You can now preview waterfowl populations and the condition of spring breeding habitats at Flyways.us. Pilot/biologists and observers are just finishing up aerial and ground surveys across the northern United States and Canada, gathering information on waterfowl and habitat conditions to develop the population estimates that will be used to help set fall hunting regulations. These survey crews have been posting brief reports, photos and even a few a few "bird's-eye" video clips of what they were seeing as they criss-crossed the "duck factory" in May and June. Their reports are a precursor to the Waterfowl Population Status report published in July as part of the regulation-setting process. The website offers a sneak peek at conditions before they are officially reported.
But the Flyways.US website offers far more than just survey information. It is a repository for most information related to waterfowl management in North America, including:
Searchable waterfowl banding database?database of all waterfowl banded and recovered in North American since 1914. Search by species, state or flyway, or type in a specific band number, and see where that bird was banded and recovered;
Custom harvest trends report generator?database of harvest estimates for all huntable waterfowl species since 1964. Build custom reports that show how the harvest numbers for a certain species (or all waterfowl collectively) change over time by state, flyway or nationally;
Flyways.US is a collaborative venture between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Migratory Bird Management, the Flyway Councils, and state waterfowl managers. More functions, features, updates and upgrades are added frequently.
