - performing transmitter implant surgeries on the birds, a very intricate and careful process. He shares what goes into each capture, transplant surgery, and release.

This research has played a role in guiding potential offshore wind development, helping identify how this may impact various species and key locations for the birds.

The Pacific Coast

5

From Nantucket Sound to

6

Key Site #3: Dogfish Banks and Rose Spit, Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada

 Rose Spit  is the longest sand spit in British Columbia, with a large, well-developed dune system, extensive sandy beaches, and offshore bars. The islands in the area also have rocky shores, mud and sand flats, sheltered bays, and points extending out into Hecate Strait. The waters of Dogfish Banks are an unusually exposed sea duck habitat, with turbulent waters, frequent high-intensity southeast winds, and large storm waves.

The area provides wintering habitat as well as spring feeding habitat for large numbers of White-winged Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks, Surf Scoters, and Black Scoters. Significant numbers of Harlequin Ducks, Surf, and White-winged Scoters also molt in this area.

7

Gitdisdzu Lugyeks (Kitasu Bay) Marine Protected Area - Kitasoo Xai'xais Nation

This video shares the announcement of the Kitasoo Xai'xais Nation's first Marine Protected Area in Gitdisdzu Lugyeks (Kitasu Bay) from 2022. Led by and for the First Nation, the new MPA protects vital subsistence and cultural resources, in addition to healthy ecosystems and wildlife.

The abundance of herring is what draws many sea ducks to this area for their wintering season, including Surf Scoters, Harlequin Ducks, White-winged Scoters, Black Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks, Barrow's Goldeneyes, and more.

Alaska & The Bering Sea

7

From Kitasu Bay Marine Protected Area to

8

Key Site #15: Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, USA

The  Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Key Habitat Site  lies within the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge.

The Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers traverse the refuge, creating one of the largest river deltas in the world. The coastal area of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta is generally a flat plain containing innumerable lakes and ponds, as well as tidal rivers and sloughs with extensive mud and sandflats.

This site is an important breeding area for several species of waterfowl, including Spectacled Eider and Pacific Common Eider. The Yukon Kuskokwim Delta is one of two primary breeding areas for Spectacled Eiders in Alaska, with about 15,000 birds present during the breeding season in some years.

8

Sea Ducks and the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta

Created by: Tim Bowman

Sea duck biologist Tim Bowman takes us to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, a globally significant site for many sea birds, shorebirds, and sea ducks. Research here spans the last 40 years and many species.

A small area within the Delta, about 20 km of the coast, is particularly important for sea ducks and was designated as a Key Site. Learn what makes this place important for Pacific Common Eiders, Spectacled Eiders, Long-tailed Ducks, and Pacific Black Scoters.

The Russian Arctic

Now we will travel outside North America, across the Pacific to Russia. While these sites aren't included in our atlas, they are critically important for many of the species we love to see in North America.

8

From the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta to

9

Chaun Delta, Russia

Located along the northeastern coast of Russia on the Siberian Sea, the Chaun River Delta is an important site within the Russian breeding range of Spectacled Eider. This remote tundra area contains small islands covered in peat bogs, ponds, and lakes. Temperatures remain low year-round, with snow and frost possible at any time.

Over 90% of the Spectacled Eiders breed in Russia on the northern edges of the Sakha (Yakutia) and Chukotka Republics. The birds nest on small polygons across the tundra, essentially small elevated mounds formed by freeze and thaw cycles.

Current research indicates declines in the Spectacled Eider breeding population and nest survival and hatching success here, thus conservation action to protect the Chaun Delta and other key breeding populations is critical.

9

Sea Ducks of the Chaun Delta, Russia

Created by Diana Solovyeva and Olga Propopenko

This video provides a rare look into the birds of the remote Chaun Delta, in Russia. Researcher Diana Solovyeva has spent years learning about this habitat and the wildlife that inhabits it, particularly focusing on Spectacled Eiders. Watch and take a trip to the lush wetlands, arctic tundra, rivers, and islands of the Delta.

9

From the Chaun Delta to

10

The Indigirka Delta, Russia

This large river delta has historically hosted high numbers of nesting Spectacled Eiders, as well as Steller's Eider, King Eider, and Long-tailed Duck.

The largest concentrations can be found along the coastal areas of the Delta. Here, they nest on polygons, small islands within lakes, or along coastlines near gull colonies.

10

The Indigirka River Delta, Russia

Created by The Wildlife Conservation Society

This video takes us to the Indigirka River Delta, showcasing the diversity of bird life it hosts, from birds of prey to waterfowl, sea ducks, and more.

10

From The Indigirka Delta to

11

Primorye, Russia

Along the far eastern coast of Russia is Primorsky Krai. Habitat conditions include mountains, grasslands, rocky coastlines, tundra, rivers, and taiga forests.

This is one of the few breeding areas for the endangered Scaly-sided Merganser. This species numbers around 4,600 individuals worldwide, and requires clean, fast-flowing rivers and mountainous, riverine forests for nesting. They nest in small tree cavities in these areas, feeding on fish from the rivers.

11

Scaly-sided Merganser Research in Primorye, Russia

Created by Diana Solovyeva

In the last site of our journey through key sea duck sites around the world, we travel to this remote but biologically lush area to find Scaly-sided Merganser nests. Little is known about the endangered species, but this video gives a small peek into their unique lives.

Find the full  Sea Duck Key Habitat Sites Atlas here  and learn more about sea ducks at  seaduckjv.org. 

Photo Credits & species (top to bottom, left to right): Hooded Merganser, Shiva Shenoy, Creative Commons; Steller's Eider, Peter Pearsall, USFWS; Long-tailed Duck, J. Mills, NPS; Surf Scoter, Deborah Freeman, Creative Commons; White-winged Scoter, Angie Armstrong, Creative Commons, King Eider, Tim Sackton, Creative Commons; Harlequin Duck, Bob Wick, BLM; Spectacled Eider, Peter Pearsall, USFWS; Barrow's Goldeneye, Gannon Castle, USFWS; Common Goldeneye, Tom Koerner, USFWS; Black Scoter, Kristine Sowl, USFWS; Common Eider, Peter Pearsall, USFWS; Red-breasted Merganser, Bill Thompson, USFWS; Bufflehead, Allan Hack, Creative Commons.