Case Study: Canvasback

Historically, the Canvasback (Aythya valisinera) declined due to hunting, habitat degradation and poor water quality. On the east coast of North America, it was one of the most hunted birds and was claimed to be one of the tastiest. Currently, their populations are doing well with about 700,000 individuals from a census done in 2012. The reason that this bird could be recovering may be attributed to various reasons such as the ban of lead shots, the Wetlands Reserve Program, MBTA and Lacey Act. For the future, there are still issues that await the Canvasback management. For instance, there is still high wetland loss which means less habitat. These animals are diving ducks and rely on these wetlands more than some birds because they are diving ducks and the aquatic vegetation that the wetlands provide. There was a diet shift in the Canvasback due to poor water quality from fish and invertebrates to the aquatic vegetation.