1ª Reunión Regional de Monitoreo de Anátidas y Conservación de Humedales

de América Central, el Caribe y norte de América del Sur

Ist Regional Meeting on Waterfowl Monitoring and Wetland Conservation

in Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America

Nicaragua2003

JAMAICA

Ducks Unlimited, Inc.

Universidad Centroamericana

US Fish & Wildlife Service

SURVEYS OF MIGRATORY SURVEYS OF MIGRATORY DUCKS IN JAMAICADUCKS IN JAMAICA

JANUARY 2001JANUARY 2001-- 20032003Ducks UnlimitedDucks Unlimited

Natural Resources Conservation AuthorityNatural Resources Conservation AuthorityCaribbean Coastal Area Management FoundationCaribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation

Ann Haynes Sutton Ph.D.and

Donovan Brandon Hay B.Sc.

ObjectivesObjectivesThe surveys were designed to provide baseline information about:

– Locations of major concentrations of migratory ducks;

– Approximate numbers of migratory ducks;– Relative abundance of species;– Seasonal population changes of migratory

ducks; and– Status, distribution and threats to duck habitats.

These data formed the basis for recommendations about conservation and sustainable hunting of migratory ducks in Jamaica.

MethodsMethodsAerial surveys• Dates: January, February, March,

April, and October 2001, March 2002 and January 2003

• Type of plane: A Cessna 182 fixed-wing

• Flight path: As far as possible, the flight path followed linear transects

• Height above ground: About 100 ft or lower once ponds were located.

• Flight speed: As appropriate (less than 100 mph whenever possible).

• Time of day: About 1 hour after dawn for 2-4 hours.

Methods Methods –– continuedcontinuedPrincipal observer- A Sutton: beside pilot - Secondary observer - Brandon Hay: behind pilotTertiary observer – behind principal observer to alert observers of need to circle back, if necessary. Various persons from the NRCA and NGOs were invited to assist.Peter Wilson Kelly – NRCA Andre Hay - CCAM Canute Tyndale – NRCA Tarn Peralto – CCAM Krishna Desai – NRCA Matt Heddin - CCAMRicardo Miller – NRCA Harvey Webb - PEPAPeter Vogel – BirdLife Jam. Peter Espeut – CCAM John Head - SEEPA

Recording observations:- Observations were recorded on standard forms.

Methods Methods -- continuedcontinuedRoutes: Each month all the wetlands and groups of ponds in the island were surveyedImproving observation skills: Regular use of "Count" simulator programmeLiterature search Compilation of a working inventory of potentially suitable duck habitats islandwideExamination of museum specimens Ground truthSites (including Hellshire Flashes, Pedro Ponds and Hellshire Sewage Ponds were checked on an ad hoc basis to verify aerial survey dataData were collected from visitors and tour groups.

West Indian Whistling Ducks surveys:• South Coast 1997• Portland Bight to Black River 1997• Black River 1998

Survey routesSurvey routes

FindingsFindings

• Locations of concentrations of migratory ducks:• Large groups of ducks (>100) were seen at only a few sites

e.g.• Great Pedro Pond • Salt Island Lagoon and• Black River Upper Morass

• Most observations were of small groups(<10). Small groups of ducks were seen mainly in coastal wetlands, but also in ponds and rivers inland. Areas with many small groups included Portland Bight Protected Area, Cabaritta in Westmoreland and the Negril Morass.

• Ducks were seen at 99 of the 168 wetlands, ponds and rivers that were inventoried and surveyed (2001).

Numbers and relative abundance of Numbers and relative abundance of migratory ducksmigratory ducks

• Blue-winged Teal was the most abundant species

• More than 3000 individuals were counted in February 2001, the highest number recorded by these surveys

Number of Blue-winged Teal counted on aerial surveys 2001

0500

100015002000250030003500

Jan-01

Feb-01

Mar-01

Apr-01

May-01

Jun-01

Jul-01

Aug-01

Sep-01

Oct-01

Numbers and relative abundance of Numbers and relative abundance of migratory ducks 2002migratory ducks 2002

Due to lack of funds and time, only one survey was carried out in 2002.The results for the period (March) were similar to those from 2001.

American Wigeon Anas americana 2Blue Winged Teal Anas discors 2328Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata 163W.I. Whistling Duck Dendrocygna arborea82Unknown 50Total 2635

Numbers and relative abundance of Numbers and relative abundance of migratory ducks in 2003migratory ducks in 2003

2002 was unusually wet. Jamaica experienced exceptionally high rainfall in 2002 (in May and June alone Jamaica received the average annual rainfall) which resulted in severe flooding. Wetlands expanded, new wetlands and lakes formed. Water levels remained very high in January 2003.Despite the apparent increase in suitable habitat, duck populations in January 2003 were much lower than in previous years. Populations were reduced at all the most important sites and there was no corresponding increase at other sites to suggest that ducks had moved into new areas. Lesser Scaup formed a higher proportion of the total observations than in previous years. WI Whistling Duck observations were reduced.American Wigeon Anas americana 2Blue Winged Teal Anas discors 779Lesser Scaup Athya affinis 62Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata 60Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis 6 Unknown 14W.I.Whistling Duck Dendrocygna arborea 23TOTAL 946

Numbers and relative abundanceNumbers and relative abundanceNorthern Shoveler were far less abundant than Blue-winged TealOther species that were identified from the air included Wigeon, Ruddy Duck, Lesser Scaup and W.I. Whistling Duck Number of Northern Shoveler observed in 2001

01020304050

Jan-01

Feb-01

Mar-01

Apr-01

May-01

Jun-01

Jul-01

Aug-01

Sep-01

Oct-01

Band recoveries also reflect the Band recoveries also reflect the relative abundance of Bluerelative abundance of Blue--winged winged

TealTealNumber of Recoveries of Banded Ducks by

Species 1962-1994

010203040506070

Wood Duck AmericanWigeon

Blue-wingedTeal

Species

Num

ber

But some areas that were apparently important But some areas that were apparently important for ducks in the past no longer support them ...for ducks in the past no longer support them ...

Recoveries of Banded Ducks 1962-1994 by Location

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Lo c a t i o n

Most migratory ducks in Jamaica come Most migratory ducks in Jamaica come from the Great Lakes, the eastern and from the Great Lakes, the eastern and

central flywayscentral flyways

Seasonality in 2001 Seasonality in 2001 Seasonality at selected sites

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

JAN FEB MAR APR OCT

JAN 500 0 443 45 5 150

FEB 500 307 556 211 107 200

MAR 0 60 970 67 32 200

APR 0 0 120 4 2 70

OCT 417 9 0 175 399 128

SALT ISLAND L HAYES PEDRO PONDS BL RIV UPPER CABARITTA YALLAHS

In JanIn Jan--Apr 2001 duck numbers were highest in February. Apr 2001 duck numbers were highest in February. Numbers declined in Numbers declined in somesome of the best habitats in March and April, of the best habitats in March and April, possibly because they dried out. However in 2003 these areas werpossibly because they dried out. However in 2003 these areas were wet e wet but few ducks were present.but few ducks were present.

Great Pedro PondGreat Pedro Pond

March 2001 October 2001

Seasonality and movementsSeasonality and movements

The Greater Antilles may provide important staging grounds for ducks going south.Habitat, food availability and disturbance influence whether they remain on any particular island or go further south. Aerial surveys do not allow for further assessment of these factors

Habitat UseHabitat UseDucks in Jamaica use most of the available habitatsSome apparently good habitats (such as CaymanasDyke Ponds) had few ducks

DiscussionDiscussionPopulation sizes– Migratory duck populations in Jamaica were not

large (in 2001, not less than 3100 individuals)– Blue-winged Teal was the dominant species– Resident duck species were hard to detect and

uncommon

ThreatsThreatsLoss of open wetland habitats– Tourist development– Heavy Industry– Fish and shrimp culture– Housing developments– Ganja (marijuana) cultivation

Pollution – Dunder and sewage – Use of lead shot

Disturbance– Hunting– Diversion of water for

commercial and domestic use

Hunting RecommendationsHunting RecommendationsPrerequisites for an islandwide open hunting season should include:– evidence of duck populations sufficient to sustain hunting– effectively managed protected areas, including key habitats for

resident and migrant species– effective law enforcement – increased awareness of resident species,

specially W.I. Whistling Duck among huntersOther things to be considered include– development of partnerships (between NEPA and Hunters’ Club,

NGOs) to develop effectively managed hunting preserves for ducks– ban on use of lead shot for hunting.

None of the above conditions have been achievedNone of the above conditions have been achievedAn island wide open season for the hunting An island wide open season for the hunting

of Migratory Ducks in Jamaica is not of Migratory Ducks in Jamaica is not recommended at this timerecommended at this time

RecommendationsRecommendationsConservation planning– Recovery action plans are

needed for resident species– Ground surveys need to be

implemented simultaneously to asses other factors that may affect ducks in Jamaica

Habitat conservation– The Protected Areas System

must now include important areas for waterfowl identified by these surveys

– Trial projects to assess feasibility of measures to improve wetland habitats could be implemented in selected areas.

Use of these survey resultsUse of these survey resultsThe data have been used to support the designation of the Black River Morass as a Ramsar site as well as the declaration and imminent delegation for management of the Portland Bight Protected Area.

The results have been used in various programs to identify and prioritize areas for conservation in Jamaica e.g.. The Important Bird Areas (IBA) Programme of BirdLife International in Jamaica, Conservation zoning of the Portland Bight Protected Area and other important wetland habitat as a part of the governments South Coast Sustainable Development Master Plan

The NRCA Game Bird Sub-committee has recommended the opening of a season for the hunting of ducks in spite of the results andrecommendations of these surveys. The Minister of the Environment has not opened a hunting season but the hunters continue to lobby the government for this to occur.

Problems Problems We encountered considerable difficulty in securing the services of a suitable pilot who could consistently fly these surveys. All the pilots we used were competent but frequent changes in the pilot meant we wasted time trying to train new pilots to fly the surveys in a standard manner. Most were reluctant to fly (low and slow) as required by the methodology and there was variation in their ability to afford us an adequate view of some wetland areas. The handheld GPS units were problematic to use as it was difficult to observe wetlands, operate the GPS and record data on datasheets simultaneously. The GPS would occasionally lose its signal and as a result points were missed. Communication between observers and pilots was sometimes hampered by a lack of headsets.We did not have a suitable microphone that would have allowed us to record or observations without losing sight of the wetlands.The format of the DU datasheets are impractical to use in the aircraft so we had to record the data on our own forms and transcribe them later.

More problemsMore problems

The availability of personnel to conduct these surveys will become more of a problem. The government is unable/unwilling to continue to fund it in the long term. This is possibly exacerbated by the fact that we have not been able to recommend that a duck hunting season can be supported at this time.The costs of insurance for conducting these surveys was prohibitively high and we were forced to continue without it.The results of the surveys were viewed with skepticism by many hunters who believed the population was much higher than the surveys suggested. This may be because large numbers of transients move through Jamaica between surveys and were therefore not counted.

Directions for the futureDirections for the futureWe would like these surveys to result in

Continuation of aerial surveys of migratory ducks in the long termImprovements in the methodology and equipment used in surveys to maximize the conservation value of these flightsSurveys of resident species must be conducted as these species appear to be at riskBetter collaboration between NRCA, hunter,s clubs and NGOsTrial habitat management projectImproved confidence of hunters in the value of research and conservation through involvement in surveys and workshops