Prey availability and foraging activity by tundra-nesting sea ducks: Strong preference for specific wetland types.

Wetlands in Arctic tundra support abundant breeding waterbirds. Wetland types differing in area, depth, vegetation, and invertebrate biomass density may vary in importance to birds, and in vulnerability to climate change. We studied availability and use of different wetland types by prelaying females of four species of sea ducks (Mergini) breeding on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, USA: long-tailed ducks () and Steller's (), spectacled (), and king eiders ().