157 
Breeding Population Trends 
The total breeding population of ducks remaining after spring migration was 
roughly 30 percent less than in 1953, but with more favorable temperatures nesting 
success was enough better to boost the total waterfowl production slightly above that 
of 1953. There was some change in the relative abundance of the various species 
as indicated by the brood summary in Table I. Mallards, baldpates and pintails 
made gains at the expense of the teal group, scaup, redheads and ruddy ducks. 
Actually mallards reach 50 percent of the total production in 1953, indicating the 
exceptional success of the teal group and divers during the wet years in bringing the 
six-year average of mallards below 40 percent of the total production. Coots 
remained at about the level to which they dropped in 1953. 
Table I. - Six-Year Summary and Comparison of 1954 Waterfowl Broods in 
Washington (Relative Abundance of Each Species in Parenthesis) . 
Six-Year Total of 


Broods Tallied Broods Tallied 
Species 1948 S—C«S'*S953 ~~" 1954 SCO” 
Mallard 3,253 (39.3) 365 (50.6) 
B-w. & Cinn, teal 1,031 (12.5) 69 ( 9.6) 
Redhead 605 ( 7.3) 20 ( 2.8) 
Gadwall 597 ( 7.2) 48 ( 6.6) 
Baldpate 569 ( 6.9) 76 (10.5) 
G-w. teal 448 ( 5.4) 17 ( 2.4) 
Shoveler 367 ( 4.4) 27 { 3.7) 
Ruddy duck 366 ( 4.4) 17 ( 2.4) 
Pintail 346 ( 4.2) 36 ( 5.0) 
Scaup 220 ( 2.8) 7 ( 1.0) 
Wood duck 218 ( 2.7) 18 ( 2.5) 
Golden-eye 128 ( 1.5) is (2. 
Merganser 55 ( 0.6) 5 ( 0.7) 
Miscellaneous* 64 ( 0.8) 2 ( 0.3) 
Total 8, 267 722 
* Harlequin, canvasback and ring-necked duck 
