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The new study published today used 60 years of zonal recovery data from the Central North American and Mississippi Flyways to determine that the winter distribution of Blue-winged Tears has shifted westward and southward, while the distribution of Mallards and Pintails has shifted eastward and northward by 60 to hundreds of miles.
“This study directly responds to public concern about the northward shift in the ducks’ winter range,” Lisa Webb, Southern Region Director U.S. Geological Survey Cooperative Research Unit Program and Study Co-authors“This is the result of more than half a century of hard work and investment by numerous waterfowl banders and supporting organizations across the United States and Canada.”
The results show that while the winter ranges of mallards and northern pintails do shift northward in December and January, the magnitude of this movement is small compared to the overall geographic distribution of these species during these months. Additionally, there is no evidence that large wintering areas are being completely abandoned. While the general trend of northward winter range shifts was confirmed, the authors caution that summarizing movements by species, month, or subpopulation may hide finer patterns that are important for habitat conservation and population management.
“The data that allowed us to answer this important question came from one of the longest-running community science efforts in North America,” Bram Verheijen, lead author of the study“We are grateful to the thousands of waterfowl hunters who have supported this research by reporting on waterfowl band recovery.”
To determine if and in what direction the ducks’ ranges had shifted, the authors first mapped duck ranges based on the locations of more than 350,000 ringed ducks that recovered in the fall and winter. They then compared the overlap in duck ranges for the three species in the 1960s and today.
“Sound science is the foundation for responsible waterfowl conservation and management,” Mike Brasher, senior waterfowl scientist at Ducks Unlimited and study co-author“This study is another tool Ducks Unlimited and our partners will use to guide our hunter-supported conservation efforts across the U.S. Through their 60 years of flock reports, waterfowl hunters have enabled us to scientifically study the dynamic migratory habits of ducks. And hunter support will lead us to discover more effective ways to improve our landscapes.”
The study was designed to determine if, where and to what extent the ducks’ range had changed, not why, so follow-up research is still underway to find out the cause.
“A variety of factors, including loss and degradation of breeding habitat, changes in land use, climate change and evolving agricultural practices, can affect the migration patterns of ducks and geese,” he said. Heath Hagy, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and study co-author“The reasons for these changes are complex and vary from species to species and in different breeding areas, so they cannot be directly attributed to any single factor,” said Dr.
Waterfowl are economically and culturally important, with more than 1 million hunters contributing approximately $700 million to local and regional economies each year. Potential shifts in fall and winter waterfowl ranges and subsequent impacts on recreational opportunities could impact the conservation and management of these species and their habitats at the continental level.
Read the researchLong-term changes in fall-winter harvest distribution vary by duck species, month, and subpopulation” for full details on the range changes.
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