WATERFOWL BREEDING SHOUYD SURVEY IN THE FAR HORTH, 1949 
Robert H. Smith and Charler F. Lawrence 
Introduction 
During the ewomer of 194% quantitative data on mumberes of breeding 
waterfowl were ottained for the first time in the far northern regions. In 
1949 much of the same arem wae re-surve;ed using the same methods ec art to 
obtain population trends of the various species of waterfowl. In addition, 
quantitative data were obtained on new areas and numerous exploratory flighte 
were made to lay the eround-work fcr future etudies, 
The writers began their surweye on the Athabaska Delta on June 12, 1949 
and continued on down the Slave and MacKenzie River Syeteme, eampling habitat 
typee enroute, arriving at Aklavik, N. W. T. on June 20. Using Aklavik as a 
bake, the area within flight range wae eurveyed until July 13, when the btace 
of operationa war moved first to Coppermine, N, W. T. and then to Bathuret 
Inlet, N. W. TT. Frank Banfield of the Dominion Wildlife Service acted ae 
powerver on two flights out of Bathurst Inlet, combining caribou and waterfowl 
surveys. The surveys were concluded on July 31, wpon our arrived at The Fae, 
Fanitoba. 
Method af Samp] ing 
Wo changes were made in the rurvey methods from thoee used in 1948, 
which wae a random campling of major habitat types. All surveys were made 
from an alrcraft flying at an altitude of anproximately one hundred feet, 
each ateerver counting waterfowl on an #1;hth mile etrip on his respective 
eide of the aircraft, the results being converted to ducks per ecuare miFe, 
the speclee composition being thown as percentages. 
Description of Fabitat Types 
The habitat types eanpled lact year are described in the 1942 renort 
and include the Lake Claire Marehes, Athabaska Delta, Slave River Farklande, 
Wooded Delta (MacKenzie), Treelers Delta (MacKenzie), Upland Tundra, Coastal 
Tundra, Transition Zone and the Cld Crow Flats, Yukon. 
The new areas sampled are briefly deacrihed as follows: 
Fre-Cambrian (Hudeonian Zone}. This area extending eact and north of 
Yellowknife, NW. W. T. is prohably typical of much of the area within the 
fre-Cambrian Ghield south of the Barrens. It le quite rugged with much exposed 
rock and has & eparese cover of stunted epruce. Almost every depression contains 
a lake, and while most are deep with abrupt rocky shorelines, a few are of a 
more marshy type with sedge-zrown margins and anpear to be more desirable as 
waterfowl habitat. 
