As a principal determinant of both fitness and population growth, annual survival rate is of interest to both evolutionary biologists and wildlife managers. We restrict attention primarily to estimates based on the models described by Brownie et al.
Larger species tend to have higher survival rates.
These estimates were not strictly comparable, however, as they represented different geographic areas and time periods. Age Recent studies have corroborated the belief of waterfowl biologists that young birds have lower annual survival rates than adults. Bandings in winter of Canada Geese, Mallards, and Canvasbacks have provided insight into when age-specific survival differences occur. Age-specificity in survival beyond the first year has not been investigated thoroughly in waterfowl. However, the H2 versus H3 test of Brownie et al.