Waterfowl populations are driven by habitat, not harvest. As the Prairie Pothole Region dries and grasslands vanish, ducks lose the breeding grounds they depend on. The 2025 survey shows early migrants like mallards bypassed dry areas, leading to fewer ducks. Conservation must focus on protecting wetlands and uplands.

"While ducks are often described as seasonally monogamous, genetic studies across multiple species reveal a far more complex reality. Females routinely produce clutches fertilized by multiple males through extra-pair copulations and specialized storage mechanisms. This reproductive strategy increases genetic diversity within broods and shapes the dynamics of sexual selection, gene flow, and population structure in wild duck populations."

In recent years, the Great Lakes region has witnessed a concerning trend that echoes the ecological dynamics observed in the Atlantic...

The study of waterfowl, a group that includes some of the most migratory bird species on the planet, has long presented a unique set of...