Thanks to strong conservation efforts and abundant habitat in Canada, populations of North American ducks and other waterfowl remain at healthy levels. Total populations were estimated at 47.3 million breeding ducks in the traditional survey area, which is similar to the 2016 estimate of 48.4 million and is 34 per cent above the 1955-2016 long-term average.

These are the results found in the 2017 Trends in Duck Breeding Populations report released by the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS). The report summarizes duck populations and habitats, as surveyed on both sides of the border in May and early June.

“This is the fourth highest estimate ever,” says David Howerter, PhD, Ducks Unlimited Canada’s (DUC) director of national conservation operations. “In summary, there are still a ton of ducks in the traditional survey area. “Canadian landscapes, particularly the key breeding grounds of the Prairies and the boreal forest, play a critical role in maintaining these strong populations.”

Canada’s prairies are scattered with thousands of shallow wetlands that make up some of the most productive waterfowl habitat in North America. The boreal forest is a vast area covered with rivers, lakes and wetlands that attract millions of ducks, geese and swans every year to breed. Last year, the prairies experienced low precipitation during the winter and early spring.

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