As mentioned above, the large number of prairie nesters 
that were displaced northward by the drought were faced with the 
latest spring that has been recorded since surveys were initiated 
in 1947. A species which ordinarily nests in pothole habitat in 
the parklands or prairies is not likely to reproduce at a normal 
rate in northern habitat even under the best of conditions, but 
when faced with a late spring, which markedly reduces the length 
of an already short breeding season, the chance of normal production 
is very small. A report from the aerial survey crew operating in the 
Northwest Territories indicated that the broods were just beginning 
to appear on July 28. During other years when July surveys have 
been conducted, the bulk of the broods of early nesting prairie 
Species were on the water by this date, and many of them were from 
3 to 5 weeks old. It is concluded that the large increase in 
adult birds in the northern portions of Alberta, Saskatchewan, 
and in the Northwest Territories will produce relatively few 
ducklings this year. 
There will be increases in fall flight from Wyoming 
and Montana, but these increases will in no respect counterbalance 
the losses in the important areas further north. 
Habitat conditions for species that nest over-water are 
particularly adverse this year and reproduction among canvasbacks, 
redheads, and coot appears to be almost a complete failure. 
Overall, it is anticipated that there will be a marked 
reduction in the fall flight of ducks in the Central Flyway as 
compared to 1958. ‘The fall flight of canvasbacks and redheads 
will be drastically reduced. 

On the basis of a decrease in the breeding population of 
snow geese and whitefronts, as measured by the 1959 winter survey, 
it is estimated that there will be a small decrease in the fall 
flight of these two species. Since the wintering population of 
white-cheeked geese during January 1959 remained unchanged, it is 
estimated that the fall populations of this Brau. of species will 
remain about the same. 
Based on the reduced amount and poor quality of coot 
breeding habitat, and to the very small number of coot broods 
observed during the July surveys in important breeding areas, it 
is estimated that there will be a drastic reduction in the fall 
flight of this species: 
