MISSOURI 
Weather and Water Conditions - 
Spring movements of waterfowl were considered to have taken place 
quite early this year. The unprecedented number of wintering mallards in 
the State had dwindled to only a few thousand by late March, and blue-winged 
teal started moving through the State on March 6 or approximately two weeks 
earlier than most years. Wood ducks were observed in the northern portion 
of the State by March 9, and females were seen hunting for nest sites soon 
after that date. Pintails moved through the State in normal numbers during 
February and early March, while Canada geese and blue and snow geese were 
beginning their mass movements very early in March. 
Breeding Population and Production Indices - 
Trend data of the wood duck, mallard, and blue-winged teal nesting 
efforts are presented in Table I, Il and III. It will be noted that all of the 
trends show a downward change, with the exception of the average number of 
Class I ducklings per brood. Mallard and blue-winged teal observations on 
streams this year were down 75 percent from 1954; this may have been 
caused by the early and rapid spring migration of these species. 
Table 1 - Nesting Efforts of Wood Duck, Mallard, and Blue-winged Teal 









Broods Total Nesting | 
7,110 Acres of Lone’ Lone Total Avg.Yg. Nesting Effort Per 
Lake and Marsh Drake Hen Pairs No. Young / Brood Effort Sq. Mi. 
Wood Duck 10 4 15 11 72 6.5 40 . 36 
Mallard 36 3 23 5 32 6.4 67 . 60 
Blue-winged Teal 4 1 9 4 17 4.2 18 .16 
Lake and Marsh 
Total 50 8 47 20 121 6.0 125 1.12 
Nesting 
666 Miles of Stream Effort Per Mile 
Wood Duck 19 26- 27 17 .110 6.5 89 13 
Mallard 7 Be 2 - - - 12 02 
Blue-winged Teal 3 1 4 - - - 8 Ol 
Stream Totals 29 30 33.17 110 46.5 109 16 
GRAND TOTAL 79 38 — 80 37 231 6.2 234 - 
