Do raccoon and fox have a big impact on duck populations by raiding their nests? -Bunk Rector
Hey Bunk!
Great question, and really well suited for this time of year!
Predator populations have changed dramatically on the prairies since the 1930’s. What used to occupy the prairies (prairie wolves, swift fox, black-footed ferrets etc.) has been replaced by predators that are more adaptable to the changing landscape. Raccoon and fox are definitely two predators that commonly raid duck nests, however here’s a few other principle predators that take a toll on nesting success as well: Striped Skunk, Coyote, Badger, Mink, Franklin’s ground squirrel, Black-billed magpie, and American crows. These predators are opportunistic feeders, meaning that they eat whatever food is available (like a nest of eggs they happen to stumble upon). The patchy landscape and the reduction of nesting cover has made it easier for predators on the prowl to find duck nests. Here are some stats to put the pressures of predation in the Prairie Pothole Region into perspective. Past studies showed that in the 1930’s, nest success was as high as 35% (meaning 35% of duck nests hatched), and today nesting success is commonly below 15-20% (level required to maintain local duck populations) over large regions of the prairie breeding grounds. As an extreme example of how hard predators can be on nesting ducks, some areas in Manitoba have experienced nest success under 5% over the past several years! As you can see, the chances for breeding ducks to produce little ones in that area look pretty bleak!
Hope this helps Bunk, and thanks for the question!
Sincerely,
Carly Deacon