Band reporting rates of mallards in the Mississippi alluvial valley

We captured 2,182 mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) in eastcentral Arkansas and marked 730 with standard bands, 728 with 10 reward bands, and 724 with 'dummy' radio transmitters during November 1986-89 to estimate band reporting rates in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV). Assuming all transmitters were reported, reporting rates were 0.16 (SE=0.049) for standard bands and 0.34 (SE=0.081) for 10 reward bands. Interviews with hunters indicated that flock size distributions differed (P=0.03) between mallards wearing transmitters and those wearing bands (standard or reward). Mallards wearing transmitters were more likely to be alone and less likely to be in large flocks when recovered than were mallards wearing bands. These results suggest that either band reporting rates of mallards in the MAV are substantially less than those of midcontinent mallards (P=0.03), or marking mallards with external transmitters increases susceptibility to hunting mortality.