MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY 
.Winter Trend Data - Mississippi Flyway 
l. In the northern portion of the Mississippi Flyway, weather conditions 
_were about normal, Water areas in Minnesota and northern Michigan were 
mostly frozen, but temperatures were rather mild in southern Michigan and 
Wisconsin, permitting many water areas to remain ice-free. In the southern 
part of the Flyway a drought prevailed which prevented the flooding of the 
bottoms along the river and restricted the amount of wintering habitat. This 
condition made it easier to conduct a survey than in those years when the 
river bottoms were flooded and attracted the birds, It should be noted that 
the bottoms were flooded but frozen during the January 1951 survey, which 
forced the birds into the open. They were flooded but not frozen in January 
1952, a condition which made the birds difficult to count; and-the birds 
remained in the open this year because the bottoms did not flood, The 
importance of these changes in conditions as they affect the waterfowl trend 
figures are difficult to evaluate, but these factors should be kept in mind 
when analyzing the data, 
z, Percent Comparison of 1952 and 1953 Duck, Goose, and Coot Population 
Index Figures - Mississippi ibe J Ss Comparable Coverage 
4 
“+ 
ob 
Risin: a Ducks Geese Coot Total 
Ontario + 88 + 23 - + 87 
Mississippi Flyway + 31 £19 ~ s 75 4er 
i . §tates 
Total + 32 + 19 ~ 75 + 22 
WY 
=] 
