Michael S. Rodway


msrodway@sfu.ca

Ph.D. student

Title of thesis: "Female mate choice determines timing of pairing

in Harlequin Ducks: effects of spacing behaviour, time budgets, and the
influx of herring spawn."

Supervisor:  Fred Cooke

Short biography:  Vancouver born.  Variety of work experience outside biology, including logging, restaurant service, operating mobile drillrigs, and teaching in a one-room mixed-grade elementary school.  Haveworked on breeding seabirds on Pacific and Atlantic coasts for 25 years,and on seaducks for four years.  Have traveled in extensively Central and South America.  Hobbies are hiking, skiing, music, and reading.

Summary of current research:Pairing in most waterfowl occurs during the winter, and timing of pairingvaries among and within species.  It is currently thought that early pairing benefits both males and females, but is constrained by male costsof courtship and mate defence. Several common features of waterfowl courtship behaviour are inconsistent with this idea. Male courtship isoften intense for extended periods before pair formation occurs, pair bondsin some species are formed during mid-winter when time and energy constraints should be most severe, and paired males frequently have timeand energy to participate in social courtship groups. Also, females oftenare unreceptive to male advances, suggesting that it is female readiness rather than male costs that determines timing of pairing. I propose that it is the process of mate choice that determines timing of pairing in waterfowl, and that variation in the costs, benefits, andtactics of mate choice for males and females results in variation in timingof pairing. In most migratory ducks, males outnumber females, and females provide all parental care. This should lead to greater female choosiness and control of the pairing process.  

There is ample evidence of female choosiness in waterfowl, and free choice of a mate and a strong pair bond appear to be prerequisite to successful egg production.This study will investigate mate choice and timing of pairing of Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) wintering in the Strait of Georgia,British Columbia. The effects of spacing behaviour, time budgets, andseasonal food abundance will be considered.  Research will address four hypotheses: 1) female mate choice determines timing of pair formation; 2)newly pairing individuals will aggregate in a fashion similar to "lekking"to reduce costs of mate sampling; 3) immature (hatch-year to second-year) birds benefit from observing the courtship behaviour and mate choices of older birds; and 4) herring (Clupea harengus) spawn, that is available forthree-to-four weeks in March-April, will be attractive to pairing birds because it provides abundant food, reduces the time required for foraging and increases the time available for courtship, and eliminates intra-specific competition for food, allowing birds to join larger groups for the purpose of mate sampling. 

Harlequin Ducks have been individually marked at five locations in theStrait of Georgia since 1994. They are caught in drive traps during their flightless moult in August and September. Birds are sexed and aged, anduniquely marked with alpha-numeric coloured leg bands.  Birds that will be intensively observed to monitor pairing behaviour are also marked withunique, small, coloured nasal disks, so that they can be identified whenthey are in the water.  Observations of individual birds are conducted throughout the winter at sites with and without an influx of herring spawn. Observations before and during herring spawn will help determine the importance of spawn to pairing birds.  Intensive surveys by boat and roadhave been conducted to determine distributions, group sizes, sex ratios,and proportions of paired, unpaired, and immature birds at a variety oflocations.Results of the study will contribute to our understanding of waterfowl mating systems, and will have important conservation implications inrelation to waterfowl use of herring spawning sites.  Loss of direct nutritional and possibly indirect behavioural benefits to waterfowl inareas where herring no longer spawn is a major concern and is in need ofstudy.

Previous degree: M.Sc. at Memorial University of Newfoundland, title of thesis "Intra-colony variation in breeding success of Atlantic Puffins: an application of habitat selection theory".

Acknowledgements / Collaborators: Funding for this study is provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC), Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS), the CWS/NSERC Wildlife Ecology Research Chair, and Simon Fraser University. Heidi Regehr has provided much help with many aspects of the study.  Byron Andres, Brian Arquilla, Sean Boyd, Lynn Campbell, Pete Clarkson, Fred Cooke, Mary Jane Elkins, Frank Elkins, Ian Goudie, Stuart Jackson, Heidi Regehr, Greg Robertson, Cyndi Smith, and Ken Wright have participated in capture, banding, and resighting of markedbirds.  Brian Arquilla, Jennifer Shore, and Jason Smith have collected behavioural data, and Brian Arquilla and John Cornthwaite have helped with data entry for the White Rock study area.  Many of these people, plus graduate committee members Fred Cooke, Bob Elner, Larry Dill, Dan Esler and Ron Ydenberg have provided fruitful discussion and advice about various aspects of the study.  Connie Smith has helped with data compilation and equipment.  Moira Lemon has helped organize equipment. Barbara Sherman has provided administrative assistance. 

Recent Publications / Presentations:
Carter, H.R., Wilson, U.W., Lowe, R.W., Rodway, M.S., Takekawa, J.E., Lee,J.L., and Manuwal, D.A. in press. Population trends of the Common Murre (Uria aalge californica). Pp. Xx-xx in D.A. Manuwal, H.R. Carter, and T. Zimmerman (eds.), Natural history, population trends, and conservation ofthe Common Murre in California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.Chapters 1 and 2: Natural history and population trends. U.S. Geological Survey, Information and Technology Report.

Rodway, M.S. and Regehr, H.M. 2000. Measuring Marbled Murrelet activity in valley bottom habitat: bias due to station placement. Journal of Field Ornithology 71:415-422.

Rodway, M.S. and Regehr, H.M. 1999. Potential nesting density of Marbled Murrelets in valley-bottom old-growth forest in Clayoquot Sound, BritishColumbia. Pacific Seabirds 26:3-7.

Regehr, H.M., and Rodway, M.S. 1999. Seabird breeding performance duringtwo years of delayed capelin arrival in the Northwest Atlantic: a multi-species comparison. Waterbirds 22:60-67.

Rodway, M.S. and Regehr, H.M. 1999. Habitat selection and reproductiveperformance of food-stress in Herring Gulls. Condor 101:566-576.

Rodway, M.S. and Regehr, H.M. 1999. Inland inventory: Marbled Murreletactivity and structural characteristics of old-growth forest in ClayoquotSound, British Columbia, 1995-97. Pp.119-236 in T.A. Chatwin, A.E. Burger,and L.E. Jones (eds.), Inventory of Marbled Murrelets in Clayoquot Sound1997. Unpublished report to B.C. Min. Environment, Lands and Parks,Vancouver Island Regional Office, Nanaimo.

Regehr, H.M., Rodway, M.S., and Montevecchi, W.A. 1998. Anti-predatorbenefits of nest-site selection in Black-legged Kittiwakes. CanadianJournal of Zoology 76:910-915.Rodway, M.S. 1998. Activity patterns, diet, and feeding efficiency of Harlequin Ducks breeding in northern Labrador. Canadian Journal of Zoology76:902-909.

Rodway, M.S. 1998. Habitat use by Harlequin Ducks breeding in Hebron Fiord,Labrador. Canadian Journal of Zoology 76:897-901.Rodway, M.S., Chardine, J.W., and Montevecchi, W.A. 1998. Intra-colony variation in breeding performance of Atlantic Puffins. Colonial Waterbirds21:171-184.

Rodway, M.S., Gosse, J.W. Jr., Fong, I., Montevecchi, W.A. 1998. Discoveryof a Harlequin Duck nest in eastern North America. Wilson Bulletin110:282-285.Rodway, M.S. 1997. Relationship between wing length and body mass inAtlantic Puffin chicks. Journal of Field Ornithology 68:338-347.

Rodway, M.S., and Montevecchi, W.A. 1996. Sampling methods for assessingthe diets of Atlantic Puffin chicks. Marine Ecology Progress Series144:41-55.Rodway, M.S., Montevecchi, W.A., and Chardine, J.W. 1996. Effects ofinvestigator disturbance on breeding success of Atlantic Puffins Fraterculaarctica. Biological Conservation 76:311-319.

Rodway, M.S., and Chardine, J.W. 1996. Atlantic Puffin. Hinterland Who'sWho Series. Canadian Wildlife Service, Ottawa.

Rodway, M.S., Regehr, H.M., and Chardine, J.W. 1996. Population census of breeding Atlantic Puffins at Great Island, Newfoundland in 1993-94.Technical Report Series No. 263. Environmental Conservation Branch, Canadian Wildlife Service, Atlantic Region.

Rodway, M.S., Savard, J-P.L, Garnier, D.C., and Lemon, M.J.F. 1995. At-seaactivity patterns of Marbled Murrelets adjacent to probable inland nesting areas in the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia. Northwestern Naturalist 76:82-89.

Carter, H.R., Sowls, A.L., Rodway, M.S., Wilson, U.W., Lowe, R.W.,McChesney, G.J., Gress, F., and Anderson, D.W. 1995. Population size, trends, and conservation problems of the Double-crested Cormorant on the Pacific coast of North America. Colonial Waterbirds 18 (Special Publication1):189-215.

Rodway, M.S., Lemon, M.J.F., and Kaiser, G.W. 1994. British ColumbiaSeabird Colony Inventory: Report #6 - Major colonies on the west coast ofGraham Island. Technical Report Series No. 95. Canadian Wildlife Service,Pacific and Yukon Region, British Columbia.

Rodway, M.S. 1993. (Review of) The Ancient Murrelet: A Natural History inthe Queen Charlotte Islands by Anthony J. Gaston. Colonial Waterbirds16:255-256.

Rodway, M.S., Regehr, H.M., and Savard, J-P.L. 1993. Activity patterns ofMarbled Murrelets in old-growth forest in the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia. Condor 95:831-848.

Rodway, M.S., Regehr, H.M., and Savard, J-P.L. 1993. Activity levels ofMarbled Murrelets in different inland habitats in the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia. Canadian Journal of Zoology 71:977-984.

Rodway, M.S., Lemon, M.J.F., and Summers, K.R. 1992. Seabird breedingpopulations in the Scott Islands, British Columbia, 1982 to 1989. Pp. 52-59in Vermeer, K. and Butler, R.W. (eds.). The ecology, status and conservation of marine and shoreline birds on the west coast of VancouverIsland. Occasional Paper No. 75. Canadian Wildlife Service, Ottawa.

Rodway, M.S., Sedgewick, J.A., and Sedgewick, N.C. 1992. First record ofMew Gulls breeding in the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia.Northwestern Naturalist 73:61-62.

Rodway, M.S., Carter, H.R., Sealy, S.G., and Campbell, R.W. 1992. Status ofthe Marbled Murrelet in British Columbia. Pp. 17-41 in Carter, H.R. andMorrison, M.L. (eds.). Status and conservation of the Marbled Murrelet in North America. Proceedings of the Western Foundation of Vertebrate ZoologyVol. 5, No. 1.

Rodway, M.S. 1991. Status and conservation of breeding seabirds of BritishColumbia. Pp. 43-102 in Croxall, J.P. (ed.) Seabird status and conservation: a supplement. ICBP Technical Publication No. 11.


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