Abstract
Abstract We investigated body-mass dynamics during incubation of Long-tailed Ducks (Clangula hyemalis) nesting in Canada’s central Arctic, 1998–2003. Long-tailed Duck females (n = 37) lost 7% of pre-incubation body mass during incubation; on average, females weighed 618 ± 15 g (mean ± SE) at clutch completion and 575 ± 11 g at hatch. Given the differences in body size, Long-tailed Ducks relied less on endogenous reserves than sympatric King Eiders (Somateria spectabilis), but lost less mass than similar-sized waterfowl species nesting in temperate climates. Preliminary data suggest that Long-tailed Ducks maintain similar or higher nest-attendance rates than temperate-nesting waterfowl of similar size, and we suggest that access to locally abundant, high-quality foods enable Long-tailed Duck females to maintain high incubation constancy without sacrificing female body condition. Nevertheless, Long-tailed Ducks appear to differ widely from most Arctic-nesting waterfowl in nutritional strategy for nesting. M...
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