Newsletter—Winter 2013/2014

The Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy Protecting waterfowl & wetland habitats through research, education & conservation action

THE LONG-TAILED DUCK STUDY CONCLUDES FOR SECOND YEAR

The Conservancy and the Connecticut Waterfowlers Association recently completed a second season of surveying for their joint Long-tailed Duck study in Norwalk, Connecticut. Long-tailed Ducks are a species of international conservation concern because of population declines in their Holarctic range, especially the Baltic Sea. Little is known about the status of Long-tailed Ducks here in Connecticut, where many winter around the Norwalk Islands in the western Long Island Sound. As a huntable species in the United States, hunters legally harvest Long-tailed Ducks, but little was known about the harvest before the Conservancy and the Connecticut Waterfowlers Association partnered to learn more about the hunter harvest and gather data relating to the species. The second year of the Long-tailed Duck study began in early November and continued through mid-January when the hunting season ended. This season Evan Shears, a recent wildlife graduate from Clemson University, acted as our surveyor and interviewed hunters returning to the boat launch. Evan also inspected the harvest of hunters who allowed him, to determine the age and sex of the Long-tailed Ducks in their possession. Evan, a duck hunter himself, did an exceptional job representing the study and was able to interview over 70 individual hunters while inspecting approximately 350 harvested ducks. As you may recall, we were not as successful getting hunters to participate in the study

last year, so we were delighted by the cooperation we received this season!

In addition to surveying hunters and their harvest, a twice weekly live bird survey was added this year to better understand how the age and sex ratios of harvested birds relate to those of live Long-tailed Ducks. Over 1,200 birds were identified and this gave us very helpful comparative

results.

While we have not yet completed the analysis of the data, we have found several interesting preliminary results. The data show that the 2013 breeding season was fruitful for Norwalk's Long-tailed Ducks. The ratio of juveniles per adult was 1.56 to 1, far better than the concerning 0.11 juvenile to 1 adult calculated in 2012. As with many other Arctic nesting species, some breeding seasons are nearly complete failures, but a good season can carry a species for several years.

For the second year in a row, we noticed a low number of adult females, which is potentially concerning as adult females are usually long-lived and capable of producing offspring for a decade or more. Encouragingly,

hunters overwhelmingly supported the idea of implementing a restriction on the harvest of hens, a potential benefit to these

long-lived birds.

The final results of the two year study will be presented to the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection's migratory bird division to better inform future management decisions for the species. The completed study will also be available on the

Conservancy's website.

55 Duck Pond Road, Post Office Box 210, Litchfield, Connecticut 06759

Evan Shears

Visit the Conservancy’s website at www.LRWC.net

The Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy Page 2 - Winter 2013/2014

On the 25th of January, the Conservancy held its debut Owl Prowl. Nick Tiberio, LRWC Director

of Aviculture, has developed these events to call in owls and educate the public on owl species,

habitat and behavior in northwest Connecticut. Although the first Prowl took place under a

blanket of snow, ten steadfast souls participated on a beautiful, though chilly, winter’s night and

communed with Litchfield’s nocturnal wildlife.

Nick began with an informative presentation covering Connecticut owl species, owl attributes,

behaviors and symbolism. After the presentation, the ‘owlers’, fortified with hot chocolate,

prowled the outskirts of the Conservancy property with Nick as he called to the owls. During the

trek, the snow continued to fall softly as the group, observing owl prowl etiquette, waited for the owls to respond to Nick’s

calls. Nick called three species but the only one to answer was the Eastern Screech Owl. The owl responded to the calls

and came closer to the group to investigate. Member, Grace Yagtug was on the prowl and described the evening, “The

magic of the evening allowed us to suspend our ordinary lives and witness the extraordinary life of owls in our natural

world, our frozen forests, and our moonlit snowy night.” Grace wrote a beautiful essay on the owl prowl and you can find

it on our website at lrwc.net. The Conservancy plans to host another Owl Prowl in the coming weeks. Check the LRWC

website, the Facebook page and your email for advance information on the next Owl Prowl date and time.

Eastern Screech Owl

Bird Notes—New to the Newsletter Bird Notes is a new feature in the LRWC Newsletter—dedicated to your questions. If you have a question submit it to our

editor at info@lrwc.net.

Q: How do you keep the birds from freezing in the winter?

A: The majority of the Conservancy’s collection of birds is made up of species from northern climates, making them adaptable

to Connecticut’s cold winters. Our staff spends long hours making sure they have access to clean, open water, making use of

aerators to help keep ice from forming. The staff also utilizes a strict pond cleaning schedule.

Providing this access to sparkling water allows the birds to keep their feathers clean and free of ice, making them the perfect

form of insulation. The open water keeps the birds’ feet from being exposed to freezing air. As you might know, duck down

is used as insulation in coats, but those feathers work just as well when they’re still on the duck. By helping our ducks keep

their feathers in working condition, we’re able to successfully keep some southern species of waterfowl in the collection.

Southern species that cannot stand the cold (such as Whistling ducks and Crowned Cranes) are kept in the temperature con-

trolled barn. In the heated barn there are also small pools of clean water and plenty of room to spread out for other spe-

cies.

The Conservancy Welcomes a New Intern The Conservancy is happy to introduce our latest intern, Tim Brtis. Tim is on a six month internship as a part of our Aviculture and Environmental Education Internship program. Tim was selected from 40 students from all over the United States and England. Interns are an important support resource for the Conservancy and

receive hands-on training and an in-depth participation in education efforts.

Tim Brtis is a graduate from the University of Wyoming with a double major in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology & Management and Environment & Natural Resources. Before coming to LRWC Tim was a research assistant in southeast Alaska studying marten and their prey, an environmental education instructor in South Carolina, and a seasonal ranger in the forest preserves of DuPage County, Illinois. Tim came to the Conservancy for this internship experience supplying a unique combination of aviculture and environmental education. He is excited to gain experience in breeding waterfowl and educating the public about the Conservancy. He hopes to eventually attend graduate school and obtain a career

in a related field.

Conservancy Hosts Owl Prowl

Tim Brtis

Featured Bird: The Red Breasted Goose

Like the Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy on Facebook

The Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy Page 3 - Winter 2013/2014

“These harlequin-like birds are the most beautiful as well as one of the daintiest of all the geese, and certainly one of

the rarest and loveliest of all birds.”

S. Dillon Ripley, A Paddling of Ducks

The Red-breasted Goose (Brant aruficollis) is one of the smallest species of Northern goose. As a member of the genus Branta, it is a close relative to the Brant Goose, which can be seen wintering along the coast of Connecticut. Often consid-ered one of the most attractive species of goose, this small bird has a chestnut colored breast and charcoal wings and

back. The Red-breasted Goose can be easily identified in flight by their short necks and dark bellies.

Breeding on the Taimyr, Gydan, and Yamal peninsulas of Russia in late June, the Red-breasted Goose prefers to nest on relatively dry, elevated locations like riverbanks, slopes, and cliffs. Often forming small breeding colonies, these birds are known for choosing sites near the eyries of Peregrine falcons or Snowy owls to provide protection from predators like the

arctic fox.

In mid-September the geese begin their yearly migration along the Ural Mountains, through Bulgaria and Romania, to their wintering grounds. Eighty to ninety percent of the world’s population congregates on the coast of the Black Sea, mainly in agricultural areas. The rest of the population spends the winter in Ukraine, or even Greece in particularly cold

years.

In 2007 the Red-breasted Goose was uplisted by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) from a species of least concern to endangered. This uplisting is due to a dramatic decline in population estimations since the year 2000, going from 88,000 individuals, down to 44,000 in 2009. Major threats to these birds includes deliberate hunting for recreation in Russia, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, and Ukraine. A recent development boom has also caused the loss of qual-ity winter roosting sites and a change in the agricultural regime in the wintering areas, from winter wheat and barley to

other crops, has decreased the amount of available food.

In 1950, S. Dillon Ripley reported the first successful breeding of the Red-breasted Goose in North America. Today the Conservancy continues breeding these colorful little geese, including descendants from Dr. Ripley’s original flock. With a standing flock of 14 birds, the Conservancy raises an average of 25 Red-breasted goslings a year. These geese make excellent parents, and can often be seen in the aviaries of the Conservancy incubating their clutches of three to ten eggs.

Like most Arctic species, they have a shorter incubation period, usually around 25 days long.

Many of the offspring from the Conservancy’s flock can be seen in the zoological collections around the country, helping to

raise awareness for the species. Currently the Conservancy is one of the primary facilities breeding Red-breasted Geese.

Caption

Board of Directors

55 Duck Pond Road/P.O. Box 210

Litchfield, CT 06759

(860) 567-2062 - Office/(860) 567-4369 - Fax

info@lrwc.net

www.LRWC.net

Protecting waterfowl and wetland habitats through research, education and conservation action

Advisory Directors Julie Bailey

Bruce Beehler, Ph.D.

Elizabeth Dickey, Ed.D.

Peter Grubstein

LRWC LAUNCHES SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS

Get ready for a summer filled with action-packed, hands-on fun and discovery!

This summer the Conservancy will be offering six different programs for children

entering grades 4 through 6. Each week we will offer a new program with a

morning or an afternoon option focusing on one of the following topics: wetlands

conservation, bird communication, bird incubation and migration, food webs,

waterfowl nutrition and care, and nature exploration and art. All sessions will

feature fun activities, as well as hands-on learning. In addition, there will be

plenty of fresh air among the beautiful aviaries, along with access to the

Conservancy’s state-of-the-art classroom equipped with microscopes, computers,

and Smart Board technology.

With sessions limited to only 15 children, each child will have the opportunity to

actively participate in scientific investigation using magnifying glasses, collection

nets, microscopes, field guides, binoculars, and dissection tools.

Also, with the help of the conservancy’s avian ambassadors,

children will have several opportunities to meet and work with

live birds!

LRWC summer programs will be led by the Conservancy’s

Director of Education, Jessica Caton and local Litchfield

Intermediate School science teacher, Melissa Brutting. Both

instructors will be supported by LRWC college age,

environmental education interns. The registration process will

start in March and registration forms, program dates, and fees

will be available on the LRWC website or by email request to

info@lrwc.net. Please check our website for future updates on

the summer enrichment programs.

The Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy Page 4 - Winter 2013/2014

Rosemary L. Ripley, Chair

Sylvia Ripley Addison

George Archibald, Ph.D.

Juliet Tammenoms Bakker

Thomas Baptist

Melissa Brutting

Martha Bernstein

Peter Litwin

Thomas Lovejoy, Ph.D., President

Francoise Macomber, Ph.D.

Julie Ripley Miller

Brian Silver

Sally Spence

T. Dennis Williams

Staff Nick Tiberio, Aviculturist

Jessica Caton, Education

Cate Hogan, Development

Bill Nicholson, Property Manager

Dr. Marc Valitutto, Veterinarian

LRWC has gone green! We have transitioned from a printed newsletter to an e-newsletter.

If you prefer to receive a printed copy please call or e-mail us.

SEND YOUR CURRENT EMAIL ADDRESS TO:

info@lrwc.net

LRWC Membership Levels Individual $35 :

Family $60:

Family and

Friends $200:

Frequent

Flyer $500:

One guided tour for two

Unlimited self-guided tours for you

and your guest (1) during regular

visiting hours

One guided tour for 2 adults and up

to 6 children

Unlimited self-guided tours for you

and your guests (1 adult and up to 6

children) during regular visiting

hours

One behind-the-scenes guided tour

for you and your guests (5)

Unlimited self-guided tours for you

and your guests (5) during regular

visiting hours

Two unique guided tours for you

and your guests (7), one in the

spring and one in the fall

Unlimited self-guided tours for you

and your guests (7) during regular

visiting hours

Join LRWC today!

All members receive the following:

Special

Events:

Guided

Tours:

Unlimited

Self-guided

Tours:

Invitations to special events

One free guided tour per year with one of

LRWC’s knowledgeable staff

Unlimited self guided tours during regular

visiting hours on Saturday and Sunday

from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm (excluding holi-

days)

LRWC Membership Form

Name: __________________________________________________ Email: _______________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________________________________

City: ________________________________ State: _____ Zip: __________ Phone: _____________________

I wish to join at the following level:

Individual $35 ___ Family $60 ____ Family and Friends $200 ____ Frequent Flyer $500 _______

I wish to make an additional contribution to LRWC: Contribution amount: _______________________

Total Amount: ______________________

Payment Method: Check ____ Credit card _____ Money order _____ Please make checks payable to LRWC

Name on card ___________________________________ VISA MasterCard AMEX

Card number __________________________________ Exp. _____________ Security code (CVV) ___________

The Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy Page 5 - Winter 2013/2014

@lrwc_ducks