I. INTRODUCTION 
Since there has been a lack ef information concerning the habits and 
requirements of waterfowl broods and the factors influencing their welfare, a 
study was undertaken in an attempt to shed some light on the fellowing 
questions: | 
1. Brood movements. The primary objective was the determinatien of the 
extent to which broods move from one water area to another, the distances 
they are able to travel, and the factors which initiate the movement, 
Leopold (1933) states that "the mobility of a species determines the minimum 
unit of management." To manage most efficiently small water areas as water- 
fowl breeding grounds, we must know something of the mobility of the broods. 
It has been known for some time that broeds do travel overland, 
Bennett (1936) mentions a mallard nest 2 miles from the nearest water. 
Hochbaum (19h) cites several instances of the travel ef broods overland at 
Delta, Manitoba. In some cases they were deserting shrinking sloughs te 
move inte the permanent waters of the main marsh. Ducks Unlimited, in its 
work to improve waterfowl breeding grounds, has constructed a number ef 'keett 
waters described by Russenholt (192) and Farrington (195). Five to eight 
"kee" waters per township are created by draining small water areas inte 
large ones and establishing permanent lakes, This procedure is based en the 
assumption that broods hatched in temporary or "phantom" waters, which later 
dry up, will then be able to travel overland for distances of 2 to 3 miles 
to reach these permanent areas. 
2. Brood preferences as to water areas. A secondary objective was te 
obtain quantitative data on the ecological and physical characteristics ef 
areas used by broods. 
Previous studies of brood preferences are as follews: Bennett (1938) 
found that 30 percent of the blue-winged teal in northern Iewa marshes used 
a mixture of bulrushes (Scirpus spp.) as rearing cover. Furniss (1935) in 
a study of 99 small areas In Saskatchewan found that the size of the area 
was an important factor influencing use by broods and concluded that half- 
acre areas were the most productive, Bennett (1938) obtained similar results 
in northern Iowa. Low (1910) found that redhead brood in Iowa favored 
bulrushes as rearing cover. | 
3. Brood mortality and oispersiche As a result of intensive field work 
on the above points, considerable ormation was obtained on mortality and 
dispersal. Seme work on this phase of the life cycle has already been done 
by means of brood counts (Bennett, 1938; Lew, 1915; Williams and Marshall, 
lh. Preferences of bree adults, Some data were ebtained on the use 
of different types of potholes 7 breeding adults. This phase of the annual 
cycle is of importance in determining breeding distribution and density, 
5. The evaluation of the productivity of an area in terms of yo 
roduced a known mumber of breeding adults. Analysis of data cEeined 
s for an interpretation of the production of a pothole area, This is 
one objective of the waterfowl-breeding-ground survey of the U. S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service (Williams 19),8a, 19h8b, 199, 1951). Bennett (1938) was 
able te estimate the preduction of an area in Iowa by combining data on 
nesting success and on mortality of the young to arrive at the total number 
