Field Reports: Spring Habitat Outlook
An overview of wetland conditions in key waterfowl breeding and migration areas
May 06, 2025 •
3
min read
By DU Field Biologists
Ducks Unlimited
DATA SHOWS PALMER DROUGHT INDICES WITH CATEGORIES CONSOLIDATED AND COLORED TO MATCH CURRENT CONDITIONS. CLIMATE ENGINE. 2025; DESERT RESEARCH INSTITUTE AND UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO. ACCESSED ON APRIL 1, 2025; HTTP://CLIMATEENGINE.ORG. NOAA NATIONAL CENTERS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION AND AGRICULTURE AND AGRI-FOOD CANADA.
1. WESTERN CANADA
In British Columbia, much of the interior and the Peace parklands have received below-average precipitation. Along the coast, runoff from recent mountain snowfall should help improve wetland conditions this spring. Waterfowl were already returning to the province in mid-March, with tundra swans leading the northward migration.
2. WESTERN BOREAL FOREST
Across the Boreal region, temperatures have been colder than average in the east and warmer than average in the west. A large portion of the Northwest Territories remains in a severe drought, and the snowpack there is below average. The outlook is brighter in northern portions of the prairie provinces, which have received average to above-average snowfall.
DU Canada
The runoff was well under way in southern portions of Prairie Canada in late March.
3. PRAIRIE CANADA
Winter precipitation ranged from less than half of the average in southwest Manitoba to near average across most of Alberta. Temperatures have been consistently above average in March, and snowmelt appears to be soaking into dry soils in many areas, which may limit wetland-replenishing runoff. As of late March, many wetlands were beginning to thaw, and Canada geese, mallards, and other waterfowl species were arriving in the south.
4. CENTRAL CANADA
Above-average temperatures in March caused a rapid runoff in southern Ontario and Quebec, filling wetlands and leaving sheet water in agricultural fields. The migration was progressing rapidly by the end of the month, and increasing numbers of waterfowl were gathering on suitable habitats. Overall, the outlook is bright for migrating and breeding waterfowl in the region this spring.
5. ATLANTIC CANADA
Spring arrived early across Atlantic Canada, and many wetlands have already thawed. Pairs of mallards, American black ducks, and Canada geese have been observed on wetlands, suggesting that an early start to the breeding season is under way. Increasing numbers of migrating waterfowl were also arriving from the south and gathering on traditional staging areas.
Ben Romans, DU
Although pockets of good wetland conditions exist in eastern North Dakota, much of the US portion of the Prairie Pothole Region could use additional precipitation.
6. NORTH-CENTRAL US
Drought persists across much of South Dakota as well as in portions of North Dakota, Montana, and western Minnesota. A March winter storm brought measurable snowfall to parts of the Great Plains, and a rapid warm-up resulted in a quick melt. Many prairie pothole wetlands captured this runoff, but in areas with dry soils, the surface water will likely soak into the ground without additional precipitation. As of mid-March, DU biologists were observing large numbers of migrating ducks and geese moving through the region.
7. GREAT LAKES/NORTHEASTERN US
Late-winter and early-spring precipitation has been stingy across the Great Lakes and northeastern United States, and substantial spring rainfall will be needed to improve wetland conditions for breeding waterfowl. Relatively mild weather has brought good northward pushes of migrating ducks and geese, which are staging in areas with favorable habitat.
8. WESTERN US
The West Coast received numerous Pacific storms this winter, providing much-needed precipitation across the region. In California’s Central Valley, average wetland conditions are expected for breeding waterfowl this spring. Current conditions in the Klamath Basin are excellent, resulting in a large wetland footprint for staging and local nesting waterfowl. Recent winter storms across northern Utah have pushed the mountain snowpack to above-average levels, which will likely provide sufficient runoff to sustain Great Salt Lake habitats. In Alaska, precipitation has been variable, with an above-average snowpack on the North Slope and in the interior, while most of southwest Alaska has a below-average snowpack.
