Short‐term survival of mallards following external transmitter attachment

Capturing birds for external transmitter attachment allows researchers to collect abundant movement and behavioural data across spatial and temporal gradients but can expose birds to additional stress due to prolonged handling, sometimes leading to mortality. We investigated the effects of individual bander, age, body mass and temperature on the short‐term, post‐release survival of mallards in eastern North America. We found that during a 15‐day period post‐release, mallards had a period survival rate of 0.97, with greatest mortality during the first two days after capture and during extended exposure to cold temperatures, regardless of body mass or age. Our results demonstrate the importance of contextualizing post‐release survival in large tracking device projects, as environmental stressors and banding practices vary.