MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY - 
BREEDING GROUND SURVEYS __ | - 
MANITOBA 
Weather and Water Conditions: - Water levels were very low in southern 
Manitoba during early spring, practically eliminating perBaps 5,000 square miles. 
of fair’ to good breeding habitat Elsewhere, ample water with frequent rains 
permitted levéls to remain constant or even gain as the season advanced. 
Flooding occurred in cattered localities. Rainfall during the growing season 
has been of near-record amount and together with a blizzard in mid-May caused 
‘the nesting season to be the latest on record. The weather had a beneficial 
effect in that farmers were not able to plough, thus saving many nests which 
are ordinarily destroyed. The moist cold weather also caused the vegetation 
to become much more dense than usual, which made it difficult to conduct brood 
surveyse 
Breeding Population Indices: - Waterfowl breeding: populations decreased 
considerably in the southwestern portion of the Province but the loss was 
balanced by increases in the northern portions. The details are presented in 
the following tables :. 
Waterfowl Trend Data « Manitoba 
1953 Per Cent 
Strata 1951 Index 1952 Index 1953 Index Uncorrected Totals Cha 




A 472,780 343,180 211,610 211,610 
B 165, 880 11,3, 300 157,300 117,260 «- 18.2 
C 33,810 81,150 344,910 2,3 469 200.0 
D 78,190 - 7,520 108,50) 87,516. + 17.4 
Total 750,960 64,2,150 622,325 659, 85) - I 2 
Totals for only stratum A were corrected for hens on nests in 1952. ‘Comparisons : 
between 1952 and 1953 for strata B, C, and D must be made with uncorrected data 
only. 
Total Duck Index 
- by Species 
Manitoba 1953 

Strata 
Species < ehk .B _ BD D Total 
Mallard 89,088 site 145,898 29,185 329,767 
Gadwall 5,925 2,045 | 52 8,512 
Baldpate 11,00) 2,045 7,588 4,232 2),,869 
Pintail 19,256 27, 842 2,414 8,572 ' 58,084 
G.W. Teal 1,380 1,953 3,333 
BOW, Teal 255395 13,82 35906 43,141 
Shoveller 3,386 4,557 7.943. 
ln 
