remaining birds were in the Susquehanna Flats 
and Central Potomac sections. 
Intensive aerial population surveys during 
the fall, winter, and early spring of the 1958- 
59 season showed seasonal changes in num- 
bers of birds (table 86), Widgeons were most 
abundant in the Chester River section through- 
out the season. They were abundant on the 
Susquehanna Flats during October, but were 
much scarcer there at other seasons. Fairly 
large numbers of birds were present in the 
Central Potomac, Choptank River, Coastal, 
Eastern Bay, and Blackwater-Nanticoke sec- 
tions. The greatest local concentrations were 
recorded in the central Chester River area. 
Food Habits 
The gullet and gizzard food contents of 157 
American Widgeons were examined. Data for 
143 of them are shown in tables 87 and 88. 
Other miscellaneous collections included two 
birds taken on the fresh estuarine bay of the 
Susquehanna Flats in March; six taken on the 
coastal bays near Chincoteague, Virginia, 
November to January; three taken on fresh 
estuarine river marshes in the Patuxent River 
and Upper Potomac sections during October 
and March; and three taken on interior im- 
poundments (two from Prince Georges County 
in March and onefrom Kent Countyin January), 
Leaves, stems, and rootstalks of submerged 
plants were the principal foods in all of the 
major habitats. Claspingleaf pondweed, eel- 
grass, and widgeongrass were the most im- 
portant species in the brackish estuarine bays 
(table 87), Widgeongrass and muskgrass were 
consumed in greatest quantity in the estuarine 
bay marshes of the Blackwater-Nanticoke 
section (table 88), The two birds collected 
on the Susquehanna Flats had fed on winter 
buds of wildcelery, rootstalks of undetermined 
pondweeds and stems of dodder, Large num- 
bers of widgeons on the Susquehanna Flats 
were observed feeding on the leaves of wild- 
celery during October 1958. 
The six birds collected near Chincoteague, 
Virginia, had fed entirely on leaves, stems, 
and rootstalks of eelgrass. The three birds 
collected in the Patuxent River and Upper 
Potomac sections had fed on leaves, stems, 
and rootstalks of common waterweed and 
sago pondweed and on the seeds of wildrice. 
The three widgeons shot on interior im- 
poundments had fed on leaves and rootstalks 
of grass (Gramineae) and on an undetermined 
pondweed; on the seeds of weak bulrush, 
panicum, and crabgrass; and on corn and 
wheat. 
Local Distribution of Hunting Kill 
Information concerning local distribution of 
the hunting kill of American Widgeons within 
46 
the Upper Chesapeake region was obtained 
through an analysis of the distribution of 69 
weighted recoveries of birds banded outside 
of Maryland and Virginia (table 89). These 
recoveries were reported during the years 
1951-58. The number per year ranged from 
5 in 1951 to 14 in 1956. 
About 70% of the kill was fairly evenly 
distributed over five sections, the Central 
Potomac, Choptank River, Eastern Bay, 
Chester River, and Lower Eastern Shore. 
The kill of American Widgeons as related to 
their local populations was proportionally low 
in the Chester River section. Nearly two- 
thirds of the kill occurred on brackish es- 
tuarine bays, about one-sixth on fresh estuarine 
bays, and one-sixth in various other habitats. 
Kill data arranged by months showed that 
34% of the kill was in November, 43% in 
December, and 23% in January. 
Harvest Areas of Birds Banded in the Upper 
Chesapeake Region 
Data concerning harvest areas of American 
Widgeons banded inthe Chester River- Eastern 
Bay and Gibson Island areas during the years 
1953-58 came from 30 indirect band-recov- 
eries (table 90). The birds were banded be- 
tween January 23 and March 30. Four-fifths 
of the recoveries were from the mid-Atlantic 
states. About half the kill was in Maryland 
alone. The eastern Great Lakes area apparently 
is the most important harvest area along the 
migration routes. 
WOOD DUCK 
Atz sponsa (Linnaeus) 
Wood Ducks are fairly common throughout 
the Upper Chesapeake region during the breed- 
ing season. Somewhat larger numbers are 
present during the spring and fall migration 
periods, Wintering birds are rare and ir- 
regular. The breeding season extends from 
early March to early September, with the 
nesting peak from late March to early July, 
Extreme egg dates (76 nests) ranged from 
about March 1 to July 25, Extreme dates for 
downy young (88 broods) ranged from April 
14 to September 2 (dates for eggs and downy 
young supplied by C. G. Webster). The fall 
migration usually takes place during the period 
of August 15-25 to November 15-25, with the 
peak between September 5 and November 5. 
The normal spring migration extends from 
February 20 - March 1 to April 10-20, with 
the peak between March 1 and April 1. 
Habitats 
The wooded bottomlands along rivers and 
the larger creeks are the principal habitat 
