Ducks Unlimited

DU got its start in 1937 during the Dust Bowl when North America's drought-plagued waterfowl populations had plunged to unprecedented lows. Determined not to sit idly by as the continent's waterfowl dwindled beyond recovery, a small group of sportsmen joined together to form an organization that became known as Ducks Unlimited. 

Ducks Unlimited conserves, restores, and manages wetlands and associated habitats for North America's waterfowl. These habitats also benefit other wildlife and people. Waterfowl conservation is facing important challenges as wetlands and other habitats are being degraded and destroyed across the continent. Ducks Unlimited has a vision to reverse this trend. The vision of Ducks Unlimited is wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. DU will achieve its vision through diverse public and private partnerships to address the full range of factors that continue to erode waterfowl habitat across North America.

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National FWS Programs They Work With

Colored pencil painting of mallard ducklings represents the 2024 CA Junior Duck Stamp Best of Show artwork.
Congratulations to Best of Show Artwork "Sunshine Ducklings" artist Olga Sergienko, age 16, from Sacramento who will represent California in the national competition in April 2024! Welcome to the California Junior Duck Stamp Page. Learn about the program, contest, and more by exploring our site...

Related Stories

Monica Iglecia in a boat on Copper River Delta
In honor of Women's History Month, the Migratory Bird Program is proud to highlight the remarkable women who have played a significant role in the success of projects funded through our North American Wetlands Conservation Act's U.S. grant programs. While the individuals featured in this story...
Painting of a blue-winged teal
Do you love conservation and want to know how to help? Consider participating in the annual Junior Duck Stamp competition!
Drawing of a brown duck with a green patch above its eye sitting in greenish water.
Do you love conservation and want to know how to help? Consider participating in the annual Junior Duck Stamp competition!
Spectacled eider
Plunging into the icy waters of North America's coasts, sea ducks navigate a world unseen by most. Despite representing a significant portion of the continent’s duck species, these unique marine birds are among the least understood. Yet, unlike other waterfowl, many sea duck populations have...
A view of a rolling hills and a river
Over the past two years, a critical funding source, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, has created tremendous opportunities to find, fund and further conservation work with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service partners — states, federal agencies, Tribes, nonprofits and even private citizens.
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Migratory birds face threats as wetlands vanish due to climate change and human actions. An innovative new tool represents a transformative leap in better understanding these crucial ecosystems and their avian inhabitants.
Male Black duck glides across water on a pond at Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge.
More than one third of North American bird species rely on wetlands for food, shelter, breeding, nesting, and rearing their young. Wetlands are of particular importance to migratory birds, which rely on saltwater, brackish, and freshwater wetland habitats for breeding as well as resting and...
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The rice fields are his home away from home. Don Bransford, a third-generation rice farmer in Colusa, California, has been growing the grain since 1980.

Partner Category

Here we partner with a wider variety of other organizations on projects to meet shared conservation goals.

Other Partners

Here are just a few of our National Partners. You can view the full list of FWS partners, along with the regions and areas of focus our work together entails.

Partnership Services

Through our partnerships we are able to expand our capabilities through the inclusion of services in areas such as:

  • Grant opportunities
  • Sponsorship of grants
  • Cooperative Agreements

To find out more about how our partner provides services view our partner services below.