The Duck Specialist Group is a global network of duck specialists working on the monitoring, research, conservation and management of wild duck populations. The DSG strives to facilitate effective communication and transfer of knowledge and best practice between members and others with an interest in duck management and conservation. It works closely with the Threatened Waterfowl Specialist Group (TWSG), whose focus includes globally threatened duck species, and now incorporates the formerly separate Seaduck Specialist Group.
Latest news
An important new report 'Waterbird Populations and Pressures in the Baltic Sea' has recently been published. It highlights steep declines in some duck species, particularly the seaducks, with estimated declines of approximately 65% in Long-tailed Duck, Steller's Eider and Velvet Scoter, 51% for Common Eider, 47% for Common Scoter, and 42% for Red-breasted Merganser. Further news on this can be found on the websites of AEWA, BirdLife International, Wetlands International and WWT.
Largely in response to this, BirdLife International have launched an online discussion on their Globally Threatened Bird Forums regarding the IUCN Red List status of Common/Black Scoter, Velvet/White-winged Scoter, Long-tailed Duck and Greater Scaup. This will be open until 31 January 2012. If you have relevant knowledge or opinion on these possible uplists, please visit the GTBF and add your comments.
In order to bring together the conservation needs of European seaducks, a workshop and planning process is planned for 2012. This will start with a workshop on 24th April, just prior to the Pan-European Duck Symposium (see below), and will focus on population estimates and trends, ongoing monitoring activities and key gaps, and the improvement of monitoring coordination. If you are working on European seaducks, please try to travel to PEDS in time to attend this workshop. Further details will be announced as soon as possible.
Forthcoming events
The 3rd Pan-European Duck Symposium will be held in the Czech Republic on 26-28 April 2012, hosted by Petr Musil. A European sea duck workshop will also be held on the 24th, followed by a NOWAC meeting on the 25th. Further information is available here or from the conference organiser (p.musil@post.cz).
Ecology and Conservation of North American Wildfowl - a symposium and joint meeting of the North American Duck Symposium and the North American Arctic Goose Symposium. This large and wide ranging conference will be held in Memphis, Tennessee on 27-31 January 2013. Further details will be available here in due course.
The 5th International Sea Duck conference will be held in Iceland in September 2014. To register an interest and obtain further details please contact the organiser Jon Einar Jonsson (joneinar@hi.is).
The Duck Specialist Group Bulletin
The DSG Bulletin publishes short articles on duck management, research and conservation. The Bulletin is published periodically and its primary aim is to improve information exchange between duck specialists across the globe. We publish short papers with original data, progress reports of conservation projects, news items and requests for information. If you wish to submit an article for publication, please contact us.
Currently, bulletin production is not possible and for the foreseeable future the dissemination of news and other information will be either via this website or the DSG email forum, open to members. However, it is hoped the redevelopment of a bulletin can begin again soon, and any members interested in helping with this are asked to contact the coordinator.
Past events
The Nordic Waterbirds and Climate Network held their 2nd conference in Oster Malma, Sweden on 24-28 October 2011. Delegates focused on Mallard and Eider and examined issues such as shifting distributions and monitoring effectiveness. Further details can be found here.
The 4th International Sea Duck Conference was held in Seward, Alaska, USA on 12-16 September 2011. Further details can be found here.
A workshop on seaducks in the Baltic Sea was held on 14-15 June 2011, hosted by Kjell Larsson (Gotland University). Further details can be found here.
The 2nd Pan-European Duck Symposium was held in Arles, France, 23-26 March 2009. The conference proceedings were published as Special Issue No.2 of Wildfowl and the papers can be downloaded from the Wildfowl website. If you are interested in obtaining a hard copy, please contact the Coordinator.
The 1st Pan-European Duck Symposium was held in Denmark in March 2006. Abstracts of the oral and poster presentations are available on request from the Coordinator.
Links
Kjell Larsson's website on seaducks in the Baltic Sea is here.
A summary of ONCFS's research programme on Common Teal.
A guide to ageing duck broods in the field.
A guide to ageing and sexing North American ducks.
North American Sea Duck Joint Venture.
Seaducks.org - a collation of seaduck information
Flyways.us - a comprehensive site for managers of waterfowl populations in North America.
Enquiries to: Richard Hearn, Global Coordinator, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BT, UK. Email: duckspecialistgroup@wwt.org.uk