{"id":1655,"date":"2022-09-26T12:11:17","date_gmt":"2022-09-26T16:11:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stateofthebirds.org\/2025\/?page_id=1655"},"modified":"2025-03-06T18:12:29","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T23:12:29","slug":"waterfowl-and-waterbirds","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.stateofthebirds.org\/2025\/waterfowl-and-waterbirds\/","title":{"rendered":"Waterfowl and Waterbirds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Long-term gains level off, renewing conservation concerns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In past State of the Birds reports, waterfowl and waterbirds were the only groups that showed population gains, with waterfowl showing the greatest increases. Duck populations now are 24% higher than they were in 1970\u2014the result of foundational policies (such as the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, Duck Stamp program, and Conservation Title of the Farm Bill) that have long safeguarded wetland resources and associated habitats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But today this legacy is in jeopardy. Loss of wetlands and grasslands is accelerating in key regions for waterfowl, and wetland protections are being weakened. Environmental and land-use changes are driving recent duck and marsh bird declines in many areas. Protecting America\u2019s waterfowl and waterbird conservation legacy means living up to the policy pledge of no-net-loss of wetlands and delivering creative solutions that provide diverse benefits to wetland birds, agricultural producers, and broader society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No-Net-Loss-Wetlands Policy Is Not Being Achieved<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bipartisan support for a \u201cno-net-loss\u201d of wetlands federal policy has been strong since it was first announced by President Bush in 1989. Yet the latest U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wetlands Status and Trends report shows that the annual rate of wetlands loss increased by more than 50% over past decades, with a staggering 670,000 acres of net loss among the vegetated wetlands that are crucial to the nation\u2019s ecological health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main drivers of wetlands loss include drainage and filling for agriculture, development, and silvicultural operations. Rebuilding America\u2019s wetland complexes begins with defending the wetlands policy protections that remain. In particular, the Swampbuster provision of the Farm Bill has been vital to retaining wetlands and supporting populations of waterfowl, waterbirds, and shorebirds in agricultural landscapes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The long-term resiliency of duck populations and other wetland birds absolutely depends on keeping a strong base of wetlands intact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dabbling and Diving Ducks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) is North America\u2019s most important area for breeding ducks, supporting as much as two-thirds of the continental population. But over the past decade duck populations in the PPR have declined and are now 10% below the long-term average.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Dabbling<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Map
A composite map of eBird Trends for duck species shows short-term declines across the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region<\/strong>Many waterfowl rely on grassland\u2013wetland habitat complexes for breeding. The combination of grassland and wetland loss in the Dakotas and Montana is rolling back decades of waterfowl population gains built by conservation policies such as the federal Duck Stamp and North American Wetlands Conservation Act. Blue-winged Teal by Sharif Uddin \/ Macaulay Library; Canvasback by Caroline Lambert \/ Macaulay Library.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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