Eider Duck Reproduction Collapses In Arctic Bird Sanctuary; Polar Bears Ate The Eggs (No Sea Ice) [View all]

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There were no fluffy eider ducklings waddling around at the East Bay Migratory Bird Sanctuary on Southampton Island, located at the north end of Hudson Bay, this year. Researchers say none of the eggs successfully hatched because of increased polar bear activity in the area.

According to Willow English, a PhD student at Carleton University, as sea ice melts sooner in the year, more bears come onto the island looking for alternative food sources to seals.

That's a trend researchers have noticed over the past few years, said Reid Smith, a master's student at the University of Windsor. "There's just been lots of bears coming on and they're changing their eating behaviours in eating lots of eider eggs. They're [a] really rich resource that doesn't require a lot of energy to get," Smith explained.

The students' research is part of a long-term monitoring project that's been ongoing for nearly 30 years. Along with monitoring the eider duck population, it also includes research of shorebirds on the mainland.

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https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/no-eider-ducklings-southampton-island-1.4769338