Post-hatch Brood Amalgamation in Lesser Scaup : Female Behavior and Return Rates , and Duckling Survival

I studied single and amalgamated broods of lesser scaup (Aythya afinis) near Erickson, Manitoba. Time budgets did not differ between females thar rcared single and amalgamated broods. Fernales generally spent more time in locornotion, rcsting, and ccnfon movements and less time alert as ducklings grew older. Time spent feeding and in social inrcracticrs by females did not change with ducklingage. Retumratesthefollowingbrcedingseasqrweresimilarforfernalesthatrearedsingleand amalgamated brods. Duckling survival to age-class-Il (>20 days) did not differ between single and amalgamared broods. My preliminary results are consistent with the Accidental Mixing Hypothesis, but cqrtradict the Duckling and Parental Survival Hyporheses in explaining posr-hatch brood amalgamations of lesser scaup.