Autumn waterfowl habitat management often focuses on providing high energy food resources to attract and concentrate waterfowl for harvest. Similarly, many waterfowl conservation plans assume food resources are the primary, controllable limiting factor influencing waterfowl distribution during migration; however, hunting‐related disturbance also influences waterfowl distribution in autumn. We investigated factors influencing mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) movements in an intensively hunted and food‐rich landscape in Ohio, USA, during autumn of 2015 and 2016. We used locations from female mallards equipped with global positioning system (GPS) back‐pack‐transmitters to determine the probability of mallards switching land cover types based on seasonal and daily patterns of hunting disturbance and to determine the distances mallards moved between cover types that offer refuge and those that offer food resources as evidence for or against food resource depletion during the hunting season. Mallards switched cover types to exploit food‐rich but intensively hunted locations nocturnally and cover type switching during times subject to disturbance increased significantly from the early segment to the late segment of hunting season. Distances mallards moved between refuge cover types and food‐rich cover types did not change over the duration of the study. Hunting disturbance is a key variable influencing autumn movements and distribution of mallards, and mallards in a food‐rich and intensively hunted landscape likely employ nocturnal foraging as a strategy to survive autumn migration. Nocturnal foraging behavior has consequences for waterfowl managers tasked with providing quality waterfowl hunting opportunities because ducks that forage only at night are largely unavailable to hunters. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.

中文翻译：

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俄亥俄州女野鸭在秋天进行土地覆盖转换

秋季水禽栖息地管理通常侧重于提供高能量的食物资源，以吸引和集中水禽进行收获。同样，许多水禽保护计划都假设粮食资源是影响迁徙期间水禽分布的主要可控限制因素。但是，与狩猎有关的干扰也会影响秋天的水禽分布。我们调查了影响野鸭（Anas platyrhynchos）在2015年秋季和2016年秋季在美国俄亥俄州的一个被大量狩猎且食物丰富的景观中的运动。我们使用了配备有全球定位系统（GPS）背负装发射器的雌性野鸭的位置，来确定野鸭转换土地的可能性根据狩猎干扰的季节性和日常模式确定野鸭类型，并确定野鸭在提供避难所的掩盖类型与提供食物资源的掩盖类型之间的距离，以作为狩猎季节期间食物资源枯竭的证据。绿头野鸭通过夜行性地切换掩盖类型来开发食物丰富但密集狩猎的地点，并且在受到干扰的时期内，掩盖类型的切换从狩猎季节的早期到晚期显着增加。在研究期间，野鸭在避难所覆盖物类型和食物丰富的覆盖物类型之间移动的距离没有变化。狩猎干扰是影响秋季运动和野鸭分布的关键变量，在食物丰富且狩猎频繁的地区，野鸭很可能会采用夜间觅食作为生存秋季迁徙的策略。夜间觅食行为对负责提供优质水禽狩猎机会的水禽管理者产生了影响，因为猎人仅在夜间才能觅食鸭子。©2020野生动物协会。在食物丰富且狩猎频繁的野鸭中，野鸭可能会采用夜间觅食作为生存秋季迁徙的策略。夜间觅食行为对负责提供优质水禽狩猎机会的水禽管理者产生了影响，因为猎人仅在夜间才能觅食鸭子。©2020野生动物协会。在食物丰富且狩猎频繁的野鸭中，野鸭可能会采用夜间觅食作为生存秋季迁徙的策略。夜间觅食行为对负责提供优质水禽狩猎机会的水禽管理者产生了影响，因为猎人仅在夜间才能觅食鸭子。©2020野生动物协会。