RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR 



WATERFOWL MANAGEMENT RESEARCH 



A primary responsibility of the Bureau of Sport 

 Fisheries and Wildlife is the preservation and 

 management of migratory birds, among which 

 waterfowl are of paramount importance. In 

 meeting this responsibility, continuing research is 

 necessary, to improve habitat management, to de- 

 velop new habitat, to define guidelines for habitat 

 acquisition, to evaluate the effects of regulations 

 and other management measures, and to improve 

 inventory methods and operations. In these re- 

 search activities the Bureau wishes to acknowledge 

 the cooperation of the Provinces and States, both 

 through the Flyway Councils and through their 

 own research programs. 



Mallard population dynamics studied. — Because 

 of the Mallard's dominant position, analyses of 

 data on this species have been emphasized at the 

 Migratory Bird Populations Station. From the 

 size of the kill in 1062 as measured by the mail 

 questionnaire survey of hunters, the age composi- 

 tion of the kill indicated in the mail wing-collec- 

 tion survey, and the band recovery rates computed 

 in the preseason banding program, it was possible 

 to estimate the size of the 1963 breeding popu- 

 lation. 



These analyses verified the results of the Bu- 

 reau's aerial surveys in May, since this indirect 

 method of estimating the population yielded es- 

 sentially the same estimates as the May aerial sur- 

 veys adjusted for visibility rates. This study also 

 explained that because of low production in 1002 

 (only 0.8 immature bird per adult) the breeding 

 population did not increase substantially in 1963, 

 despite the reduced hunting kill in 1062. The data 

 also indicated that if the kill in 100-2 had not been 



substantially reduced through restrictive regula- 

 tions, the continental mallard population, already 

 at a low level, would have continued a downward 

 trend instead of attaining some recovery in num- 

 bers. 



Wood duck research. — The wood duck is an ex- 

 tremely important species in the Atlantic and 

 Mississippi Flyways, ranking second in the hunt- 

 ing kill in 1062 in both. Because of its unique 

 range and the wooded habitat it utilizes, the status 

 of the species cannot be determined either by 

 breeding-ground survey or winter inventory. In 

 order to provide information needed for manage- 

 ment, research personnel have measured its status 

 by indirect methods, mainly through band-recov- 

 ery rates and kill statistics from the questionnaire 

 survey of hunters, and the wing-collection survey. 

 This approach has established that there are over 

 2,000,000 wood ducks associated with the Atlantic 

 and Mississippi Flyways and that, despite the 

 large, number shot, the rate of kill does not appear 

 to be excessive. 



Since banding data play a vital role in under- 

 standing population dynamics of the wood duck, 

 the Populations Station has also worked on tech- 

 niques for increasing the efficiency with which the 

 birds can be captured for banding. One develop- 

 ment is drive-trapping roosting wood ducks at 

 night. In one. drive, 870 were taken in a trap 

 erected by 4 men in half a day. No other tech- 

 nique has approximated this potential for captur- 

 ing the birds. 



Mail surveys of waterfowl hunters. — During 

 loo.'! several mail questionnaire surveys, as well as 

 duck-wing, goose-tail, and swan head-feather sur- 

 veys, were carried out to measure the size, species, 



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