Data for Evaluating Efficacy of 1- versus 2-prong Radio Transmitter Attachment for Scoters in Alaska and Washington, 2008-2010

A major challenge of wildlife telemetry is choosing an attachment technique that maximizes transmitter retention while minimizing negative side effects. For waterbirds, attachment of transmitters with subcutaneous anchors has been an effective and well-established technique, having been used on >40 species. This method was recently modified to include a second subcutaneous anchor, presumably increasing transmitter retention beyond that of single-anchor attachments. This putative benefit may be offset, however, by increased health risks related to additional incisions and subcutaneous protrusions. To test this potential trade-off, we attached radio transmitters to surf scoters (Melanitta perspicillata) and white-winged scoters (M. fusca) during the flightless remigial molt and winter using single- (121 scoters) and double-anchor (128 scoters) attachment techniques. The data described here are generated by this research project. Results of this work are published in the journal Wildlife Society Bulletin.