California Department of Fish and Wildlife Reports Significant Decline in 2024 Waterfowl Breeding Population
Press release from CDFW:
Waterfowl at Yolo Wildlife Area on January 31, 2020. (CDFW Photo/Travis VanZant)
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has completed its 2024 waterfowl breeding population survey. The resulting data indicate the overall number of breeding ducks has decreased by 25 percent, while mallards decreased 12 percent, the most abundant duck in the survey.
“Despite another good water year, the lack of adequate nesting habitat, particularly in the Central Valley, continues to restrict waterfowl population growth in California” said CDFW Waterfowl Program Biologist Melanie Weaver.
The complete 2024 California Waterfowl Breeding Population Survey Report is available at the CDFW website.
The total numbers of ducks (all species combined) decreased from 495,438 in 2023 to 373,864 this year. This estimate is 30 percent below the long-term average.
The estimated breeding population of mallards decreased from 202,108 in 2023 to 177,828 this year, while also below their long-term average. The long-term declines are largely attributed to the loss of nesting habitat for ducks. Additionally, the impact of recent drought conditions likely have exacerbated these declines.
CDFW biologists and warden-pilots have conducted this survey annually using fixed-wing aircraft since 1948. The population estimates are for those areas where the vast majority of waterfowl nesting occurs in California, including wetland and agricultural areas in northeastern California, throughout the Central Valley, the Suisun Marsh and some coastal valleys.
The majority of California’s wintering duck population originates from breeding areas surveyed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in Alaska and Canada, and these results should be available by August. CDFW survey information, along with similar data from other Pacific Flyway states, is used by the USFWS and the Pacific Flyway Council when setting hunting regulations for the Pacific Flyway states, including California.
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Time to start converting some of that grazing land into wildlife habitat.
We need to get our priorities straight.
I completely agree 100% with your comment!
The “farmers” of the central valley are extremely powerful politically. Nothing they stand against is likely to happen.
Ahhh, cows don’t graze in marshy ponded or non ponded rice fields. That’s malinformation. This is another reason giant bird chopping windmills should be banned forever. The Democrat man caused ring grabbers are now willing to reduce the waterfowl population even further so they can drive a Tesla and control their home temperature via their hand help brain cancer causing phone.
These people never learn and will have to find out the hard way when they can no longer have their big sugar daddy fund their existence because they are failures in life. Perhaps the climate cultists should petition the Mexican government to put a limit on how many ducks can be taken in a day. There have none now. The ducks on the Pacific Flyway end up there as a final destination until they turn around and fly back. Having a clue about wildlife ecology and migration is important so as to not blame farmers, cows, or the climate for killing ducks.
You don’t get out much, do you.
Former wetlands are heavily used for pastures.
You don’t need to go further than the Eel River or Mad River bottoms to see that.
And, speaking of Mexico: The Colorado River delta used to be one of the most productive habitats on Earth. It no longer really even exists because the Colorado River water is siphoned off before it even gets to Mexico so the US can irrigate alfalfa, cotton, pastures, lawns, and golf courses.
I definitely don’t agree with Al guy above on most things, but you have to admit that we might be having an adverse impact on birds with the amount of windmills going up. How much o can’t say but he’s not 100 % wrong. Also, we aren’t sure how they will affect whales. I’m on board with the windmills, they need to happen. But there are some issues we shouldn’t gloss over just because loud annoying people talk about them.
We do know about whales, though.
And there is no evidence of whale fatalities from wind turbines.
Onshore turbines do harm some birds, but that is minimal when compared with other hazards- especially climate change and habitat loss.
Still, one of the benefits of offshore wind is that it has not been shown to cause bird fatalities.
Yeah….that Colorado River Compact. 7 states, upper and lower basins. Of all the lower basin water, CA swipes 55% of it, around 4.4m acre/ft, including 1.5m ac/ft from Mexico. Nevada, in all it’s showcasing, gets a measly 300k ac/ft for all it’s needs. They are the masters of recycling water, if you can believe that. Then you include what’s siphoned off from every river north to the Oregon border and you realize just how much Southern CA sucks the rest of the southwest US dry, while a LOT of ag products don’t even stay in the states. https://eos.org/features/fixing-the-flawed-colorado-river-compact
There’s a lot of land that could be pulled back from that grazing inventory and returned to wetlands to encourage habitat renewal. It will be done one way or another, really. If sea levels rise only a foot or two in a hundred years that is still significant lowland flooding where a lot of former marsh-now-grazing lands have dried out and are actually below sea level. Protective levees would have to be doubled in height regardless of personal opinions on climate change to avoid being flooded. And all it takes is a single breech and someone’s entire herd is gone, as is the land. Might as well convert it.
The cows out Ruth lake like that marshy wet ground just fine. Check out the herd at the top of the lake.
Originally the Central valley was mostly riparian woodland, that would seasonally flood.
No mention of avian flue?
shhhh….don’t worry your little head about it…
meanwhile…actuaries are telling us that US citizens are dying sooner than their parents
hmmmm….whatever could it be?
Fish and game should have been doing habitat restoration a long time ago. There always blowing the whistle when it’s too late. Such a shame that all the hunters and fishermen buy these bull shit license to see no improvements on wildlife.
What did you expect?
CDF@G Humboldt County is a joke; miles of coastal migratory bird habitat
(Pacific Flyway) has been destroyed by an idiot-level weeding program.
CDF@G’s Leppig looked the other way while rare habitat was destroyed.
Miles and miles of wetlands torn to shit for what?
You do know @ is the symbol for “at”. I think you want to use he ampersand “&” which is the symbol for “and”. 🙂
Thanks, you are right, I’ll remember that.
You’re welcome
Ducks and geese aren’t typically found in sand dunes, Dan. When are you going to use a current photo to make your case?
Not now. Sadly.
We used to attract a colorful dabbling breed (Wigeon?) in the rainy season.
The depth of Manila’s deflation plane wetland was better than knee-deep,
forested and becoming more deep and stable every year.
Then the moronic “weed” removal began, many wetlands disappeared,
the foredunes blew out and the deflation plane drained.
CsM what quality do you find that grass removal has enhanced?
I see nothing but great erosion, diminished resources and no gain.
Invasive plant removal absolutely improved species richness and diversity in restored generas compared to June areas dominated by invasive grasses.
Thank you for your opposing viewpoint!
Other than personal experiences can you point to some online evidence for us please?
No, they can’t. You do not increase biodiversity on a
sand peninsula by removing root mass.
Root mass creates wetlands and their functions.
Coastal wetlands are the most biodiverse of all habitats.
The sheer dishonesty of the projects on the peninsula has led to loss of wildlife, migratory birds and stability.
Bull Shit! Open your eyes, and stop repeating the lies.
Please tell us where we will find greater diversity in life,
where vegetation has been removed.
Personal anecdote:
In early 1970s before Dawn I remember while driving through Tule Lake seeing many many large islands. Breaking Dawn light revealed the “islands” were millions of birds gathered on the lake.
By 1975 such a sight could not be seen…
The last drive through 30 years ago there was no lake.