North Dakota spring duck numbers, wetland conditions, improve from 2021

BISMARCK – Breeding duck numbers are up 16% from final 12 months at 3.4 million birds, the North Dakota Sport and Fish Division stated Thursday in reporting outcomes from its seventy fifth annual spring breeding duck survey carried out in Could.

The index was the Twenty third-highest on report and stands 38% above the long-term (1948-2021) common, stated Mike Szymanski, migratory sport fowl supervisor for Sport and Fish in Bismarck.

Indices for many species, apart from green-winged teal, gadwall, wigeon and blue-winged teal, elevated from 2021, the division stated. Mallards had been up 58% from 2021 and represented the Twenty fifth-highest rely on report. The ruddy duck index elevated 157%, shovelers and pintails elevated 126% and 108%, respectively, and different will increase ranged from 4% for scaup to 69% for canvasbacks.

Decreases from the 2021 index had been noticed for green-winged teal ( down 42%), gadwall (-36%), wigeon (-10%) and blue-winged teal (-4%), the survey confirmed.

“It’s vital to notice that a few of our statewide will increase in species counts won’t mirror broader-scale inhabitants developments, particularly for pintails,” Szymanski stated. “The abnormally moist situations within the state are doubtless holding the next share of breeding pintails than regular. We’re coming off a really dry 12 months that resulted in low replica, range-wide, for a lot of species.”

The variety of momentary and seasonal wetlands was considerably greater than final 12 months, as figures present the spring water index is up 616%, the biggest single 12 months enhance on report for the survey. The water index is predicated on basins with water and doesn’t essentially characterize the quantity of water contained in wetlands or the kind of wetlands represented. Constant precipitation and funky climate main as much as the survey left lots of water on the panorama in ditches and intermittent streams.

“Apart from being our seventy fifth consecutive survey 12 months, this was an attention-grabbing survey, as we’ve gone backwards and forwards between moist and dry situations over the previous couple of years,” Szymanski stated. “We really had our second highest wetland index within the state, which is essentially made up of water that’ll dry up pretty rapidly. However ponds which might be vital for brood-rearing habitat have rebounded properly as nicely.

“Loads can change between Could and searching season, so we’ll get a number of extra seems from our July brood index and our September wetland rely,” he added. “However duck manufacturing must be a bit of bit higher this 12 months than it was final 12 months as a result of a stronger breeding effort. Nonetheless, we proceed to lose grass in upland nesting websites that can diminish reproductive potential for geese within the state. Regardless of anticipated low Canada goose manufacturing this 12 months because of the harsh situations in April, we did have a report variety of geese on breeding territories, so searching alternatives for these birds must be fairly good once more this 12 months.”