Bird Counts
Duck numbers improved
The situation varies among areas, but breeding wetlands improved enough last spring to produce duck numbers above the long term
Dakota Country Staff Report Courtesy ND Game / Fish Dept.
A
As far as predicting various wildlife populations status each year, nowhere is it likely more erratic than in the Dakotas.
In many respects we have an abundance of wildlife. But we also have a myriad of factors that determine the plus or minus of wildlife populations. Things can change fairly quickly.
Last spring, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’ s 78th annual breeding duck survey showed an index of about 2.7 million birds, down from 2.9 million in 2024 and 3.4 million in 2023. The 2025 breeding duck index was not the best, largely due to fewer wetlands, grasslands and, well, habitat. Same old story.
The breeding duck count last spring was 33rd on the list of best production for the last nearly eight decades. At the time, Mike Szymanski, Department migratory game bird supervisor, had mixed reviews.
“ Things are continuing to decline a little bit as far as duck populations go,” Szymanski said last spring after the survey.“ The mallard population estimate was down 26 percent from last year and is the lowest estimated mallard breeding population
Bill Mitzel photos.
on our survey since 1993. Bluewinged teal, green-winged teal and pintails also had significant population declines, whereas the declines for gadwall, shovelers and ruddy ducks were not as significant. We did have a few species-- wigeon, canvasbacks, redheads and lesser scaup-- that showed increases from last year on our survey.”
Several factors play into the spring index, including poor wetland conditions among the most important.
“ We’ ve lost so much grass
Page 42, Dakota Country, September 2025 www. dakotacountrymagazine. com