Tundra Swan: Tundra Swan numbers have increased continent-wide over the past twenty years, and this population expansion has been particularly noticeable at Long Point (Figure 8.19). Long Point receives substantially more Tundra Swan use during the fall than spring. However, during early springs such as in 1992, large numbers of Tundra Swans stage at Long Point and tend to stay for a considerable length of time. Up to 8,000 Tundra Swans have been recorded at a time in spring, and flocks now tend to be staying much longer in the fall too. Swans spend considerable time foraging on agricultural fields as well as on the wetlands associated with Long Point. Based on survey results, Long Point is probably one of the most important Tundra Swan staging areas east of the Rockies. However, there is considerable evidence that waterfowl may compete interspecifically (Nudds 1992), and it has been proposed that swans, with their large body size and aggressive disposition, influence the abundance and distribution of dabbling ducks (Fretwell 1975, Oksanen et al. 1979). Therefore, while Long Point may provide an essential staging area for migrating Tundra Swans, they could be directly (agonistic behavior) or indirectly (resource competition and/or degradation) affecting the carrying capacity of Long
Point for staging ducks and geese. Consequently, the importance of Long
Point to staging Tundra Swans, and their direct and indirect effects on
other waterfowl species will be the subject of an intensive 3-year study
by the LPWWRF and the University of Western Ontario, starting in 1998.
Mute Swan: Mute Swans, endemic to Eurasia, were introduced to North American city parks and zoos in the early 1900s. Several having escaped confinement, feral populations have been established across fairly large portions of North America (Bellrose 1976). An established Mute Swan population was first recorded at Long Point in the late 1970s (McCracken et al. 1981), and these
birds now breed throughout the area. Breeding Mute Swans are extremely aggressive and often displace smaller waterfowl from prime breeding and
Canada Goose: Despite large increases in the Giant Canada
Goose population in southern Ontario, spring and fall Canada
Goose numbers have declined somewhat at Long Point since the 1970s (Figure 8.21). This may be attributed to two factors;
American Black Duck: Many Black Ducks that migrate between their wintering areas in the eastern United States and breeding areas in the
boreal forests of eastern Canada and the US, use Long Point as a staging
area (Figure 8.4).
Mallard: Substantial numbers of Mallards that migrate
between eastern and south-central United States wintering areas and prairie and southern Ontario breeding areas, stage at Long Point, particularly during the fall (Figure 8.5). Mallard numbers at Long Point have also apparently been influenced somewhat by continental population changes, particularly during the spring.
American Wigeon: Long Point receives considerably higher American
Wigeon use during the fall than it does during spring (Figure 8.24).
Northern Pintail: While Northern Pintails shot at Long
Point have been banded in at least 25 states and 5 provinces
(Figure 8.7), Long Point is not a very important staging area for this primarily prairie nesting species (Figure 8.25). Relatively low spring numbers may be due to the fact that Pintails arrive early on breeding areas, and consequently, probably do not spend a substantial amount of time on staging areas. Declines in the 1980s and subsequent modest increases in the late 1990s are similar to the continental trend for this species (Figure 8.25).
Blue-winged Teal: Blue-winged Teal are one species whose
numbers at Long Point do not reflect the continental trend
(Figure 8.26). Numbers declined substantially at Long Point
during the 1980s and never recovered during the 1990s, whereas
continental populations have increased during that time (Dilworth-
Christie and Dickson 1997).
Green-winged Teal:. Low numbers of Green-winged Teal are generally recorded at Long Point during spring and fall. This can be attributed partially to their being small and their numbers being easily underestimated during aerial surveys, as well as to the fact that they are early migrants. Green-winged Teal numbers at Long Point are a reflection of the continental trend: increasing between the 1980s and 1990s (Figure 8.27).
Wood Duck: The majority of the Wood Ducks banded at Long Point
Gadwall: While Gadwall numbers have been increasing slightly
Northern Shoveler: No Northern Shovelers were
Ring-necked Duck: Ring-necked Ducks that migrate through Long Point spend the winter in the eastern United States, and generally breed throughout the Canadian boreal forest region (Figure 8.11) (Bellrose 1976).
Canvasback: Long Point is a critically important staging area for North
America's Canvasbacks. It is primarily used by birds migrating between
the eastern United States, especially Chesapeake Bay, and their prairie
breeding areas (Figure 8.11). Canvasback numbers declined at Long Point
between the 1970s and early 1990s, and this reflects the continental trend
(Figure 8.32)(Dilworth-Christie and Dickson 1997).
Redhead: Long Point was traditionally a very important
Lesser and Greater Scaup: Long Point is used as a staging area by Lesser
Scaup migrating between the eastern US and their prairie and western sub-arctic
breeding areas, while Greater Scaup for the most part breed in the western sub-
arctic (Figures 8.13 and 8.14)(Bellrose 1976). Due to the difficulty of
differentiating between Lesser and Greater Scaup during aerial surveys, the two species are grouped simply as scaup. However, Lesser Scaup are much more abundant at Long Point. Scaup numbers at Long Point declined substantially between the 1970s and 1980s, despite no detectable change in the continental population and only slight declines in the boreal forest population (Figure 8.34)(Dilworth-Christie and Dickson 1997). Conversely, scaup use of Long
Point has increased substantially since 1991, despite substantial declines in the continental population.
It is intriguing that this rapid increase in scaup use of Long Point
coincided with the expansion of zebra mussels into Long Point Bay (Petrie and Knapton 1999). While most waterfowl species at Long Point do not consume large quantities of zebra mussels, they are the dominant food item in the diets of both Lesser (Appendix 9) and Greater Scaup (Appendix 7). Several studies have demonstrated that availability of zebra mussels can influence waterfowl distribution and abundance (Wormington and Leach 1992; Mitchell and Carlson 1993). The substantial increase in scaup use of Long Point, despite rapidly declining continental populations, is likely due to more birds staging in the area, and/or remaining for longer periods, in response to this novel and
readily available food source (Petrie and Knapton 1999).
The ready availability of zebra mussels as a food source creates a
problem because zebra mussels are filter feeders and tend to accumulate contaminants more readily than native Great Lakes bivalves (Brieger and
Hunter 1993). These contaminants can subsequently be passed up the food
chain to the waterfowl that consume them. Both Lesser and Greater Scaup collected on on western Lake Erie exhibited elevated concentrations of a broad number of contaminants in their tissues compared to other species that consume aquatic plants (Mazak et al. 1997). This may well be contributing to the continental decrease in Lesser and Greater Scaup populations. Reproductive success in Tufted Ducks (A. fuligula) fed contaminated zebra mussels was
60% less than individuals fed less contaminated mussels (de Kock and
Bowmer 1993). Therefore, while large numbers of scaup stage in Great Lakes
areas, such as Long Point, which have high concentrations of zebra mussels,
the consumption of these exotic mussels may in turn be indirectly influencing
survival or reproductive output and consequently, continental populations.
Bufflehead: Buffleheads stage at Long Point during migrations
to and from Atlantic coast wintering and prairie and northern
boreal forest breeding areas (Bellrose 1976). Bufflehead use
of Long Point declined
Oldsquaw: Oldsquaw breed throughout the Arctic and use the Great Lakes as a staging and wintering area. While numbers are quite variable, Long Point does not appear to be an important Oldsquaw staging area (Figure 8.40). This may be due to the fact that they are a late season migrant, and those that do winter on the Great Lakes tend to concentrate on Lake Ontario, as it is deeper than Lake Erie and consequently, has more extensive ice-free areas. However, LPWWRF does not thoroughly survey the Outer Bay, which may be a more important Oldsquaw area than the Inner Bay.
staging habitats. While Mute Swan numbers increased rapidly between the
1970s and early 1990s, numbers have generally stabilized throughout the
1990s (Figure 8.20). Control by concerned humans may explain the cessation
of population growth by the Mute Swan since the early 1990s. The hunting community and others are concerned about the potential effect of this aggressive species on the distribution and abundance of other members
of the waterfowl community. There is also concern that Mute Swans will
damage Long Point's aquatic vegetation. The present, modest population
levels probably do not represent a major threat to the rest of the Long Point waterfowl community. However, as they are a non-native species, and have
the potential for rapid population expansion, eradication of this population
before they become a major problem would be preferable. 
1) large numbers of the Southern James Bay Population (SJBP) of Canada Geese migrate through Long Point (Figure 8.2), and this population has declined substantially (Dilworth-Christie and Dickson 1997); and/or 2) and rapid increases in numbers of Tundra Swans, a species which can be aggressive, and may be displacing Canada Geese from Long Point's wetlands.
Snow Goose: While a few individuals have been recorded
at Long Point en route from their wintering areas in the
southeastern United States to the Canadian Arctic (see Figure 8.3), Long Point is not an important staging area for Snow Geese.
Black Duck numbers at Long Point have followed a
similar trend to that indicated by the mid-winter inventories in the
United States, i.e., numbers declined between the 1970s and 1980s, when
the population stabilized at a low level (Figure 8.22). Spring Black
Duck numbers have been increasing slightly at Long Point since the
early 1990s.
The number of spring Mallard days at Long Point decreased during the late 1970s and again during the early 1990s (Figure 8.23). Spring use has increased since the early 1990s, whereas fall use declined after the 1970s and has been somewhat erratic since the early 1980s. 
While American Wigeon numbers at Long Point fluctuate erratically, there appears to have been a declining trend in numbers between the 1970s and 1980s and a subsequent increase during the 1990s. These trends are similar to those reported for the continental population (Dilworth-Christie and Dickson 1997). American Wigeon that stage at Long Point are generally migrating between their eastern US wintering areas and Canadian and US prairie breeding areas (Figure 8.6).
Canadian Wildlife Service breeding
pair surveys have also shown a steady decline in this species in the
Long point area (Gary McCullough, personal communication).
This disparity between Long Point and the continental trend would
suggest that Blue-winged Teal may have changed their migratory
pattern in the Lower Great Lakes. However, since it is an early fall
and late spring migrant, Blue-winged Teal are infrequently seen
during aerial surveys. The Blue-winged Teal is a long distance
migrant, and birds banded at Long Point tend to winter in South
and Central America (Figure 8.8).
A small portion of the prairie and sub-arctic breeding population of Green-winged Teal stage at Long Point (Figure 8.9), and numbers fluctuate substantially between years (Figure 8.27).
spend the winter in the southeastern United States (Figure 8.10). The
number of birds using Long Point in the fall has declined since the early
1980s, whereas spring use has increased slightly since that time (Figure
8.28). Compared to most other species, Long Point is not a very important
staging area for Wood Ducks. Due to the habitat preferences of Wood Ducks,
inland swamps and the Big Creek floodplain probably support substantially
more staging and breeding birds than Long Point itself.
since the 1980s, Long Point does not appear to be a very important staging area for this species (Figure 8.29). This is supported by the extremely low number of band returns in the area (no band return map generated), and the fact that Long Point is not along a major migratory route for this species (Bellrose 1976).
recorded at Long
Point during the 1970s and early 1980s surveys (Figure 8.30). Although
Shovelers have been recorded during the 1990s, numbers are extremely
low. This can be attributed to the fact that Long Point is not on a
major migratory route for this species; less than 3% of the continental
population migrates east of the Mississippi River (Bellrose 1976).
While numbers fluctuate substantially between years at Long Point, there has been a trend of increasing Ring-neck Duck use of the area throughout the 1990s (Figure 8.31).
Continental
Canvasback numbers have increased considerably since 1995, due
primarily to excellent water conditions on their prairie breeding areas.
This has had a considerable effect on Canvasback use at Long Point, as
1997 numbers were comparable to peak numbers during the 1970s. Wild
celery is an extremely important food source for migrating Canvasbacks,
and the fact that this submerged aquatic plant has apparently rebounded
from its decline on Long Point Bay in the 1970s and 1980s, also holds
promise for this increasing population. 
staging area for Redheads migrating between the eastern United States and their prairie breeding areas (Figure 8.12, Darrell Dennis, personal communication). Between the 1970s and early 1990s, Redhead use of Long Point declined drastically and much more precipitously than was reflected by the continental, boreal forest, or even the Canadian prairie trends (Figure 8.33)(Dilworth-Christie and Dickson 1997). Therefore, declining Redhead use of Long Point appears to be a result of a change in their migratory pattern, rather than a function of changing continental populations. The ultimate cause of this change is unknown. Redheads are not dependent on any specific food source, suggesting that this decline may not be attributed to any specific habitat change at Long Point (Appendix 11), although response to human disturbance may be a factor. Fairly substantial increases in Redhead use of Long Point during 1997 do show some promise. 
Common Goldeneye: Common Goldeneye use of Long Point during
the spring has shown a decline since the late 1970s (Figure 8.35),
whereas fall use has remained fairly consistent since that time. An
unusually high number of late season migrants resulted in the high
number of Common Goldeneye days during the fall of 1991.
Common Goldeneye is one of the last species to migrate south in the
fall; birds are often still present on northern breeding grounds in late
October (Bellrose 1976). This and the fact that it is also one of the last
species to leave wintering areas in the spring, suggests that LPWWRF
aerial survey records may not provide a true indication of the importance
of Long Point for this species. 
between the 1970s and 1980s (Figure
8.36), which was followed by a dramatic increase in Bufflehead numbers starting in 1991. Buffleheads, much like scaup, consume substantial quantities of zebra mussels (Appendix 3), and the increasing numbers of Buffleheads also corresponded with the zebra mussel invasion of Long Point Bay. Buffleheads collected in western lake Erie were also found to have extremely high tissue concentrations of several contaminants, which should be cause for concern (Mazak et al. 1997). 
Ruddy Duck: Ruddy Ducks use Long Point as a staging area
during migrational movements between the Atlantic coast and the
Canadian and U.S. prairies (Bellrose 1976). While Ruddy Duck
spring use of Long Point has fluctuated erratically between the 1970s
and 1980s, fall use has increased substantially during this time
(Figure 8.37). While Ruddy Ducks probably do consume quantities
of zebra mussels, the increase in Ruddy Duck numbers started prior to
the zebra mussel invasion of the Long Point area. Consequently, the increased numbers of Ruddy Ducks may be attributable to some factor other than zebra mussels (Figure 8.37). Fall staging Ruddy Ducks tend
to stage on Lake Erie just off of the south beach, especially in the
vicinity of the Long Point Company Marsh.
Hooded Merganser: Fall staging Hooded Merganser numbers have fluctuated considerably between the 1970s and 1990s (Figure 8.38). This may be due to the fact that breeding and wintering areas tend to overlap, and birds do not follow a well-defined migration route (Bellrose 1976). In contrast, spring numbers have increased substantially since the invasion of zebra mussels. These exotic mussels have probably also become an important dietary item of this species, as zebra mussels represented 55% of the food consumed by 13 birds shot by hunters in 1993 (LPWWRF unpublished data). Therefore, bioaccumulation of contaminants may also be a problem for this species.
Common and Red-breasted Mergansers: These two merganser
species are grouped here as they were not distinguished during the
CWS aerial surveys in the 1970s and 1980s. 
With the exception of
the high numbers recorded in the mid-1970s, the numbers of these
two species have remained somewhat stable throughout the survey
period (Figure 8.39). Fall numbers have been decreasing throughout
the 1990s but the trend is somewhat weak.
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