WOODCOCK SINGING COUNTS--EASTERN CANADA, 1951 
Victor E. F. Solman 
Canadian Wildlife Service 
Spring counts of male wodcock occupying singing grounds have been 
made in eastern Canada for several years between the dates April 15-20- 
and May 15-20. During 1951 such counts were made in areas in Ontario, 
Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. 
The counts were made by reliable observers, including officers of 
the Canadian Wildlife Service, the Wildlife Management Institute, 
members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, officers of Provincial 
Game Departments, and interested private citizens who cooperated on a 
voluntary basis. 
The relation between the number of singing male woodcock in an area 
and the breeding woodcock population of the area is not known. In the 
absence of a more reliable index, comparable annual counts of singing 
male woodcock are considered to indicate trends in the woodcock popula- 
tions in the areas concerned. 
Ontario 
The number of singing male wodcock in the Ottawa area for 1951 
appeared unchanged from 1950 and was slightly above the long-term 
average. The Kingston area recorded a marked reduction, while the 
Manitoulin Island area recorded a small increase. The Provincial 
total number of singing males recorded on check areas was 63 as conm- 
pared with 53 in 1950 and a several-year average of 58.3 for the same 
areas. 
Quebec 
No information of a comparative nature is available, since the 
studies were begun in this Province with the 1951 counts. Four areas 
were selected which were occupied by singing male woodcock, and useful 
information regarding trends should be available in 1952. 
Nova Scotia 
Weather conditions in Nova Scotia in 1951 were favorable for woodcock 
nesting in contrast to the damaging late spring snow of 1950. The number 
of singing male woodcock has not recovered from the 1950 setback, as shown 
by the fact that the 1951 total number is 57 as compared with 58 in 1950 
on the same five areas. The several-year average for these areas is 61.1. 
The three areas for which data covering 11 years are available show a total 
number of only 0 male birds, as compared with 6 in 1950 and an ll-year 
average of 6.6. 
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