Seasonal and decadal changes in winter body condition of four sympatric diving ducks
Winter body condition is an important driver of survival, reproductive output, and overall population health in waterfowl. Diving duck species use distinct habitats, exploit unique resources, and can collectively provide an integrated index of winter habitat quality. The San Francisco Bay (SFB) is the largest estuary on the west coast of North America, serving as critical wintering habitat for diving ducks in the Pacific Flyway. To evaluate the body condition of diving ducks after multiple decades of tidal habitat restoration in SFB, we compared structurally corrected measurements (annual and decadal) of total carcass lipid among canvasback ( Aythya valisineria ), greater scaup ( Aythya marila ), lesser scaup ( Aythya affinis ), and ruddy duck ( Oxyura jamaicensis ). We found greater and lesser scaup gained lipid reserves within the estuary prior to spring migration; however, canvasback and ruddy duck lipid levels declined throughout the winter and into the spring. Lipid loss over the wintering period could indicate a reduction in foraging resource availability, dietary shifts, or metabolic changes. These deficiencies could have negative cross-seasonal implications, as these species must accumulate resources outside of their wintering areas to fuel migration and reproduction. Lipid levels were elevated in lesser scaup collected in 2017-2019 compared to 1998-2000, while we found no decadal differences in lipid levels for canvasback or greater scaup. Our findings suggest tidal restoration in SFB, among other factors, may benefit some diving duck species.