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WATERFOWL BREEDING GROUND SURVEYS OF DUCKS UNLIMITED (CANADA) 
IN ALBERTA, SASKATCHEWAN AND MANITOBA 
William G. Leitch 
This report covers the ground transects run by Ducks Unlimited field men in 
the three prairie provinces and the results from special study areas. 
Transects were run the third week in May to evaluate the return of breeding 
pairs. They were repeated in mid-July to obtain information on water conditions. 
Areas for more intensive study were established at Strathmore and at Brooks 
in Alberta and at Southey and the Caron Potholes in Saskatchewan. The Alberta 
areas are new and there are no comparative data, the Brooks area had to be dis- 
continued early in the year due to illness of the fieldman. Two years data are 
available for the Southey area in Saskatchewan and six years for the Caron Potholes. 
Data obtained from Keeman cooperators and the annual survey of northern areas 
have been published in the '"Duckological", which is prepared by B. W. Cartwright 
and issued monthly during the waterfowl season. 
Breeding Population Trends 
Results of Transects 
Alberta 
Area - Calgary South (Western "Short Grass'' Prairies) 
(Via: Strathmore, Mossleigh, Macleod, Pincher Creek, 
Waterton, Cardston, Macleod, Kepp, Vulcan, Milo, Grants, Hussar.) 
1951 1952 1953 
Size of Sample - Square Miles 43 40 43 
Breeding pairs per square mile - May 15,2 22.8 41.3 
Ponds per square mile - May 4.9 6.6 7.3 
Number of water areas per square mile on July 15 
estimated to last all season 3.3 2.7 6.5 
Area - Calgary North (Western "Short Grass" Prairies from Endiang, 
Aspen Parkland) (Via: Hussar, Morrin Watt, Endiang, Ranching, 
Big Valley, Stettler, Delburne, Innisfail, Olds, Sundre, Radnor, Calgary.). 
Size of sample - square miles 40 39 40 
Breeding pairs per square mile - May L5..4 20.7 28.6 
Number of water areas per Square mile - May 7.8 10.8 12,0 
Number of water areas per square mile on July 15 
estimated to last all season 6.1 3.5 9.7 
