We learn about individual species with the Parts Collection
Survey
The Parts Collection Survey asks
hunters to send in wings and/or tail feathers from their harvested
birds.
Wings identify the sex of birds
Migratory bird reproduction is important to sustain populations.
Reproduction is dependent upon the relative number of male and
female birds in the population. A sex ratio is the average number of male birds
for every female bird. We use sex ratios to understand a species' capacity for reproduction.
Wings and tail feathers identify the age of birds
If we identify a lot of immature birds, then we know that
many adult birds are successfully reproducing. We can estimate
reproduction rates from the ratio of the harvest of immature birds
to adult birds. However, since immature birds are more vulnerable,
we use banded bird recovery data to "correct" for the greater
number of immature birds that are harvested when calculating the
proportion of immature birds in the population.
In the graph below, you can compare different species' age
ratios by year.
Consistent rates of reproduction ensure that waterfowl are abundant
enough for hunting. By providing us with accurate survey results, we
calculate better estimates, and hunters improve hunting
opportunities for future generations. Learn more about how wings are identified to species.The more hunters that participate, the more accurate our
estimates will be!
The Parts Collection Survey helps us understand trends
Some years, when bird populations are
high, harvest is high and vice versa. Managers are more concerned
about harvest rate than total harvest. Harvest rate is the
proportion of a species' total population that is harvested. We
calculate harvest rates from bird banding data.
Adult breeding Mallards and fall adult harvest estimates
often follow similar patterns
US Fish and Wildlife Service Division of Migratory Bird Management
Web content created by Emma Chan and Abby Walter
Purpose: FWS collects this information in order to administer Migratory Bird Population and Harvest Surveys.
Routine Uses: This information may be shared in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 and the routine uses listed in System of Records Notice INTERIOR/FWS-26, Migratory Bird Population and Harvest Surveys - 80 FR 27183 (May 12, 2015).
Disclosure: Furnishing this information is voluntary; however, failure to provide all the requested information may prevent you from being able to participate in a Migratory Bird survey.
We are collecting this information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501) in order to estimate annual migratory bird harvest and to respond to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act of 1974. Your response is voluntary. According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. OMB has approved this collection of information and assigned Control No. 1018-0023.
We estimate it will take you an average of 3 to 5 minutes to complete the survey, including time to read instructions, gather information, complete, and submit the survey. Direct comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of the form to the Service Information Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: BPHC, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803, or via email at Info_Coll@fws.gov.