Prairie Pothole Region

Known as the "Duck Factory" of North America, the Prairie Pothole Region produces over half of the continent's waterfowl. It also provides the most productive breeding habitat in North America for hundreds of other migratory bird species.

This 300,000 square mile region was created by retreating glaciers roughly 12,000 years ago, and once contained approximately 25 million wetlands, or an average of about 83 per square mile; a density unmatched anywhere in the continent.

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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service