The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on July 3 released its 2025 Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey Field Reports. Conducted annually from May to June, the survey spans over 2 million square miles along the U.S.-Canada border, as wildlife biologists fly transects over the survey area to observe waterfowl numbers and habitat conditions.
Biologists predict poor production in the most central parts of the survey area. Terry Liddick and Jeff Drahota said the Dakotas were “extremely dry this year,” and despite some mid-May precipitation, “many of the basins recharged by rain were unoccupied by waterfowl.” In Southern Montana, where ducks graze in the vast grasslands, spring was warm and dry, “with precipitation levels well-below average and snowpack deficits contributing to ongoing moderate to severe drought conditions,” according to surveyors Phil Thorpe and Stephen Chandler.
“Given the dry conditions and lack of natural wetlands, we expect waterfowl production to be poor over the eastern parts of the area. In western portions of this area, we anticipate fair production given slightly improved wetland conditions,” Thorpe and Chandler reported.
In Northern Montana, conditions “were much drier than the past couple of years, and many of the semi-permanent wetlands are recessional or dry,” wrote biologists Rob Spangler and Joe Sands, with some permanent wetlands at only 50-60% of capacity. Southern Alberta did have water available in larger wetlands, reservoirs and stock ponds; “however, many of the ponds that had water were overcrowded with birds,” the biologists said. Conditions improved north of Calgary and Red Deer before declining again north of Whitecourt and Lac la Biche. Fires were also active throughout Montana.
Thorpe and Chandler reported that Southern Sasketchewan conditions were bleak for ducks. “Some large wetlands that we observed to be completely dry this year have not been observed to be dry since 2008,” they wrote, noting that below average precipitation was quickly absorbed by the soil in the area. The Missouri Coteau, Regina and Saskatoon, likewise, were dry, with only 10-25% of the extensive basins – more than 100 wetlands per square mile in some areas – holding water. The Allan Hills, southeast of Saskatoon, however, “had 60-70% of wetlands with water and higher numbers of ducks than anywhere else in the survey area.”
“Southern Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan were the driest I’ve seen them since I started flying this area over a decade ago,” biologists Sarah Yates and Stacy Salvevold wrote in the report. Manitoba rated poorly in duck production, with water levels low even in large wetlands. “Even the large lakes, including Lake Manitoba and Winnipegosis, (were) the lowest we’ve observed them in over 10 years,” they wrote. However, in the Yorkton area, conditions were considered fair for waterfowl production due to more water retention.
In Northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan, biologists observed slightly better conditions, though the area was still drier than ideal. “The sound of the airport grass crunching under your feet was all the information one needed to know the habitat conditions,” biologists Walt Rhodes and Chris Cain wrote. “The boreal will still produce waterfowl, but continued dry conditions will chip away at its potential.”
Northern Alberta and Northeastern British Columbia continue to face habitat pressure due to long-term precipitation deficits, the report states. “Most bogs and fens in the surveyed area were dry, and marshes, swamps and lakes were severely recessional. It is evident that groundwater flow has been impacted by the long-term drought,” biologists Garrett Wilkerson and Barret Fortier wrote. The Peace-Athabasca River delta in northeastern Alberta had the best waterfowl habitat conditions, but water levels were low and few basins were full. In the Northwest Territories, conditions improved as surveyors moved north. “Snowmelt and early spring precipitation resulted in good wetland availability for breeding waterfowl,” the biologists wrote.
Meanwhile, the Alaska-Yukon region had a good to excellent outlook for waterfowl production, according to surveyors Tamara Zeller, Heather Wilson, Wade Shock and Brett Nigus. “Thousands of ducks and geese clustered in the few available open waters, with species like scaup and scoters especially common in marshy areas,” they wrote. “Swans, loons and grebes were quick to nest, taking advantage of the early melt.”
Western Ontario has excellent habitat conditions, according to biologists John Rayfield and Stephanie Catino. Northern Quebec also had good habitat conditions, “with lots of water available on the landscape and a normal spring phenology.”
Maine and Atlantic Canada also had a good report, with excellent conditions in the northern part of Maine and throughout New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Spring hit early in Newfoundland, and while wetlands and lakes were in good condition, streams and rivers were still low. Labrador wetlands were also in good condition, according to the report.
“Overall, we expect normal to above normal waterfowl production across most of the crew area given the combination of a normal to early spring phenology, generally good wetland conditions and a lack of severe spring weather,” the biologists wrote.
Read the full report here.
