Harlequin ducks take center stage in Audubon presentation

"Harlequin Duck Hide and Go Seek" is the title of Mission Mountain Audubon's educational program at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 27, in the Polson Library meeting room. Presenter Holli Holmes is a graduate student in the University of Montana's wildlife biology program and a biological science technician in Glacier National Park.

Most ducks prefer quiet ponds and marshes, but not Harlequins. Like white-water rafters, these colorful birds prefer the noisy and turbulent streams of northwestern Montana.

Even its clown-like name belies its rugged lifestyle. Harlequin refers to the comedians of classical theater who wore painted faces and colorful costumes.

But it’s not an easy living among the boulders of its summer breeding territory or along the surf-battered rocky coastlines of Washington and British Columbia where Harlequins spend the winter. Indeed, studies have shown that Harlequins have more broken bones than any other waterfowl species and it is estimated that only 10% of Harlequin ducks survive to reach maturity.

A year in the life of a Harlequin goes something like this: The brightly painted drake and the plain-colored hen pair up during the winter. In the spring, they fly together to a remote stream in Glacier National Park, for example, where they select a well-concealed nest site near the water’s edge.

By the time the chicks hatch, the male is long gone, for his colorful plumage would betray the location of the nest to predators. So the female is left to raise their young on her own. Come autumn, hens and young return to the Pacific.

The easiest place to observe Harlequin ducks in May and June is along the upper stretch of McDonald Creek in Glacier. They can also be seen fon the tributaries of the North, South, and Middle forks of the Flathead River as well as on the swift moving streams along the Rocky Mountain Front. These locations are fairly scenic, but what else would you expect from such a spectacular-looking duck?

Unfortunately, researchers have documented Harlequin population declines and no one knows exactly why. So it's not surprising that biologists are working hard to find out.

As part of this effort, Holmes is leading a collaborative study funded by Glacier National Park, the U.S. Forest Service, and Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks as well as several conservation nonprofits that is focused on laying the foundation for building a new monitoring program for Harlequin ducks across the Northern Rockies in the effort to save them.

In particular, Holmes is trying to determine the best way to locate and count Harlequin ducks by testing and evaluating new non-invasive sampling techniques to detect their presence on Montana's mountain streams. By comparing environmental DNA, game cameras, and ground-based foot surveys, Holmes is trying to help researchers develop better tools to study and manage this charismatic species.

Everyone is welcome to the free presentation.