
Canada is an attempt to interpret our present knowledge of snipe 
abundance in terms of ecological regions. The cross-hatched section 
to the north is the forest-tundra transition zone. Next under this 
is the boreal forest or 'tbush," with the narrow band of aspen parklands 
designated by hatching in the opposite direction. Finally, in the 
extreme south is the grassland. (Classification is from Native Trees 
of Canada, Dominion Forest Service, Bulletin 61, 1949). Tundra areas 
and mountain areas above timberline have been left without shading, 
as has most of British Columbia. There is too little information on 
snipe abundance in the latter province to permit any correlations 
with the complex of ecological areas, 
Habitat Appraisal 
I believe that instability of the water level may be a primary 
factor contributing to the scarcity of the snipe as a breeding bird in 
the southern parts of the Prairie Provinces of Canada. The plains of 
southern Saskatchewan and Alberta are characterized by relatively high 
winds and warm days. The resulting high rate of evaporation causes 
shallow marshes to go dry periodically. During rainy spells the pot- 
holes flood the surrounding vegetation and leave little area for snipe 
to feeds then, during a period of dry weather the water recedes beyond 
the vegetation so snipe would be forced to feed in the open (which they 
usually are reluctant to do). As will be seen on the map of snipe 
distribution in western Canada (Fig.2), there is not a single locality 
in the southern half of Saskatchewan or the southern third of Alberta 
where the Wilson's Snipe has been recorded as a common breeder. 
In southern Manitoba, on the other hand, conditions are more 
comparable with those existing in central and northern Alberta and 
northern Saskatchewan. Evaporation is less. We know of seven localities 
in southern Manitoba where snipe are recorded as common breeders (more 
than 5 pairs per locality). Four of these areas were under flood at the 
time of my visit--an unusually severe flood resulting from torrential 
rains in southeastern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba in late 
June and early July. JI checked two of the three other areas, both of 
which were marshes along the shore of Lake Winnipeg. The water level 
in this lake is quite stable. The limiting factor here, apparently, is 
the small amount of marsh habitat. 7 
In the Parklands, conditions are more favorable than in the grass- 
lands, but snipe are still very local. Floods in the Parklands of eastern 
Saskatchewan and Manitoba made it impossible to appraise the situation in 
those provinces this year. In the vicinity of Edmonton, Alberta, however, 
snipe were found to be locally common around the borders of shallow 
marshes in the Cooking Lake Highlands. 
A few wiles to the north of this the 'bush' begins. This is a broad 
belt, 300 to 500 miles in width (north-south), of mixed deciduous- 
evergreen, boreal forest with very few open fields. Muskegs and sedge 
bogs are said to be common, but the relatively few that were close to 
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