PACIFIC FLYWAY 
NORTHERN ALBERTA AND NORTHWEST TERRITORIES 
Weather and Water Conditions - 
Contrasted with 1953, this season was one of the latest on 
record -- a cold, backward spring with a late break-up. This may well 
have had an adverse effect on the normal northward migration of 
waterfowl, as certainly the early arrivals found only ice and snow. 
Many reports have been received from natives to the effect that water- 
fowl were seen hovering around open waterholes in near blizzard 
conditions, and then heading back south. Flooding occurred in the’ 
Athasbaska-Lake Claire marshes from the combined action of the 
Athabaska and Peace rivers, and some nest losses were bound to have 
occurred. Elsewhere, water conditions were normal, or even improved 
over 1953. This was particularly true of the Slave Rive Parklands, 
and the area of close forest north of Great Slave Lake. 
Breeding Population Indices - 
The following tables give the estimated breeding population. 
indices for 1953 and 1954 according to areas and species: 
Estimated Population Indices by Species 
SPECIES 1953 1954 PERCENT CHANGE 
ee 

Scaup 892,138 694,166 - 22.1 
Pintail 162, 783 166,527 - 2.3 
Mallard 145,755 137,885 - 5.4 
Baldpate 117,526 93,668 - 20.3 
G. W. Teal 11,904 29,215 yL44, 2 
Goldeneye 14,047 24,653 & 75.5 
Canvasback 17,951 17,323 - 3.5 
Bufflehead 16,103 17,166 - 6.6 
Shoveler 15,684 11,716 - 25.3 
Redhead 8,232 5,532 - 32.8 
Ruddy. 1,286 1,137 - 11.6 
Gadwall 1,028 1,020 - V8 
Ringneck - 9,021 “ 
Canada Goose 22 , 302 22,101 = U9 
W. F. Goose 8,334 7,076 - 15.1 
Snow Goose 8,580 7,189 - 16.2 
Swan 21,115 16,934 - 19.8 
Brant 1,303 1,014 - 22.2 
15 
