Biologists have attached radio transmitters to black ducks to discover why the once-abundant bird population has declined by about 60 percent.
Ducks Unlimited, a nonprofit that has worked to preserve wetlandsand waterfowl for 70 years, leads the effort.
As part of the research project, scientists have strapped backpack-like radio transmitters around the migratory birds.
Scientists drive a pickup near the Chesapeake Bay?s saltwater and freshwater marshes, where the ducks like to eat and sleep in the winter. The scientists listen for radio waves through headphones and locate the birds with a giant antenna in the back of the truck, Ducks Unlimited biologist Brian Smith said.
The idea is to find out where black ducks live so biologists can have a better understanding of what crucial habitat is in jeopardy.
One of their biggest problems is the decreasing number of available saltwater and freshwater marshes.
“Habitat loss has hit black ducks harder than other species,” Smith said. “The bottom line is, are we providing enough habitat for black ducks?”
Black ducks were once the most popular hunting duck. They look similar to mallards, except for their dark brown hue. The two species can interbreed, but they differ in temperament and adaptability.
“They tend to be less likely in areas that have high human population density, whereas mallards are seen all over the place, in parking lots and backyards,” Smith said.
About 13,000 black ducks were spotted in Maryland in 2006, according to survey by the state?s Department of Natural Resources. That is about 9,000 less than 2005?s results and 19,000 less than were found in 2004, the department?s game bird section leader, Bill Harvey, said in an earlier interview.
“In the 1960s and earlier, there were a lot of black ducks and not very many mallards,” he said. “The proportions have flip-flopped.”
Ducks Unlimited was the first organization to create a black duck management plan.
