Wyoming Game and Fish conducts annual mid-winter waterfowl survey
Annually in January, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department surveys waterfowl across much of the Central Flyway in Wyoming. The survey is a coordinated effort between state and federal agencies to estimate duck, goose, and swan populations across the country. The mid-winter waterfowl survey tracks changes in wintering concentrations and distribution of waterfowl and is one of the only methods to monitor population trends of many arctic nesting species that breed in remote and difficult to survey locations.
The 2016 survey counted 69,761 total waterfowl in Wyoming. This is a 32.5 percent decrease from 103,390 total waterfowl in 2015.
“Winter Storm Echo delivered 6-12 inches of snow across much of Wyoming in mid-December 2015. This snowfall, along with colder temperatures in late-December, led to many birds heading south. Montana has also had a mild winter and many birds chose to stay further north this year. Both of these scenarios likely led to the lowest numbers of waterfowl counted in Wyoming in the last five years,” said Nate Huck, Wyoming Game and Fish migratory game bird biologist.
The highest concentration of waterfowl in Wyoming was found along a four-mile stretch of the North Platte River near Lingle. On that stretch 28,000 mallards and 3,500 Canada geese were counted. Trumpeter swans saw a nearly 93.6 percent increase to 91 birds. This was the highest swan total in the last five years.
“The biggest surprise of the survey was eight sandhill cranes along the Bighorn River near Kirby; these were the only sandhill cranes counted in the mid-winter survey in the last five years in Wyoming,” said Huck.
The waterfowl survey is one of the longest running coordinated waterfowl surveys in the country and has been operational since 1935.
The 2016 survey counted 69,761 total waterfowl in Wyoming. This is a 32.5 percent decrease from 103,390 total waterfowl in 2015.
“Winter Storm Echo delivered 6-12 inches of snow across much of Wyoming in mid-December 2015. This snowfall, along with colder temperatures in late-December, led to many birds heading south. Montana has also had a mild winter and many birds chose to stay further north this year. Both of these scenarios likely led to the lowest numbers of waterfowl counted in Wyoming in the last five years,” said Nate Huck, Wyoming Game and Fish migratory game bird biologist.
The highest concentration of waterfowl in Wyoming was found along a four-mile stretch of the North Platte River near Lingle. On that stretch 28,000 mallards and 3,500 Canada geese were counted. Trumpeter swans saw a nearly 93.6 percent increase to 91 birds. This was the highest swan total in the last five years.
“The biggest surprise of the survey was eight sandhill cranes along the Bighorn River near Kirby; these were the only sandhill cranes counted in the mid-winter survey in the last five years in Wyoming,” said Huck.
The waterfowl survey is one of the longest running coordinated waterfowl surveys in the country and has been operational since 1935.
Wyoming Game and Fish (307) 777-4600
