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- For migration viewing hot spots in your area, contact your local DUC office.
- Visit DUC’s Migration Station for quick migration facts.
Waterfowl flock to wetlands
Witness the magic of migration at one of the migration viewing hot spots in British Columbia!
Surrey, B.C., October 5, 2006—This fall Canadians may witness one of the best migration spectacles in years, as flocks of waterfowl converge on wetlands to rest and fuel up for their southward journeys.
Across Canada, waterfowl populations are up over last year due to better water conditions in primary breeding areas - where Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and its conservation partners are working to improve habitat for waterfowl and increase viewing opportunities for people.
According to a Spring Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey conducted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and Canadian Wildlife Service, there were an estimated 36 million breeding ducks in traditional surveyed areas this spring – 14 per cent greater than last year’s estimate and 9 per cent above the long-term average.
Dr. Henry Murkin, national conservation director for DUC, says “When the ecological integrity of prime waterfowl habitat like wetlands and upland cover is maintained, birds can respond when water returns to these landscapes. This year is an excellent example of what our collective conservation, restoration and management efforts can accomplish – and waterfowl, other wildlife and people reap the rewards.”
The following are some DUC-recommended hot spots for migration viewing in BC this fall that are among the over 520 wetland habitat conservation projects DUC has completed in the province:
- South Charlie Lake (Fort. St. John)
- McQueen Slough (Dawson Creek)
- Scout Island (Williams Lake)
- 100 Mile Marsh (100 Mile House)
- Shuswap Lake/Salmon Arm foreshore (Salmon Arm)
- Swan Lake/Anderson Property (Vernon)
- Creston Wildlife Management Area (Creston)
- Columbia Wetlands/Windermere Lake (Invermere)
- Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary (Delta)
- Cheam Lake Wetlands Regional Park (Chilliwack)
- Buttertubs Marsh (Nanaimo)
Visit DUC’s Migration Station for quick migration facts.
For more information about BC sites, please contact the following DUC representatives:
Fort St. John, Dawson Creek
Brad Arner
Phone: 250-786-0220
b_arner@ducks.ca
Williams Lake, 100 Mile House, Salmon Arm, Creston, Invermere, Merritt
Bruce Harrison
Phone: 250-374-8307
b_harrison@ducks.ca
Delta, Chilliwack, Nanaimo
Dan Buffett
Phone: 604-592-0987
d_buffett@ducks.ca
