whats the deal with harlequins

E

ed gagne

Well-known member
every year on our syllabus i see that we can not shoot any harlequins. all my books say theres a population on the east coast of canada and america and that there migration route should take some wayward birds into lake champlain. they also say that their population has been declining. so im assuming that there are just not enough birds to shoot even one a day on a special season. does anyone know why the population of atlantic harlys is decreasing? or if theres anything being done to stop that decrease besides not harvesting them?

thanks
eddie
 
Supposedly, they are spotted on Lake Michigan every so often. Last one I heard about there was run down by some dick on a jetski..they were arrested.
 
We have a lot of harlequins here in Gloucester and Rockport. During the sea duck season one has to be very careful that the incoming bird is really a hen scoter and not a hen harly. They look that similar in the early morning. I would love to get one in my lifetime and have it mounted. That would be a real treat and a special hunt.

Nate
 
I did a little research around the web & found some good reports and info:

From: http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/collection_2007/ec/En3-4-21-2007E.pdf
In 1995, a Harlequin Duck Recovery Plan was completed to provide guidance on recovery​
priorities for the eastern population of Harlequin Duck. The plan’s initial goal was to achieve a​
sustained population of 2000 individuals wintering within eastern North America for at least​
three of five consecutive years by 2005, followed by the long term goal of at least 3000​
wintering individuals (with at least 1000 adult females) for at least three of five consecutive​
years by 2010 (Montevecchi et al. 1995). Although population levels are increasing at the four​
key wintering locations in eastern North America (Thomas and Robert 2001), the eastern North​
American wintering population has still not met the initial goal outlined in the 1995 Recovery​
Plan. The generally accepted population estimate for the eastern North American wintering​
population is 1800 individuals (Mittelhauser 2000, Thomas and Robert 2001, Robertson and​
Thomas ​
[font=TimesNewRoman,Italic]in press[/font]). However, survey effort from 2005 - 2006 suggests that the 2000 individual​
mark was met for these two years (A. Boyne and P. Thomas, pers. comm.). The population is​
not yet believed to be at 3000 wintering individuals in eastern North America.



http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1034/j.1600-048X.2002.330202.x

http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Wilson/v100n01/p0119-p0126.pdf

http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/wildlife/harlequin/index.html

http://www.gov.ns.ca/natr/wildlife/conserva/19-04-6.htm
 
I've been watching the population at Barnegat light for a few years now, counted something like 28 at one time last year. By far the most I've seen. That particular small group seems to be growing. A nice novelty to go watch after the hunting season is over.
 
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