Increasing A Wood Duck Nesting Population By Releases Of Pen-Reared Birds
There is a growing interest in the use of pen-reared wood ducks (Aix sponsa) for establishing or increasing box-nesting populations in local areas. During a 3-year period (1967-1969), 67 pen-reared hens were released on the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland. These releases substantially increased the nesting population. Total population averaged less than 30 hens annually with a recruitment rate averaging less than seven between 1963 and 1967. Between 1968 and 1971, the nesting population averaged about 80 hens. Annual recruitment averaged 29 between 1969 and 1971. Pen-...
