36 
habitat was available as the result of the 
somewhat improved water conditions and the 
luxuriant vegetation that grew in many of 
the potholes. However, with the declining 
water levels this year the water withdrew 
from border vegetation in many ponds 
leaving exposed mudflats and open expanses 
of water. Due to severe reductions in 
suitable nesting habitat, production of 
canvasback and redhead is expected to be 
very low this year. 
FLIGHT FORECAST 
DUCKS 
When data from all areas are combined, 
it is estimated that the small increases 
in breeding populations will not offset the 
marked reduction in number of young, with 
the result that there will be at least a 
moderate decrease in the 1961 fall flight 
of ducks in the Pacific Flyway. Since 
conditions on the breeding grounds con- 
tributing to the Flyway were not as good 
in 1961 as they were during the drought 
year of 1959, it is concluded that the 
decrease this year will exceed that recorded 
in 1959. 
GEESE AND BRANT 
According to the annual winter survey, 
the goose population increased considerably 
and may have reached the peak population 
of the past 13 years. All species increased, 
with Canada geese improving most (+52 
percent). Breeding-population and produc- 
tion surveys of significant areas supplying 
the Great Basin Canada goose revealed 
increases in all areas except Idaho, where 
the number of breeders was the highest 
recorded in recent years, yet production 
was down about a fifth. On this basis, a 
small increase in the flight of Canada geese 
is expected this fall. Winter survey figures 
for snow, white-fronted, and cackling 
geese increased 28 percent, 8 percent, 
and 6 percent, respectively. Since produc- 
tion survey data are lacking for these 
species, average production is assumed. 
Therefore, the fall flight of these species 
is expected to be the same as last year 
but somewhat larger than in 1959. 
The number of wintering brant increased 
for the second consecutive year. Limited 
surveys on brant breeding areas in Alaska 
indicated favorable conditions and good 
production. Therefore, a moderate increase 
in the fall flight of brant is expected. 
CcOOT 
Production of coot inall important breed- 
ing areas is expected to be markedly 
reduced by drought conditions. Therefore, 
a major reduction in the fall flight of 
coot is expected. 
CENTRAL FLYWAY 
SUMMARY 
According to the winter survey in the 
Central Flyway, the number of ducks avail- 
able as breeders at the beginning of the 
1961 season was approximately the same 
as. in 1960, but considerably below the 
number at the beginning of the 1959 season. 
It is perhaps significant that the recorded 
wintering population of mallards decreased 
14 percent between January 1960 and 
January 1961, and that the 1961 level of 
this species is about 60 percent below the 
peak number recorded in 1958. 
On the breeding grounds, the May-June 
surveys of areas important to the Central 
Flyway revealed a small decrease in the 
mumber of ducks. Decreases of major 
proportions were recorded in southern 
Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba; 
smaller decreases were recorded in 
southern Alberta and in the Dakotas. These 
decreases were compensated in part by 
a major increase in northern Alberta and 
the Northwest Territories and by a small 
increase in Alaska. The increases in the 
North were obviously the result of drought 
in prairie and parkland pothole breeding 
habitat, which caused the birds to move on 
to areas with better water conditions 
farther north. 
Weather and habitat conditions in the 
areas contributing to the Central Flyway 
were generally very poor. In July, severe 
drought reduced the number of water areas 
in the southern parts of the three Prairie 
Provinces, the Dakotas, and western Minne- 
sota, to an estimated 911,000 ponds--a 
