27 
WATERFOWL BREEDING GROUND SURVEY IN ALBERTA 
Allen G. Smith 
The 1952 Alberta waterfowl survey was conducted with the following 
objectives in mind: (1) to evaluate the waterfowl breeding ground conditions in 
southern and central Alberta; (2) to appraise the breeding population and its 
species composition; (3) to evaluate the production of this population; and, (4) 
by the introduction of intensive ground study areas, to keep abreast of changing 
events in the waterfowl picture from the arrival of the ducks on the breeding 
grounds until the young of the year become airborne. The results of the 
intensive ground studies are contained in a separate report. 
Aerial breeding population and production surveys were made witha 
Piper PA 18 - Super Cub, piloted by G. H. Jensen, with Allen G. Smith as 
observer. Three intensive ground study areas were under constant observation 
and study throughout the summer - Areas 1 and 2 by Donald B. Reid, Canadian 
Wildlife Service and John Stelfox, Alberta Game Branch; and Area 3 by Wayne H. 
Heuer, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Two other areas (Areas 4 and 5) were 
studied by Fred Sharpe and George Freeman, biologists for Ducks. Unlimited 
(Canada) with the express purpose of comparing ground observations of breeding 
‘ populations and broods with aerial surveys in an attempt to arrive at a factor of 
error in aerial methods. The same objective held for Areas 1, 2 and 3, but the 
men making the investigations were able to extend their studies to include 
periodic checks of breeding populations, nesting and brood studies, and habitat 
evaluations. 
Survey Methods 
For 4 years, data have been obtained on breeding populations and brood 
counts in Alberta by the use of both aerial and ground surveys. As the primary 
purpose of these surveys has been to measure the Provincial waterfowl populations 
and their production, and as it has been found that this data can be gathered far 
more quickly and economically by aerial means, further duplication of effort by 
ground crews has been discontinued. Therefore, with the abandonment of ground 
transects this year, intensive ground studies of selected areas were substihited 
as a means of providing us with data unobtainable from the air. 
Alberta's major waterfowl producing areas have been divided into 4 
ecological strata: Strata A, the prairies of southcentral Alberta; Strata B, the 
parklands; Strata C, the semi-arid southern short-grass prairie; and Strata D, 
the closed forests. Strata C, which occurs in greater acreage in Saskatchewan 
than in Alberta, is contiguous to that same strata in Saskatchewan and, for 
reasons of convenience was surveyed aerially from Saskatchewan by John J. Lynch, 
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The data obtained by Lynch is included in this 
report. Strata A contains 13 parallel transects at intervals of 10 miles, extending 
from Alberta Highway No.. 2 to the Saskatchewan border. Strata B contains 10 
parallel transects at 12-mile intervals and Strata C, 4 parallel transects at 15-mile 
intervals. Exploratory transects were laid out in the closed forest but only 2 of 
these proved to be practical as far as either water or waterfowl were concerned. 
Parallel transects were flown from the International Border to parallel 54 degrees, 
