Harvest management, Monitoring, Species status assessment

These surveys are conducted cooperatively by state wildlife agencies and the Migratory Bird Program to provide an index of waterfowl population abundance during winter. For some goose and duck species, adequate monitoring during the spring and summer is not possible because they nest in areas not well covered by the breeding population surveys. A nationwide effort to survey waterfowl is conducted annually in January, to provide information on population trends, distribution on the wintering grounds, and habitat use for certain waterfowl species. Survey design differs among states, with some states conducting a cruise survey, where crews attempt to count all waterfowl, and others using a transect-based design, where a sample of counts is extrapolated over the survey area.

For more information on the population status of waterfowl, please visit the following library collections:

News

Northern Pintail in flight over wetland
A New Era for Pintail Regulations
A new interim harvest strategy introduces changes to Northern pintail hunting regulations, shaped by decades of research and long-term population monitoring. Explore how this science-based approach is being used to guide decisions that balance hunting opportunities with the conservation of pintail...
Story
Migratory Species
Sandhill Cranes flying over the Refuge from a distance.
Migratory Bird Annual Status Reports 
Annual migratory bird population status reports are posted each year in mid to late August. Highlighted species include waterfowl, American woodcock, mourning dove, band-tailed pigeon, and sandhill Crane. The annual Migratory Bird Hunting Activity and Harvest Report is also included.
Story
Migratory Species
A long-necked duck with a brown head and a white neck and long tail feathers swims on a body of water.
Northern Pintail Telemetry
An exciting partnership in the Central Flyway is using GPS telemetry to unravel the mysteries about Northern pintail migration, breeding, and wintering patterns across North America.
Story
Our Partners

Contact

Steve Olson
Staff Profile
Pacific Flyway Representative Assistant
Tom Cooper
Staff Profile
Migratory Bird Program Central Flyway Representative
Dave Scott
Staff Profile
Migratory Bird Program Mississippi Flyway Representative
Pat Devers
Staff Profile
Migratory Bird Program Atlantic Flyway Representative

Programs

A large bird with brown feathers, white head, and yellow beak flies against a pale blue sky
The Migratory Bird Program works with partners to protect, restore and conserve bird populations and their habitats for the benefit of future generations by: ensuring long-term ecological sustainability of all migratory bird populations, increasing socioeconomic benefits derived from birds,...
Program
Washington,DC

Partners

Species