34 
Summary 
The waterfowl breeding population and production indices for the province 
of Alberta were higher in 1954 than in any year since our cooperative surveys began 
in 1947. Drought conditions in the southern prairies (Stratum C) and relatively high 
nest losses in the parklands due to avian predation were not great enough to cut 
waterfowl production below the long-time average. A slight reduction in average 
brood size was offset by a sizeable increase in total broods. A late spring and 
resulting late nesting combined with favorable weather conditions made 1954 a very 
successful waterfowl breeding season on the western prairies and parklands of 
Canada. 
Banding 
During July and early August two banding crews led by Messrs. Kenard Baer 
and James Birch, U. S. Fish and Wildlife, operated in the prairies and parklands 
of Alberta. Though occasionally acting as separate units, they found that far 
greater success could be attained by combining their man power and working as a 
unit, One banding operation on Area III was carried out with the cooperation of the 
ground crew assigned to that area, and another of like nature utilized the crew 
working on Area IV. Messrs. Harry Webster and David Hurst, Canadian Wildlife 
Service, acting as a separate crew banded 326 waterfowl on Area IV and surround- 
ing districts. These records have been added to the grand totals in Table V as were 
the approximately 400 bandings on Area III. 
Table V. - Summary of Waterfowl Bandings in Alberta - 1954. 
Adults Juveniles 
Un- ~ Un- 
Species oy Q Sexed Total o& @Q Sexed _ Total Total 
Mallard . 13 15 - 28 484 530 - 1014 1042 
Pintail 15 1} - 26 726 765 - 1491 1517 
Gadwall - - ~ - 25 27 = 52 52 
Baldpate l “ . ] 134 123 - 257 258 
B-w. teal 506 70 - 576 277 319 - 596 1172 
G-w. teal 43 10 - 53 31 50 - 81 134 
Shoveler - ] - l 313 376 - 689 690 
Rehead - l - ] 7 ST om 12 13 
Canvasback-  - ] ~ ] 9 8 - 17 18 
Scaup ra 3 « 5 12 10 - 22 27 
Bufflehead ~ “ - - , - 3 3 
Ww. Scoter - - = - 2 9 - ll ll 
Ruddy ] - > ] - - - - l 
Coot - = 23 23 ~ - 8 8 31 
Eared Grebe - - 2 Z - - 2 2 4 
Grand 
Totals 581 112 25 718 20232222 10 4255 4973 
