CONSERVATION CORNER

Waterfowl Populations Decline This Year

by James L. Cummins

With the exception of last year, for the past four years waterfowl populations have been declining. What the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found was a significant decline in May ponds and an 11 percent drop in the breeding population of ducks across the traditional survey area that includes Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alaska, Yukon Territory, the Dakotas and western Montana.

Not only did the 2004 estimate (32 million) of ducks indicate a 11 percent decrease over 2003 (36 million), but the estimate was approximately 30 percent higher than the 1955-03 average. The annual breeding duck survey covers 1.3 million square miles across the middle-central United States, western and northern Canada and Alaska.

Breeding mallard populations declined 7 percent over 2003. Blue-winged teal declined 26 percent over last year and green-winged teal declined 8 percent. Northern pintail dropped 15 percent over 2003. Redheads dropped 5 percent, gadwalls were up 2 percent and canvasbacks were up 11 percent. Wigeon declined 22 percent. Shovelers dropped 22 percent and scaup rose by 2 percent.

Although waterfowl populations were slightly down, intensive conservation efforts fueled by a tremendous partnership among government, conservation and private landowners have yielded a fairly stabe population.

"The good news is that water conditions have improved across portions of the region since the spring survey was conducted," said Rob Olson, President of Delta Waterfowl. "Parts of North and South Dakota and southern Canada received good rainfall in May and June, parts of southern Manitoba are very wet and conditions are pretty good across the extreme southern portions of Saskatchewan. Alberta remains very dry.

In the wintering areas, the Mississippi Partners Program, the Conservation Reserve Program, the Wetland Reserve Program and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program continue to contribute to the wintering waterfowl population. Wildlife Mississippi worked extensively with landowners to develop winter waterfowl habitat throughout the state.

One of the objectives of Wildlife Mississippi is to maximize hunting opportunities in a manner that is consistent with the status of waterfowl populations. When we have good habitat conditions and a high waterfowl population like we are experiencing at this time, we will have quality hunting opportunities.

Despite increases in the breeding population and good water conditions, waterfowl still have tough times ahead. They need large areas of nesting cover and an abundance of temporary and seasonal wetlands.

James L. Cummins is Executive Director of the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation in Stoneville, Mississippi. Known as "Wildlife Mississippi," the Foundation is a non-profit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore and enhance fish, wildlife and plant resources throughout Mississippi. Their web site is www.wildlifemiss.org.