Scotors, and Hooded Mergansers. Common Goldeneyes, Buffleheads, Red-breasted 

 and Common Mergansers are species with wide-ranging northern distributions, 

 whose total populations in North America are poorly known because relatively 

 little is known of breeding populations in the eastern United States and Canada. 



Surveys of wintering waterfowl in the continental United States miss birds 

 with the result that numbers seen are "considerably below the level of the ac- 

 tual population of a given duck species" (Bellrose 1976). The difficulty in 

 making adequate field identifications of some species has doubtless contributed 

 to our lack of knowledge. The three species of scoters, the two scaup, the Com- 

 mon and Red-breasted mergansers, the two goldeneyes, and the Common and King 

 eiders are not distinguished from one another on the aerial surveys of the win- 

 tering and the breeding grounds by the Fish and Wildlife Service. Since the 

 scoters and the other species pairs are also difficult to distinguish on the 

 ground, at least for some age and sex groups, information from bird-watchers is 

 also of limited value. These species are all moderately to highly susceptible 

 to oil pollution. 



We suggest that ground surveys be undertaken in various wintering areas 

 along the southeastern coast. Such surveys should provide more information on 

 the proportion of birds missed on aerial surveys. During such ground surveys 

 more attention should be paid to determining the proportion of which species of 

 "scaup", "merganser", "goldeneye" is present in any given area. These propor- 

 tions, if taken over a wide enough area, and over diverse enough habitats, 

 should allow one to better estimate the size of the populations of diving and 

 seaducks wintering in the southeast. 



The economic value of the populations of wintering waterbirds often influ- 

 ences which species of waterfowl are most extensively researched. Johnsgard 

 (1975) estimated recreational values of waterfowl, basing these estimates on an 

 analysis of Christmas Counts from 1954-1962. He concluded that the "five most 

 important waterfowl in terms of recreational value to bird watchers are the mal- 

 lard, pintail, Canada Goose, American wigeon, and black duck". These species 

 are those found in the greatest numbers and are among those most important to 

 hunters. We disagree, however, that these birds are those most important to 

 bird-watchers, because bird-watchers are usually more interested in those spe- 

 cies seen least often. Utilizing Johnsgard' s rarity index, the ten waterfowl 

 most important to bird-watchers would be the Masked Duck, Emperor Goose ( Chen 

 canagica ) , Steller's Eider ( Polysticta stelleri ) , Eurasian Green-winged Teal 

 ( Anas c. crecca ) , Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Trumpeter Swan ( Cygnus buccin - 

 ator ) , Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Ross' Goose, King Eider, and European (Eurasian) 

 Wigeon. West (1979) recently completed a poll of bird-watchers to determine 

 which species they would most like to see. Among ducks, geese, and swans, the 

 ten that instilled the most interest were the Masked Duck, Spectacled Eider 

 ( Somateria spectabilis ) , King Eider, Harlequin Duck, Trumpeter Swan, Emperor 

 Goose, Ross' Goose, Steller's Eider, Smew ( Mergus albellus ) , and Barnacle Goose. 

 The relatively close correspondence between West's list and Johnsgard' s rarity 

 index suggests that Johnsgard 's estimate of the recreational values of various 

 species of waterfowl may be distorted. It would appear that some of the rare 

 species of waterfowl in the southeast are both among those least studied (e.g., 

 Masked Duck, King Eider, Harlequin Duck) and those of most interest to bird- 

 watchers. 



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