
WATERFOWL. BREEDING GROUND SURVEY IN ONTARIO - 1950 
Arthur S. Hawkins 
Coverage of the better waterfowl breeding areas in Ontario, which in 1949 
included a few marshes in the southern part, this year was extended to all parts of 
the Province. Western Ontario, according to banding returns, is the best mallard- 
production area of the Province. This portion of the Province was sampled by plane 
along transect lines connecting with several in Manitoba. (Locations of the transect 
lines are indicated on the attached map). 
A survey of the James Bay - Hudson Bay coastal area in Ontario is discussed 
in a separate section of this report. Our findings along the newly-eatablished east- 
west transects and the results of surveys undertaken by the Fish and Wildlife Division 
of the Ontario Department of Lands and Forests are summarized in this section. 
The weather in northern and western Ontario was similar to that described 
for Manitoba; ice left the lakes at an unusually late date, the spring was cold and wet, 
and water levels were unusually high. 
Along the aerial transects, which included 117 square miles of Pre-Cambrian 
country, the average density was 2.7 ducks per square mile. Mergansers and golden- 
eyes composed about two-thirds of this total; mallards and scaup nearly one-third. 
Conservation Officer Reports 
Twenty-five Ontario Conservation Officers' reports were received from two 
areas: 15 from that part of the Province between Lake Ontario and the Ottawa River, 
and 10 from that including Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron north to approximately 48° 
north latitude. These reports indicated arrival dates by species and approximate 
numbers seen, dates and numbers at the peak of migration, and any nesting or broods 
seen. The opinion of each officer regarding the status of waterfowl this year compared 
to that of last year was sought. 
In the Quinte-Pembroke districts north of Lake Ontario, migration apparently 
averaged a week earlier than in the Manitoulin - Chapleau area. The flight peak in 
mallards and blacks fell during the last half of April in both areas, In Canada geese 
the flight peaks also were about a week apart (last week in April and first week in May). 
Opinions as to the status of ducks as indicated by these reports follow: 


Migration Nesting 
Area More Less Same More Less Same 
North of L. Huron 5 0 4 3 2 4 
North of L. Ontario 5 3 5 2 3 8 
Total 10 3 9 5 5 12 
Opinions were likewise varied as to the migration status of geese; 8 showed 
increases, 3 decreases, and 10 no change. One might conclude that no wide-spread 
change in status occurred in either ducks or geese this year as compared with last 
year in these areas. 
