Library

The USFWS' Migratory Bird Program administers annual reports that present hunter activity and harvest estimates from Harvest Information Program surveys.  Reference materials for migratory game bird and wing ID are also included.

We are currently experiencing delays with wing envelope shipments. We will get the envelopes shipped to you as soon as we can. Woodcock, band-tailed pigeon, and some waterfowl envelopes will ship on 9/4/2026. The rest of the waterfowl envelopes will ship beginning 9/11/26 through the remainder of the month. If you are hunting prior to receiving your envelopes, please save a wing from each bird and note the state, county, and date of harvest.

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Band-tailed pigeon wings
A Day in the Life of a Speciator
So what exactly is a speciator you might ask? The Parts Collection Survey, commonly referred to as the Wing Survey, asks a sample of hunters across the country to provide a wing from each duck and specified feathers from every goose they harvest during the upcoming season. These “parts” are used to...
Story
Migratory Species
Species, Age and Sex Identification of Ducks Using Wing Plumage
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Species, Age and Sex Identification of Ducks Using Wing Plumage

This publication contains procedures used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine the species, sex and age composition of the harvest of North American ducks using detached wings contributed by hunters.

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Samuel M. Carney
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
American Woodcock Sex and Age Techniques Poster
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American Woodcock Sex and Age Techniques Poster

Learn how to age and sex American woodcock with just a wing.  The Michigan Department of Natural Resources compiled known resources into one poster as a training tool for biologists in the field banding woodcock and for use in wingbees. 

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Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Identification Tips and Range Maps for Dove and Pigeon Species in the Migratory Bird Hunter/Harvest Survey
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Identification Tips and Range Maps for Dove and Pigeon Species in the Migratory Bird Hunter/Harvest Survey

Provides identification tips and range maps for dove and pigeon species in the Migratory Bird Hunter/Harvest Survey.  Species included: mourning dove, white-winged dove, band-tailed pigeon, and European collared‐dove.

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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service