HomeBiggest Fall Migration in Recorded History 
OAK HAMMOCK MARSH, MAN., September 22, 1999 - Look up! Look way up! Ducks Unlimited Canada is giving people a heads up about this year's fall flight of ducks estimated at a record-breaking 105 million birds.
"There will be more ducks in the sky this year than we've ever counted before," said Brian Gray, DU's director of conservation programs and chief biologist.
Since the 1950s, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service has been generating the population estimates based on surveys in Canada and the United States. Last year, an estimated 84 million ducks flew south, slightly less than the previous record of 92 million in 1997.
"In the past few years, we've been cycling through some wet conditions especially in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America where the majority of ducks are produced," Gray said. This region spans the southern Prairies and reaches as far south as Iowa. "The great amounts of precipitation we received this spring and summer helped to create the ponds that nesting hens and ducklings need to survive."
The record-high migration this fall will fill the skies. Ducks are already starting to arrive at Oak Hammock Marsh, Manitoba, the site of Ducks Unlimited Canada's national office.
On the West Coast, a cool wet spring decreased waterfowl production slightly in British Columbia's interior. Habitat conditions across the province are generally good for both migrating and overwintering waterfowl.
In Ontario and southern Quebec, habitat conditions have been dry and water levels are low but waterfowl production has been good to fair. Major migration habitats are in good condition and will be able to support waterfowl travelling through. In Eastern Canada, a strong spring breeding population and good production should result in a good fall flight.
Migrating geese have already arrived at Oak Hammock Marsh in Manitoba, the site of DUC's national office - a sure sign that migration has started. The best time to look for migrating waterfowl is when windy, cold weather starts moving in. "Winds from the north tend to kick migration into high gear," Gray said.
In over 60 years, DUC's wetland and upland programs have conserved more than 7.5 million hectares (almost 19 million acres) of land across Canada.
"This base of conserved habitat is critically important to wildlife. Its importance will grow as we move through the wet cycle we're experiencing right now in Western Canada into the dry cycle that will inevitably follow," Gray said. "No matter how great our duck populations may become in good years, we know that in many regions of the country our conservation efforts are exceeded by habitat loss. Our conserved habitats need to see waterfowl and other wildlife through both the good years and those where conditions aren't as favorable."
DUC is a private, nonprofit, charitable organization dedicated to conserving wetlands and associated habitats for the benefit of North America's waterfowl, which in turn provide healthy environments for wildlife and people. For more information, visit the DUC Web site at www.ducks.ca.
