He Te A c 
Table % summarizes all the watarfowl observed in eastern Washington. 
Mallards ara by far our most important waterfowl throughout easter Washington 
for they conatitute roughly 4 percent of all waterfowl tabulated this season, 
Thia approxigate relatire position was maintained in 1947 and 1948. Hedheade, 
baldpates, green-winged teal and some of the less important species changed 
littie in their relative position as compared to 1948, RFuddies, shorelera, 
gadwalla, and ecaup, however, ghowed 4 decreane in relative abundance compared 
to the pane year. HFlue-winged teal and cinnamon teal increased considerably 
(cinnamon teal incresssd from 6.7 percent of all waterfowl tabulated in 1942 
to 13.3 percent in 1949). The ratio of male blue-winged teal to male cinnamon 
teal sotnted in gasteru Washington from the first arrirala to the middle of 
June 1949 was 161:100. & similar count in 1948 indicated a mtio of approxi- 
mately 1O0:100, 
Waterfow] Production Trends 
In 1949 there was an estimated 25 nertent increase in total waterfowl 
production in eastern Washington orer that of 1948. Thie conclusion ie based 
on the arerage number of birda counted per man/day of seneuaing during each 
of the two eummera. For the most part, the inrentcries for both yeare wera 
conducted ty the samé pereonnel and under similar conditiona. 
The estimated 25 percent increase in waterfowl] production whe determined 
asp followe: 
1948 - 60 nan/daya = 16,500 waterfowl counted at the 
Tate of 275 per man/day. 
1949 = 90 man/daya = 30,914 waterfowl counted at the 
rate of 3435 per man/day. 
$43 waterfowl minus 276 waterfowl per man/day equals 6% waterfowl, 
which represented the additional waterfowl counted per man/day in 
L949 over 1943. Sixty-eight divided by 275 equals 25 percent. 
This difference of 25 percent is aseumed to represent waterfowl 
incrensd. 
The yellow pina sone seems to maintain the moat atable waterfowl 
population in aastern Washington. In thie area there are noch emaller 
fluctuations in beth tetal muober of waterfowl produced and in the relative 
SBShundance of the various especies. The constancy of the waterfowl mumbers 
here may be reflected in the greater stability of the water table ag compared 
with that in the open rangeland to the south and west, 
Eetimatad Waterfow] Froduction 
To arrive at an estimated figure on waterfowl production (including coot) 
in eastern Washington we bate used the total reatdent birds intenotoried in 
each of the areas. Sy estinating the percentage of waterfowl that we actually 
eurvreyed we arrived at an assumed figure of reeident waterfowl in each respeo~ 
tire ares. A total of 507,300 waterfowl ware seatimated to be in santermn 
Washington at the end of the breeding seieon. Of thie total figure we assume 
100 
