
213 
Table 8. -- Waterfowl Brood Counts, All Areas, Indiana - April 18 - July 20, 1950 
Broods' Brood Broods Brood Broods Brood Total 
Species Class 1 Av. Class 11 Av. Class lll Av. Ay. : 
Mallard 4 6.8 1 8.0 1 4.0 6.3 
Black duck - - 1 6.0 l 7.0 6.5 
Blue-winged teal 8 9.3 2 7,5 3 8.6 8.6 
Wood duck 62 6.8 10 5.6 5 6.2 6.6 
H. merganser - - 1 2.0 = - 2.0 
Canada goose 1 1.0 7 2.4 - - 2<Z 
Coot 4 4.5 5 5.6 = 2 S71 
ee ee See 
Total 79 27 10 
At the Jasper-Pulaski Game Preserve, 15 complete clutches of Canada 
goose eggs averaged 4.6 eggs per clutch. The average brood size for 8 Class 1 and 
Class 11 broods was only 2.2, however. Unfortunately, it was not possible to obtain 
data on hatching success. Some evidence of predation was noted - one nest being torn 
apart and the eggs scattered about unbroken. 
The high raccoon population on this property may have been a detriment to 
nesting wood ducks. Three nests out of 8 under observation in boxes were destroyed 
by this predator. 
It appears that blue-winged teal broods enjoyed a higher rate of survival 
than other species under observation this summer. A hen blue-winged teal with 10 
downy young was observed on June 26. On July 11 she was again located and had all 
10 ducklings with her. Three blue-winged teal nests containing an aggregate of 26 
eggs produced 25 ducklings. Downy broods of 7, 10, 10, 12, 12, and 13 indicated 
hatching success of blue-wings to be relatively high. One nest under observation was 
broken up by an unknown animal predator which killed the hen and took 5 eggs (Table 9). 
Table 9, -- Nesting Success, Northern Indiana, 1950 
Species” Date Found No. of Eggs Fate’ 
Mallard June 24 8 Taken by farmer, put under 
hen . 
Blue-winged teal May 30 2 Unknown 
a May 30 6 Hatched 5 - June 21, 
1 infertile 
iB June 21 12 Unknown 
“ June 20 12 Hen killed, 5 eggs missing 
June 22 
Hn May 29 9 All hatched June 20 
i June 22 12 Unknown 
zt June 22 11 Unknown 
" May 29 6 Unknown 
May 30 ll All hatched by June 21 
a 

Summary 
Indiana's second annual breeding ground survey was conducted from April 17 
to July 20. River transects, foot-censusing of selected study area plots, and further 
investigations of new areas were carried on, Ditch transects were discontinued. 
