Memphis, Tennessee – On August 18, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) released a report on Waterfowl population status in 2023 based on research conducted in May and early June by FWS, the Canadian Wildlife Service and other partners.
The total population was estimated at 32.3 million breeding ducks in the established study area, down 7% from the 2022 estimate of 34.7 million and 9% below the long-term average (since 1955).
Ducks Unlimited Chief Scientist Dr. Steve Adair said in a press release that the overall numbers reflect a intricate interplay between waterfowl, weather and habitat availability.
“These results are somewhat disappointing, as we expected better production from the eastern prairies as moisture conditions improved in the spring of 2022,” Adair said. “Last year’s breeding season was delayed by April snowstorms and May rains, which likely impacted overall production. In the past, we have seen population growth delayed by moisture conditions as small, shallow wetlands recovered from the long-term effects of severe drought.”
The Ducks Unlimited release highlighted the following key findings from the survey:
- Populations of most species remain well and close to long-term averages, which should provide hunters and waterfowl enthusiasts with commendable entertainment during the fall and winter.
- The combined number of ponds in the U.S. and Canada is estimated at 5 million, 9% lower than the 2022 estimate of 5.5 million and slightly below the long-term average of 5.2 million.
- Populations of mallards and American wigeons have declined. Mallard population estimates are down 18% from 2022 and 23% from the long-term average. The American wigeon population is down 14% from 2022 and 28% from the long-term average. These declines are cause for concern for DU scientists and reinforce the need for continued investment in conservation, monitoring, and targeted science.
- Pintails provided a notable brilliant spot. Population estimates were up 24% from last year’s record low. While the study showed the overall duck population remains well, it also told the story of ongoing drought in Canada’s western prairie provinces, which will limit production of ducks that traditionally inhabit those landscapes.
- Further research will provide a more complete picture of how well duck populations are recovering from the severe drought of 2020-2021.
- Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza – Based on reports from waterfowl managers and wildlife disease experts from partner agencies, DU scientists do not expect a significant impact on the duck population from an HPAI outbreak in 2022.
Survey Background
The breeding survey, which became the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey, began in 1947. The primary purpose of the WBPHS is to provide information on spring population size and trajectory for 19 North American duck species or species groups, Canada geese, and swans, and to assess prairie habitat conditions by counting waterfowl breeding ponds.
Data collected during the study are used to inform hunting regulations in the United States and Canada and provide critical information for studying the relationships between waterfowl and their habitats, which is critical for effective conservation planning.
Each spring, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Service send air and ground crews to the 2-million-acre study area, which stretches from Alaska’s Seward Peninsula to the coast of Newfoundland and south almost to the Nebraska-South Dakota border. The CWS also operates three helicopter crews that survey parts of eastern Canada. For weeks, the teams fly, drive, and hike study routes through huge landscapes and a variety of waterfowl habitats. Although many of these areas have remained largely unchanged for more than 50 years, others are facing increasing pressure from alternative land uses and environmental changes.
This spring, Ducks Unlimited joined the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as they flew over the breeding grounds. Watch the video below.
Wetland conservation needs
“We remain concerned about the continued loss and degradation of prairie habitat and the long-term impacts on habitat capacity and productivity,” Adair said.
Regardless of the number of ponds and precipitation, waterfowl require productive habitat throughout their life cycle to breed, migrate and winter successfully. Ducks Unlimited, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and many other government, nonprofit and corporate partners, recently surpassed 16 million acres of protected or restored waterfowl habitat.
Ducks Unlimited continues to build creative research projects to better understand the needs of waterfowl and better guide conservation efforts. Landowners are a key part of well landscapes. Farmers and private landowners—with the aid of voluntary, incentive-based programs under the U.S. Farm Bill—can aid conservation organizations create healthier wetlands and grasslands.
Recent Bird Status Report shows that waterfowl and other wetland birds are the only species whose numbers have increased since the 1970s, mainly due to conservation efforts.
“The lower-than-expected numbers in this year’s survey reinforce the need to protect wetlands as habitat continues to be lost across the continent,” said Adam Putnam, CEO of Ducks Unlimited. “For more than 86 years, DU has focused on North America’s wetlands and grasslands that support healthy waterfowl populations and provide clean water for people. While we’ve accomplished a lot, these data confirm that we still have a long way to go.”
