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Drivers of breeding numbers in a long-distance migrant, the Garganey (Anas querquedula): effects of climate and hunting pressure

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Abstract

A multitude of anthropogenic factors are threatening bird populations but their roles as drivers of population changes are generally poorly understood. Several duck species, for instance, have unfavorable conservation status at the Pan-European level but in most cases we do not know why the species have been declining, nor do we know actual drivers of their population dynamics. We studied population dynamics of the Garganey (Anas querquedula), a quarry species with unfavorable conservation status at the Pan-European level. As a trans-Saharan migrant, Garganey is potentially highly vulnerable to climate change impacts. We used long-term (1989–2012) data of breeding numbers from a study area in central Finland and assessed the relative importance of three climatic variables (representing conditions in wintering areas and during spring migration) and local hunting pressure in explaining the interannual variation in breeding numbers. Population size of Garganey showed a decreasing trend over the study period but also considerable interannual variation. Spring temperature in southern Finland was the most important factor in explaining interannual variation in breeding numbers. Rainfall in the wintering areas was also of importance, whereas the NAO (North Atlantic Oscillation) and local hunting pressure appeared not to be important. Our results suggest that weather conditions during spring migration largely drive interannual variation in Garganey breeding numbers at the NW edge of the species’ range. However, positive effects of warm springs may be counteracted by negative effects of drought in the wintering areas.

Zusammenfassung

Einflussfaktoren auf Brutpaarzahlen bei einem Langstreckenzieher, der Knäkente ( Anas querquedula ): klimatische Effekte und Jagddruck

Eine Vielzahl anthropogener Einflussfaktoren bedrohen Vogelpopulationen. Ihre Rolle hinsichtlich Populationsveränderungen ist jedoch allgemein nur wenig verstanden. Verschiedene Entenarten beispielsweise besitzen einen unzureichenden Schutzstatus auf pan-europäischer Ebene. In den meisten Fällen sind weder die Gründe für die Rückgänge der Arten bekannt, noch sind die derzeitigen Auslöser für ihre Populationsdynamiken verstanden. Wir untersuchten die Populationsdynamik von Knäkenten (Anas querquedula), eine Zielart mit ungünstigem Erhaltungszustand auf pan-europäischer Ebene. Als Transsaharazieher sind Knäkenten potentiell stark gefährdet im Hinblick auf Auswirkungen des Klimawandels. Wir nutzten Langzeitdaten (1989–2012) zu Brutpaarzahlen aus einem Untersuchungsgebiet in Zentralfinnland und bewerteten die relative Bedeutung dreier klimatischer Faktoren (repräsentativ für die Bedingungen in den Überwinterungsgebieten und während des Frühjahrszuges) sowie den lokalen Jagddruck zur Erklärung von interannuellen Schwankungen im Brutbestand. Die Knäkenten-Population zeigt einen abnehmenden Trend während des Betrachtungszeitraumes, jedoch mit deutlichen Schwankungen zwischen den Jahren. Die Frühjahrstemperatur in Südfinnland war der wichtigste Faktor zur Erklärung der variierenden Brutpaarzahlen zwischen den Jahren. Außerdem war der Niederschlag in den Überwinterungsgebieten ebenfalls von Bedeutung, wohingegen die NAO (Nordatlantische Oszillation) und der lokale Jagddruck unerheblich zu sein schienen. Unsere Ergebnisse deuten daraufhin, dass die Wetterbedingungen während des Frühjahrszuges weitgehend die jährlichen Schwankungen der Brutpaarzahlen von Knäkenten an der nordwestlichen Grenze ihres Verbreitungsgebietes bewirken. Allerdings könnten die negativen Effekte von Dürren in den Wintergebieten den positiven Auswirkungen von warmen Frühjahren entgegenwirken.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Issa Lélé and Peter Lamb for the Sahel rainfall index, to Henriikka Simola, Finnish Meteorological Institute, for compiling the temperature data, and to local hunters for providing the wing samples of shot ducks. Comments by Preben Clausen and an anonymous reviewer helped to improve the manuscript and are highly appreciated.

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  1. Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, Joensuu Game and Fisheries Research, Yliopistokatu 6, 80100, Joensuu, Finland

    Hannu Pöysä

  2. Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    Veli-Matti Väänänen

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  1. Hannu Pöysä
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Pöysä, H., Väänänen, VM. Drivers of breeding numbers in a long-distance migrant, the Garganey (Anas querquedula): effects of climate and hunting pressure. J Ornithol 155, 679–687 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-014-1051-y

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