Harlequin Duck Program
Current information on the Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) in the Northern Rockies and Foothills of Alberta has been generated as a response to project specific issues, e.g., rafting and harlequin conflicts on the Maligne River in Jasper and construction and mining impacts of the Cheviot Mine. In 1999, Cardinal River Coals Ltd. completed a cumulative effects assessment of Harlequin Ducks for the McLeod, Cardinal and Gregg Rivers, but no comprehensive review of land use or human caused impacts on the Harlequin Duck had been conducted within a larger regional context such as the Foothills Research Institute core landbase. The purpose of this project was to provide government agencies, industry, and the public a description and preliminary analysis of Harlequin Duck population distribution with respect to habitat and land use characteristics in the project area. This program was initiated in response to this question.