Fork of the White, Eel and Muscatatuck Riv- 
ers and Salt Creek, were censused by use of 
an outboard motor powered boat. A total of 
150 wood duck broods was observed on these 
streams. This was the greatest number ever 
encountered, surpassing the 1962 count which 
had previously been the highest (table F-41, 
p. 157), This represents an increase of 16,3 
percent over 1962 when 129 broods were re- 
corded, a 32.7 percent increase over the 
5-year average of 113.0 made from 1958 
to 1962, and 59,2 percent greater than the 
previous 10-year average of 94,2 broods. 
A total of 1,079 young wood ducks was 
observed in the 150 broods, Of these, a 
complete count of young was considered to 
have been obtained for 98 broods totaling 
898 young, an average of 9.2 young per 
brood, This compares favorably with those 
of the past several years. Complete brood 
size ranged from 4 to 20 young. Onthe Mus- 
catuck River, one group of 42 young woodies, 
all of which appeared to be of the same age 
class were attended by two hens. 
A total of 123 adult female wood ducks was 
seen with their broods and 27 broods were ob- 
served without a hen, Five broody wood duck 
hens were observed, but none of their broods 
were found. The Maumee, Elkhart, and Mus- 
catatuck Rivers each had one of these broody 
hens while the Eel River had two, An addi- 
tional 30 adult hens were observed without 
broeds and 57 adult drakes were seen also, 
The sex of 38 adult wood ducks was not 
determined, 
. A mallard drake was seen on a sand bar 
on the White River. It did not fly when the 
boat passed and may have been a domestic 
bird. A female black duck with five young 
was observed on the Big Blue River, but a 
complete count was not considered to have 
been obtained on this brood. 
Pulpwood cutting along the Big Blue River 
has probably reduced the nesting sites for 
wood ducks, The same situation probably 
exists in the salvage timber cutting along 
the Mississinewa River in the area to be 
flooded soon by a new impoundment. 
MISSOURI 
Data supplied by Missouri 
Conservation Commission 
Weather and Habitat Conditions 
Precipitation during the fall and winter of 
1962-63 was far below normal, Drought 
conditions existed in many sections of Mis- 
souri from November 1962 through February 
1963, Precipitation and temperatures in- 
creased to slightly above normal conditions in 
March but not enough to improve water condi- 
tions in wood duck production habitat, April 
temperatures remained 3-4 degrees above 
normal but drought conditions returned with 
rainfall showing less than 2 inches for the 
month, 
Water levels in streams and marshes were 
below normal during much of the nesting 
period, Drought conditions during the census 
period increased the chances of site observa- 
tions in the 1963 nesting surveys and must be 
kept in mind when comparing data with past 
years, 
Production Indexes 
Wood duck production continued to improve 
with the nesting efforts on lake, marsh, and 
stream habitat showing the highest produc- 
tivity ever recorded in the State, 
Wood duck nesting efforts a square mile 
of marsh and lake habitat increased by 
approximately 297 percent over 1962, Nest- 
ing efforts a mile of stream indicated only 
slight increases over last year (.32 to .33) 
but they still remain exceptionally high when 
compared to previous years (table F-42, 
p. 157). 
Trend data as shownintable F-41 indicates 
increases in productivity in all categories, 
Most observers reported significant in- 
creases in production of wood ducks over 
last year with some indicating the best pro- 
duction ever witnessed in their respective 
sampling areas. 
Mallard nesting efforts a square mile of 
lake and marsh habitat increased from .8 
in 1962 to 4,3 in 1963, This large increase 
should not imply high productivity of this 
species. for 67 of the 73 nesting efforts re- 
corded were from lone drakes, lone hens and 
pairs. Only 6 broods were observed on 
approximately 17 square miles of lake and 
marsh habitat, Even though mallards are 
present in relatively fair populations, their 
production in 1963 was considered insignifi- 
cant. High nest mortality by raccoons was 
probably the cause for low productivity. 
Mallard nesting efforts on streams showed 
a significant decrease over the State but 
sample sizes are probably too small to 
accurately measure production of this 
spécies. 
