Until the 1990s, little was known of the ecology of Harlequin Ducks in North America. However, research efforts have since improved our understanding of this species. For management purposes, there are two distinct populations of Harlequin Ducks in North America: the Western population along the Pacific coast, and the much smaller Eastern population. The Western population trend appears to be stable and is hunted, but under restrictive regulations: the best available information indicates that the annual harvest is probably in the low hundreds in Canada. Because of its relatively small population size, the Eastern population of the Harlequin Duck was listed as Special Concern in 2003 under the Species at Risk Act. The population has since been increasing, reaching approximately 6,800 individuals in the mid-2000s (Robert 2013b). Hunting prohibition for this species in eastern North American since 1990 could be one of the reasons for this recovery (CWS Waterfowl Committee 2017), although other factors might also be involved. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
Hunting, disturbance from recreation (boats) and development (aquaculture and fisheries, hydro-developments) may all have played a role in past declines of the Eastern Population (Robertson and Goudie 1999). Hunting of Harlequin Ducks has not been permitted in eastern Canada since 1990 and while hunting closures have not been implemented in western Canada, hunting pressure is low. A review of the status of the Western Population and of the current monitoring programs is underway. Despite the remarkable recovery of the Eastern Population over the last decade (Bowman et al. 2015), this population remains small and small populations are vulnerable. For information on the legal status of this species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA), and to view available recovery documents, see the SARA Registry.
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.
