Canvasback  (photo: William Vinjie)

Northern pintail

- general -
In transit from the major breeding grounds in the Midwest, Canadian prairies, and Arctic to their wintering grounds along the Atlantic Coast, several species of waterfowl migrate in substantial numbers down the Hudson and Connecticut rivers and/or along the Atlantic Coast, stopping to rest and feed in the project area.  Several species of waterfowl nest and breed in the southern New England - New York Bight project area, for instance mallard, American black duck, and Canada goose. 
 

- threats -
The destruction of essential wetland habitats needed for breeding, migrating, and wintering has been identified as the principal reason for the drastic decline of waterfowl in the 20th century.  To a lesser extent, overharvest has contributed to the decline of several species in North America. Contaminants, oil and chemical spills, lead poisoning, predation, and disease are other factors affecting the survival of waterfowl populations.
 

- details -
Native species of waterfowl regularly use the estuarine, riverine, lacustrine, and palustrine wetlands and adjacent uplands in the Northeast for breeding, migrating, or overwintering areas. Waterfowl use the project area for resting and feeding during fall migration (peaking in November) and as a wintering area.  Several species of waterfowl nest and breed in the southern New England - New York Bight project area, for instance mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), American black duck (Anas rubripes), and Canada goose (Branta canadensis).  For several species of waterfowl, such as brant (Branta bernicla), greater scaup (Aythya marila), American black duck (Anas rubripes), and bufflehead (Bucephala albeola), the mid-winter populations occurring in the Southern New England - New York Bight project area account for a major part of their total Atlantic flyway populations. 

In 1986, the North American Waterfowl Management Plan was signed by the United States and Canada; the plan was updated in 1989 to add Mexico as a full partner.  This plan was created to reverse the decline in certain populations of ducks and geese.  The plan establishes specific objectives to restore duck populations to the levels of the 1970s, and targets critical waterfowl breeding, staging, and wintering areas in all three countries.  The goal of the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture, one of nine joint venture areas in the United States, is to "protect and manage priority wetland habitats for migration, wintering, and production of waterfowl, with special consideration to black ducks, and to benefit other wildlife in the joint venture area." Visit the Joint Venture website at http://northamerican.fws.gov/nawmp/jv.htm.