WATERFOWL BREEDING GROUND SURVEY IN MAINE, 1949 
Howard L. Mandall 
As part of ths research program of the Mains Cooperative Wildlife Research 
Unit, a lifs history and management study of the importsnt game ducks breeding 
in the State has been carried out sincs 1938. These species, in th: order of 
their abundance ars; black duck, ring-necked duck, American golden-sys, wood duck, 
blnue-winged teal, and green-winged teal. Ths following report summeriaas the 
results of tha 1949 breading studies, and covers ths period frem April te Septem 
ber 15. The writer was assisted in his inyastigationa by ths following members 
of the Unit staff: M. W. Conlter, F. T. Hassaltine, J. EB. Reardsn, ond B, ¢, 
Carter. 
Cavsrage and Techniquss 
With tha sxception of a little new work in southwastsrn Mains (the 
results of which arg not included in this year's census figures} coverags was 
the Same as @ year ago. Sines a general description of waterfowl breeding areas 
in Meine was given in the 1948 report, it ssom8 unnecessary to repeat that. Ths 
sugstsrm Meine study areas, on which ths census date wers obtainsd, aro shown 
in Figura 1, Although these areas represent only 4 small portion of the State's 
bresding habitat, they appsar to serve quite accurately in determining énnual 
trends in breading birds, particularly of the most inportent apecivs., 
The techniques of study in 1949 were the same as in previous years. 
These ara: 
1. A count of territorial males and pairs prior to and during the early 
stages of nesting. Thss9 counts ere mada by boat or on foot, 
2. <A sample nesting atudy. 
3. Population and brood checks carrisd out several times on each areea 
from Jun¢ through Avgust. These checks ars Likewise made by boat or on foot, 
Beceuss of a considerable spread in nesting dates by the various cucks, 
as well as the fact that marshes in the forested habitat cf Mains are difficult 
to survey accurately in sarly spring, it is not possibls to obtain all tne censua 
data by the "Yerriterial count" mothod. Thus it is necessary to rely, in part, 
upon the mid-summer brood counts te supplemsnt the early cansus data on a few 
of the areas. When this is dons the number of breeding pairs is caleulatad by 
using the total number ef broods and matsrnal or "troody” females, and adding 
to this a proportional mumbsr of pairs {to represent the unauceessaful breeders) 
aa baged on the annual ussting succass study. This year, thanks to unusually 
favorable waathsr conditions and water levels, it was possible to obtain about 
thres-fourtha of ths cengue data by a dirset territorial count. 
Bresding Pepulations - 1949 
Final compilation of the census data indicated that the number of breeding 
ducks in Mains at the start of ths 1949 nesting season was subatantially increased 
for the third consecutive year. A bsevy gain was shown by the wood duck which, 
coupled with the alight increase of 1948, is vary eratifying in view of ths 
Serious decline of this spscissa from 1945 through 1947. The important black duck 
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