January Inventory 



As a result of the conflicting reports from many States, and from sp©rtBinpn's 

 organizations and coJiser.vatlon at^encies, thp shooting season ended with much con- 

 fused thinking regarding the current status of .the ducks and geese. The usual plans 

 for the annual Inventery had been made and this .operation was .carried out with a 

 coverage of the country that was most gratifvlng. In general, It may he recorded 

 that the Service representatives and thoir assistants covered all important water- 

 fowl wintering areas. Air coverage, chiefly through the cooperation of the Coast 

 Guard, llaval Air Service, and Array Air Forces, wa.s virtually complete, and it should 

 h^^ pointed out that most of the men engaged in this work are those who have partic- 

 ipated since Its inception ten years ago. Most of the areas accorded aerial sxir^pys 

 v;ere douhle-checked from the groixnd. . •. . . 



Analysis of the voluminous reports showed that the continental .population of 

 game v/aterfowl might consist of nearly (^ percent fewer "birds than were estimated 

 in 19UU. Whether this represents a real loss, an over-estimation in l^UU, or is 

 due to uncounted millions that may have wintered in Mexico, Cuha , Kispaniola, and 

 even In Central American countries, cannot "be explained. 



While such news is somev/hat disturbing it is not necessarily any cause for 

 alarm, particularly v/hen considered with reports of the preceeding "breeding season 

 and the fall migration. On the ha-sis of these there was reason to anticipate a 

 rpasona"ble increase, "but in view of the unusual conditions that prevailed it is 

 not impro"ba"ble that if there was such an increase the surplus "birds spent the winter 

 outside the limits of the continental United States or were so widely dispersed that 

 they successfully eluded the Government ta."bulators. Nevertheless, it a.lso must "be 

 pointed out that if this increase does exist, it is much smaller than was orifrinally 

 anticipated. 



On the "basi-ffi of the four fl.'^/ways, the losses appeared almost entirely in the 

 Atlantic and Mississippi regions, which is in accord with the migration reports. 

 Increases were recorded for "both the Central and Pacific fl;^/v/ays. From all flyways 

 there is evidence that the status of certain species must "be vratched. Among these 

 are the Canada. Goose, Redhead, Ruddy Duck, and Lesser ScauPf The take of the Canada 

 Gnose has "been excessive in the Mississippi Flj'v.'ay, while h^^avy kills of Redheads 

 and Ruddy Ducks were recorded at a few points in the Central Flyvay. Desplti= this 

 general statement, regarding the Canada Goose, reports from "both th^^ Mattamuskeet 

 (IT.G,) and 3t. Marks (Fla, ) National Wildlife Refuges indicated a healthy increase 

 in the flocks that winter at these points. At the former it was estimated that 

 30,0'"^0 geese were present in mid-Novem"ber v/hich is ahout twice as many a,s were there 

 in 19^3 ^t th*? same time, while the estimate of lU,000 at St, Marks represents a 20 

 percent increase. A few species, as the Gadwall, Pintail, ."Bald.pate, and Green-winged 

 Teal, and the Snow and White- fronted Goos^, registered gains t.hroughout th*:- country. 



In commenting on the inventory figures for the coastal "bays and lakes, ox-"bow 

 lakes of the lov/er Rio Grande, a.nd other freshwater areas of southern Texas, the 

 "biologist of the Central Fl;/v;ay summed up the status of the different species as 

 follows: No change , Mottled Duck, Gadwall, Green-winged" Teal, Slue-winged Teal, 

 Shoveler, Canvas"back, Lesser Scaup, and Ruddy Duck; Increase , Baldpate (lO 0/0), 

 Pintail (20 0/0), Redhead, Snow Goose (lO 0/0), Canada Goose (lO 0/0), and Coot 

 (15 0/0). 



PART 2; OTHER MIGRATORY GAI-IE BIRDS 



Woodcock 



Following the l^l+U spring migration, 11? reports on the status of the Woodcock 

 were received. Tabulation of these in the usual manner shov/ed a gratifying increase 



