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WATERFOWL BREEDING GROUND SURVEY IN MAINE 
Howard L. Mendall 
Introduction 
This report summarizes the results of the 1952 waterfowl breeding studies 
in Maine. The work is conducted annually from April until mid-September by the 
personnel of the Maine Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit. This year's 
investigations were under the supervision of the writer, assisted by Malcolm W. 
Coulter. During the nest hunting activities, John M. Dudley of Calais was employed 
as field assistant. Considerable additional data for this report were supplied by 
J. William Peppard, waterfowl project leader of the Maine Department of Inland 
Fisheries and Game. 
Methods of Sampling and Area Covered 
The waterfowl breeding habitat in Maine was described in the 1948 report of 
this series. Coverage and techniques this year were essentially the same as in 
previous years, so the data are comparable. One change was made, however, in 
tabulating the population figures; calculated percentages of increase or decrease 
were used only for the three most numerous breeding species - black duck, ring- 
necked duck and wood duck. Three additional game ducks regularly breed in Maine 
(American goldeneye, blue-winged teal, and green-winged teal) but their numbers 
in any given year are very low in comparison with the other ducks mentioned. So 
few data have been obtained on the Unit census areas in recent years for teal and 
goldeneyes that it seemed advisable to exclude them from the percentage tabulations. 
This situation was discussed in more detail in last year's report. 
Breeding Population Trends 
The number of breeding pairs of black ducks, ring-necked ducks and wood 
ducks is given by census areas in Table I. For the sixth consecutive year, the 
initial breeding population of waterfowl in Maine showed an increase. The black 
duck, most numerous and most important species to the hunters, now appears to 
be at its highest population level in about ten years. Although the 1952 increase was 
slight, the species has shown steady improvement since its 1946 low point. 
The other breeding ducks showed but few changes from last year. A moderate 
increase was recorded for the wood duck. The ring-necked duck, second in numbers 
to the black duck in the State, was present in Unit census areas in practically identical 
populations to those of a year ago. Although specific measurements were not made for 
the American goldeneye and the blue and green-winged teal, these ducks apparently 
exhibited little change from 1951; in connection with the latter, a slight increase in 
the blue-winged teal was balanced by a slight decrease in the green-winged teal. 
Thus, while no important gains were shown by any of Maine's breeding waterfowl 
in 1952, the over-all population was a little better than a year ago, which indicates 
continuation of a favorable trend. 
The status at the start of the nesting season of the six species of breeding 
game ducks is given in the following: 
