While Iowa's annual migration originates from across the Northern United States and Canada, the vast majority of our wintering ducks come to us from the Prairie Pothole Region, also know as the "Duck Factory".
This "Duck Factory" has been Ducks Unlimited's #1 conservation priority area since the organization's inception in 1937.
Our science tells us that there is no place on this continent where we can have a bigger impact on waterfowl populations than the prairies. Ducks Unlimited will continue to keep this critical conservation focus now and in the future.
These banding maps show just how important the Prairie Pothole Region is to Iowa and to the rest of the country.
These returns represent birds banded in the year they were born in the Prairie Pothole Region and harvested the subsequent season. They include reported bands from 1937 to 2005. While all banding data is important to scientists, these "Young of the Year" returns are the best way to measure the direct impact the prairies have on your state.
Iowa Band Return Map
Click on map to download larger PDF version.
North American Band Return Map
Click on map to download larger PDF version.