Timing of Pair Counts

Photo above shows paired birds versus lone male (presumably the hen on nest)

Timing of counts is tricky – too early and you miss some of the later arriving young females. Too late and some of the paired males from early nesting females may be in large bachelor groups and hence not counted as indicated pairs.

We believe the best timing is when there is a 1:1 ratio of paired birds and lone males, which we assume have a hen that is on a nest.

That happens to be right now at our Canvasback research site near Minnedosa, Manitoba.

-Frank