48 



MIGRATION ROUTES AND FLY WAYS 



The extreme eastern route, 

 which leads directly down the 

 coast, has as its northern 

 origin the eastern Arctic 

 islands and the coast of 

 Greenland. From these places 

 come the Greater Snow Geese 

 and the American Brant, 

 which follow the coast line to 

 winter quarters in the great 

 bays and sounds of Virginia 

 and North Carolina. This 

 also is the route used by large 

 numbers of Black Ducks and 

 Canada Geese. These two 

 species, however, occupy a 

 curious part in the picture of 

 I his fly way. The Canada 

 Geese and the Black Ducks, 

 so important to the sportsmen 

 of New England, come chiefly 

 from the New England area, 

 the Maritime Provinces of 

 Canada, the Labrador Pen- 

 insula, and Newfoundland. 

 Few, if any, come from in- 

 terior points that are far from the seacoast, and they do not ordinarily 

 travel very far south of Long Island Sound. A few of the northeastern 

 Black Ducks do drift south as far as the Carolinas, but the Canada Geese 

 rarely go south of New England. 



Most of the Black Ducks of the south- and middle-Atlantic coast, 

 and practically all the Canada Geese, come from interior points. The 

 ducks, which seem to come chiefly from western Quebec and Ontario, 

 leave their breeding grounds in this region and at first travel southwest- 

 ward through the peninsula of southern Ontario. This also is the course 

 taken by the Canada Geese from the breeding grounds around the east- 

 ern shores of Hudson Bay. Upon reaching the western end of Lake 

 Erie, where it is augmented by birds bred in Michigan, the route divides, 

 the majority of the birds turning abruptly to the east, some tarrying a 

 while in the area along the south shore of the lake, but nearly all even- 

 tually making a cross-country flight over Pennsylvania and northern 

 West Virginia to the Atlantic coast, which is reached in the vicinity of 

 Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. 



This route from the northwest is of great importance. In addition 

 to being followed by the Black Ducks and Canada Geese, it also is the 

 general course taken by the Diving Ducks and others that come from 

 the great interior breeding grounds. No ducks of the genus Nyroca, ex- 



FIG. 32. The Atlantic Flyway 



