have more stops than others. Data from each route in 1964 
and 1965 were examined for comparability, and adjustments 
were made for differences in the operation of the same route. 
When survey information from different States and Provinces 
is combined, it must be weighted again because the number of 
routes in each area is not necessarily related to woodcock 
population size. A more detailed discussion of the singing- 
ground survey and associated weighting factors may be found 
in the 1964 Woodcock Status Report (Special Scientific Report 
--Wildlife No. 88, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service). 
An index to the 1965 woodcock breeding population was 
obtained from 284 comparable singing-ground routes in 4 
Canadian Provinces and 20 eastern and central States. The 
population index was down less than 1 percent east of the 
Appalachians and approximately 11 percent west of the moun¬ 
tains. For the combined regions, the weighted 1965 popula¬ 
tion index was 6.5 percent below 1964's (table 1). Previous 
analyses have indicated that changes of this magnitude could 
have occurred from chance. It seems doubtful whether the 
North American breeding population changed significantly from 
1964 to 1965. Results from each route conducted in 1964 and 
1965 are compared in table 7. 
Recent trends in woodcock breeding populations, as indi¬ 
cated by weighted singing-ground surveys, are shown in table 
2. Breeding woodcock are apparently increasing a little in 
the Western Region and remaining relatively stable in the 
East. When these indexes are combined and adjusted to com¬ 
pare with 1965's index (as the base year), a gradually 
increasing North American breeding woodcock population is 
apparent (graph I). 
Wing-collection survey An annual measure of reproductive 
success also helps to determine woodcock population status. 
Reproductive success is measured by the ratio of immature birds 
to adult females in the fall bag. Since woodcock can be aged 
and sexed by examining their wing feathers, a wing-collection 
survey was initiated in 1959. The response of hunters during 
the past 6 hunting seasons has been outstanding. They have 
contributed an average of 12,200 wings annually and last 
year (1964) more than 15,000 wings were received at the 
Migratory Bird Populations Station (table 3). The number of 
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