Harvest management, Monitoring, Species status assessment
Status
Ongoing

States

Alaska, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota

The Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey (WBPHS) is conducted annually in May and June by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Service. The aerial breeding surveys that evolved into the WBPHS began in 1947. The primary purpose of the WBPHS is to provide information on spring population size and trajectory for 19 North American duck species (or species groups), Canada Geese (Branta canadensis), American Coot (Fulica americana), and swans (Cygnus spp.) and to evaluate habitat conditions in Prairie-Parkland Canada, via the counting of waterfowl breeding ponds.

Strata and transects of the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey (yellow = traditional survey area, green = eastern survey area).

The data are used to establish annual hunting regulations in the United States and Canada and provide a long-term time series important for researching bird-environment relationships critical to effective conservation planning for waterfowl. The survey is conducted by ground, airplane, and helicopter over a 2 million square mile area that covers the principal breeding areas of North America, and includes parts of Alaska, Canada, and the northcentral US. This survey is also referred to as the Breeding Population Survey (B-POP) or the May Survey.  To read individual field reports from pilot biologists and ground crews detailing first-hand observations on what they saw during each year's survey please visit the WBPHS Field Reports Library Collection.  

Data are available beginning in 1955, which is the year the survey is typically described as becoming operational, although design, methods, and coverage continued to evolve for many years. Data are not available for 2020 and only available for Alaska (strata 1-11) in 2021, due to fieldwork restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. To obtain WBPHS data or historical documents, including older population status reports not included in the Waterfowl Population Status Report Library Collection, please visit ServCat Program Record # 47314.

News

Sandhill Cranes flying over the Refuge from a distance.
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.
aerial view of an airplane in flight
The timing of the rains in early May was still beneficial to many ducks. Early nesting mallards and pintails would have time to renest if first nests were flooded out and species that start nesting later in the summer would have better wetland conditions and upland habitat for nesting and brood...
Northern pintail on a wetland
New Interim Northern Pintail Harvest Strategy approved to update the previous strategy from 2010 and guide regulations for the 2025-26 hunting season using the latest science, a revised model and 10 additional years of population data.
aerial view of rivers and forests
Each flight, each observation, is a testament to the resilience of nature and the importance of preserving these wild places for future generations. As I return to my regular duties, the memories of those three weeks in the boreal forest of northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba will stay with me.
two people standing in front of an airplane
Unlike the potholes, stock ponds, and dugouts in the Prairie Pothole Region, Maine and the Maritime Provinces include a really wide range of wetlands: large lakes, rivers, streams, wooded swamps, beaver ponds, sedge meadows, and peat bogs cover the landscape.
airplane floating on water with mountains in the background
The world swirling past is so vast and it all softly blurs together-- the blues of the water, the greens of the stunted spruces and sea of pale lichen beds, the black scarring from last season’s forest fires, and the interspersed bald rock outcroppings. In this fast-moving landscape painting, we...
aerial view of a landscape with mountains and grasslands and a lake
Montana is a beautiful state and underrated when it comes to waterfowl production and recruitment, although this year that may suffer a bit.
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...
Migratory Bird Program Daher Kodiak survey plane in front of the International Federal Pavilion at EAA AirVenture convention
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Branch of Aviation Management showcased the captivating field of aviation and conservation at the world's largest aviation celebration. The Service’s booth stood out in the International Federal Pavilion by educating and inspiring the public about the essential...
aerial view of wetlands and snow on the landscape
Counting birds from an airplane requires a strong stomach, steady inner ear, the ability to spend hours inside a metal tube with a droning engine – and most important of all, a love for what you do. It is equal parts exhausting and exhilarating!
Aerial view of wetlands
I have never seen the pothole region look better or more impressive than what we observed this year. I believe the stage is set for some very good duck production out of the Dakotas in 2023.
four people standing in front of a truck
Five eggs nestled in a shallow depression, softened by a bed of grass and down feathers, reflected sunlight up at the four of us. We, by chance, had just flushed a hen Northern pintail a mere foot from the truck.
plane sitting on the water
Today is our first day of data collection in western Ontario. There is still ice on some of the lakes as the Spring came late to a broad swath stretching from the James Bay down to Lake Superior, however the habitats look great along these transects.
person working in an office with pelts and antlers and outdoor items all around
I was shocked at the number of nesting trumpeters this past survey. They were commonplace, particularly along the Manitoba/Saskatchewan border and as we continued to move north through Manitoba. I’m not sure we missed a day seeing a nesting pair, and all total I’d guess we pushed close to 50 pairs...
one person sitting on top of and a second person standing in front of an airplane
Once we started surveying, we noticed that habitat conditions throughout the area seemed to be abnormally dry this year, especially when compared to the deluge we experienced in 2022. However, in the areas that still contained good duck habitat and higher densities of prairie potholes, semi-...
selfie of three people in an airplane
It’s very useful to see what bird species use the wetlands that we will fly over. We have only 2-3 seconds to identify the species and sex of each duck on the wetland. If we got hung up on trying to identify a bird as you fly over and finally realized it’s a red-necked grebe, the wetland and ducks...
five people standing in front of an airplane
When we weren’t seeing water or ducks, the state of Montana has lots of gorgeous scenery to distract us from some of those long stretches without seeing ducks!
two people standing in front of an airplane
As we started the survey, we were encouraged by wetland conditions across southern and coastal regions of Maine which continue to show marked improvement following years of abnormal dryness. We assessed conditions there to be excellent for waterfowl production.
view of an airplane wing over the landscape
Though parts of the landscape have certainly changed due to human encroachment or the industrious activities of beavers, much of what us aerial observers see every year is the same. And there’s comfort in that. We are seeing the same species of ducks, which in the east are often black ducks, common...
Green-Winged Teal
Almost all groups of birds have seen major declines in the last 50 years– almost all, except for waterfowl. As a group, waterfowl have actually increased in population size! So why is that? What is unique about this group of birds, and how can we use that information to build strategies to conserve...
airplane coming in to land on a runway
On our first flight, we immediately noticed how dry conditions were in Montana north of the Missouri River. Many of the natural wetlands were dry, stock ponds were less than 20% of capacity, and there were few temporary wetlands present.
2 people stand in front of an airplane
Only three short years ago I was busy submitting data I collected in southern Ontario and Quebec as an observer in the right-front seat of a USFWS-operated Kodiak aircraft. Little could I have imagined that in 2022, I would be back in that very same Kodiak, only this time I was in the left seat,...
2 people stand in front of an airplane
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a career as a Pilot Biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service? Pilot Biologists are some of the most unique and specially trained employees in the agency. There are numerous criteria and training requirements to become a Pilot Biologist,...
Aerial view of wetlands and white dots are pelicans
After a two year hiatus, we were once again able to conduct the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey. It was an interesting year, mainly in that the conditions on the ground have changed dramatically just since March!
View from an airplane of the sunrise over the landscape
Old Man Winter was still clinging to the eastern Canadian prairies upon my arrival, and decided to stick around a bit longer despite my delayed arrival on the scene. Southern Manitoba greeted me with a mix of snow, ice, severe flooding in the southeast, and of course those relentless and gusty...
Survey aircraft parked on a lake
Our U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pilot biologists and observers are returning to the sky and ground to conduct the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey for the first time since 2019, and with the drought on the prairies over the past couple years, anticipation is high.
2 people standing in front of an airplane
Each year the return to Maine is always a big transition as we’ve followed winter north during the survey and then return to full blown summer. I’m blessed to get to experience such an inspiring landscape every year, and to see areas and scenery that few, even locals, will ever experience. However...

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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,...
kodiak plane flying
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Branch of Aviation Management is responsible for the safety and oversight of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s fleet of planes and pilots.