who reported several mallard nests under 
incubation in early May. Also, the aerial 
crew observed on brood of ducklings on May 
22 and 3 broods on May 23. 
Production Indexes 
The 1963 duck brood index for southern 
Manitoba is 107 percent greater than that of 
1962 and only 9 percent below the average 
index for the last 5 years (tables F-33, F-34 
and F-35, pp. 153 and 154}. The coot brood 
index is down compared to last year despite 
a threefold increase of coot broods in stratum 
A, Counts in stratum B declined this year 
and depressed the production index for 
southern Manitoba. There is little question, 
however, that coot broods are much more 
abundant in the Manitoba Prairie area this 
summer than 1962, 
The 1963 index to late nesting for the 
survey area is up 148 percent over that 
recorded in 1962. Mallards, pintails, red- 
heads, and ruddy ducks are well represented 
in the 1963 late-nesting index. There ap- 
pears to be a good late-nesting effort in 
Manitoba. Despite the improvement over 
last year, the 1963 late-nesting index is still 
22 percent below the average for the period 
1958 to 1962. 
Thexage classes of 228 broods are sum- 
marized tn table F-36, p. 155. The distribu- 
tion of brood age classes as recorded was un- 
usual this year because very few class I 
broods were noted. The reasons for the 
scarcity of class I broods in southern Mani- 
toba are uncertain but may be related to the 
timing of the late-nesting effort and the 
generally high water levels and dense vege- 
tation in those parts of stratum A where 
broods were most abundant.: Whatever the 
reasons, few class I broods were recorded 
in Manitoba in 1963 and this item has 
depressed the current forecast index for the 
area, Average brood size increased .1 bird 
above 1962 but was still .2 birds lower than 
the 10-year average, 
Conclusions 
The index for 1963 is 51.8 and only 1962 
(51.0) has been lower since the start of our 
records, This low forecast index occurs in 
spite of a duck brood index of 107 percent 
greater than that of 1962, a breeding pair 
index of 148 percent greater than last year, 
a July pond index of 39 percent greater than 
last year, and an average brood size of .1 
bird larger than 1962. It would appear that 
the low number of class I broods recorded 
has had an overwhelming influence on this 
year’s forecast index, 
Duck production in southern Manitoba in 
1963 was better than 1961 and shows a mod- 
erate increase above 1962, 
Even though the habitat makes a strong 
recovery, the Manitoba forecast index cannot 
rise substantially until more breeding water- 
fowl are returned to Manitoba. 
SOUTHWESTERN MANITOBA 
Data supplied by Ducks Unlimited (Canada) 
The 78 roadside transects distributed with- 
in the 10,790 square-mile habitat block in 
southwestern Manitoba (FWS stratum A) were 
censused May 13-18, 1963, tomeasure annual 
trends in duck breeding populations and water 
conditions, Inventory methods were com- 
parable with those of the past 3 years. 
Weather and Habitat Conditions 
Habitat for breeding waterfowl was found 
to be Significantly improved over 1962; in 
fact, there are more ponds this year than 
at any time since 1958. A total of 1,694 
water bodies was recorded in 1963, an in- 
crease of 44 percent over the 1,178 observed 
in 1962, 77 percent over the 903 recorded in 
1961, and 20 percent above the 1960 figure of 
1,414 water areas, Pond densities were 
18.2 (1960), 11.9 (1961), and 15,1 (1962), 
and 21.7 (1963) areas holding water a square 
mile of transect. These were classified 
as shown in tables D-6 and 7, p.108. 
The apparent reduction in the number of 
dugouts is due in part to flooding and con- 
sequent reclassification into the ‘‘other’’ 
category, and to visibility changes which 
obscured water from view. 
Mudflats were scarce this year, in con- 
trast to 1962 conditions, with water now pre- 
sent well within the emergent stands of most 
pond peripheries, Most mudflats still ex- 
posed were observed on the deeper, semi- 
‘permanent ponds inthe extreme eastern Tiger 
Hills where recovery from the recent drought 
has progressed at a slower pace, Many 
of the deeper marshes and lakes are still 
43 
