
8 
WATERFOWL BREEDING GROUND SURVEY IN NORTHERN ALBERTA, YUKON AND 
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, 1950 
Robert H. Smith and C. H. Safranek 
Introduction 
For the third consecutive year aerial surveys were conducted in northern 
Alberta, the Yukon, and the District of MacKenzie, Northwest Territories, to obtain 
quantitative information on breeding waterfowl populations for comparative purposes. 
In addition, new breeding areas were sampled in northern Alberta and the districts of 
Keewatin and Franklin, N. W. T. for which no comparative data are available. 
Actual survey work began on June 6 in the Lake Claire marshes and the 
Athabaska delta and was concluded July 25 on Victoria Island, N. W. T. Headquarters 
for operations were Fort Smith, Yellowknife, Aklavik, Coppermine, Bathurst Inlet and 
Cambridge Bay. From Fort Smith we worked the Lake Claire-Athabaska marshes, the 
Hay Lakes area and adjacent region north to Great Slave Lake and the Slave River 
Parklands. From Yellowknife the Pre-Cambrian rock country to the east and the marsh- 
muskeg habitat in the Lac La Martre region to the west was covered. From Aklavik we 
worked the MacKenzie delta, the Eskimo Lakes region east to the Anderson River in the 
Northwest Territories and the Old Crow Flats in the Yukon. The southwestern portion 
of Victoria Island was covered from Coppermine while the southeastern portion was 
covered out of Cambridge Bay, as was the mainland lying between Kent Peninsula and 
the Armak River. Other barren land habitat on the mainland between Contwoyto Lake 
and Beechy Lake was covered out of Bathurst Inlet. 
Survey Methods 
Survey techniques have not changed since the studies began in 1948. It is 
essentially a sampling of the waterfowl population present in the various habitats during 
the breeding season by low level aerial transects, selected at random. The waterfowl 
populations are expressed in ducks per square mile for each type of habitat sampled 
and the species composition shown in percentages. Thus an index figure is obtained 
for each area which is comparable from year to year. 
Area Covered 
Reference to the map will indicate the general area covered. Each type of 
habitat sampled in previous years has been described in past reports. Consequently 
only the areas sampled for the first time this year will be described in this report. 
Hay Lakes in Northern Alberta: These are a group of shallow marshy lakes 
set in an oasis of open park land. The water areas are very shallow and are subject 
to considerable reduction in size during drought periods. The best marshes are 
located in the west end of the area and contain many of the prairie type marsh plants, 
such as soft-stemmed bulrush, cattails, phragmites, and many underwater food plants. 
The borders of the marsh are low, grassy flats with a few low-growing willows pro- 
viding desirable nesting cover for the ground-nesting ducks. A considerable area of 
these grassy flats had been burned over, presumably for pasture and hay. Waterfowl 
populations reflected the excellent grade of habitat as this had the heaviest duck popu- 
lation of all areas sampled in the far north, with most of the game ducks being 
represented. 
