
134 
Washington brood records for the past eight years are summarized 
and compared in Table I. The effect of a changing habitat on the composition of 
the duck crop, as discussed above, is well shown by comparing the percentages 
for the mallard and baldpate with those of the other dabbling ducks. 
Table I. - Species Composition of Duck Brood Records for Entire State, 1948-1955. 

7-Yr. Total Total Broods Total Broods 
_ 1948-1954 i eer ee a BLE Sc 
Species Broods % Broods % Broods % 
Mallard 3,618 40.2 365 50.6 377 53.2 
Pintail 382 4.2 36 5.0 23 3.2 
Gadwall 645 Laie 48 6.6 28 3.9 
Baldpate 645 7.2 76 10.5 88 12.4 
Green-winged Teal 465 bee 17 2.4 15 2.1 
B-w. & Cinn. Teal 1,100 T2324 69 9.6 62 8.7 
Shoveler 394 4.4 27 3.7 7 1.0 
Wood Duck 236 2.6 18 2.5 35 4.9 
Redhead 625 6.9 20 2.8 13 1.8 
Scaup 227 2.5 7 1.0 8 1.1 
Goldeneye 143 1.6 15 2.1 32 4.5 
Ruddy Duck 383 4.3 17 2.4 14 2.0 
Mergansers 60 0.6 5 0.7 6 0.8 
Miscellaneous* 66 0.8 2 0.3 Z 0.3 
SS EE 
Total 8,989 722 710 
* Includes harlequin, canvasback and ring-necked duck. 
A total of 645 duck broods were classified by size during the 1955 
season. The average size of all Class III broods was comparatively good (6.0). 
However, there was considerable variance in average brood size between the 
broods of the pothole areas and those of the irrigation projects. The latter 
averaged 6.3 young (Class III), while elsewhere in eastern Washington the 
averape was only 5.7. The State summary is given in Table II. 
