219 
Success of the Season 
Comparative brood data were gathered from June 1 to 30 inclusive. As 
compared with 1952, the number of broods decreased 11 percent for the wood duck, 
46 percent for the mallard, and remained the same for the blue-winged teal (see 
Table 1). The sample of mallard and blue-winged teal breeding habitat was 
extremely small and their trends should not be elaborated upon. Over 95 percent 
of our wood duck are reared on the streams of the State, and the sample of 143 
linear miles of river transects are considered reliable and representative of 
wood duck trends in Indiana, 
It is of importance to note that, although the number of wood duck broods 
shows an 11 percent decrease, the number of young per brood increased by 1.7 
birds per brood and resulted in an increase of 12 percent in the total number of 
young produced, The 104 wood duck broods averaged 7.1 young per brood for a 
total of 738 young in 1952; while the same transects produced only 93 wood duck 
broods this year, but averaged 8.8 young per brood for a total of 818 ducklings. The 
average number of young per brood increased for the mallard and black duck by 2.1 
and 1.7 respectively, while the blue-winged teal decreased by 1.0 young per brood 
(see Table II). . 
There has been some discussion as to the status of the wood duck following the 
heavy kill experienced during the hunting season last year. Therefore, it might be 
well to go back further than 1952 in determining its present status. Using 1950 as 
the first year with comparable data in Indiana, 59.2 broods were observed per 100 
miles of river transects. The number of wood duck broods increased in 1951 and 
again in 1952, but decreased in 1953. Meanwhile, the average number of young per 
brood was 7.1 for 1951 and 1952 but increased to 8.8 in 1953 (Figure 1.}. In short, 
the number produced this year is above the average for the 3 preceding years 
(Figure 2). 
In considering all species encountered, the 143 miles of river transects 
averaged 0.75 broods per linear mile in 1952 and 0.66 broods in 1953. The 14 
pothole study areas, representing 15 square miles, produced an average of 1.13 
broods per square mile in 1952 and 0.83 broods in 1953. Most of the broods seen 
on the river transects were wood duck. Exceptions include 1 mallard brood, 1 black 
duck brood, and 2 hooded merganser broods in 1952; and 2 black duck broods, and 
2 hooded merganser broods in 1953. 
Water levels and coverage of the Jasper-Pulaski State Game Preserve was 
comparable with that of 1951. Weather conditions prevented the completion of the 
survey in 1952. Nineteen Canada geese nests were located in 1951 while only 10 
were observed this year. 
Aerial Brood Survey - 1953 Only 
The aerial brood census of June 30 was the first attempt to increase the 
sample of pothole nesting habitat in northern Indiana by this technique. The aerial 
brood survey covered 42 square miles of potholes and 8 miles of the Pigeon River. 
It was confined to LaGrange and Steuben Counties, and involved 1 hour and 50 
minutes of early morning low level flying. 
