MADISON – Wisconsin’s spring waterfowl survey is showing stable population numbers and habitat conditions for migratory birds, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
The DNR says surveyors estimated the state’s 2026 breeding duck population at 571,460 birds. That is a one percent increase from 2025 and 28 percent above the long-term average. The department says the survey has been conducted annually since 1973, except for 2020, and the results are best viewed as trends over several years rather than one-year comparisons.
The 2026 mallard breeding population estimate is 162,894 birds, up five percent from 2025 but still eight percent below the long-term average. Wood ducks are up six percent from 2025 and remain 12 percent above the long-term average. Blue-winged teal were estimated at 111,917, up 19 percent from 2025 and seven percent above the long-term average.
The Canada goose population estimate is two percent lower than 2025 but remains 13 percent higher than the long-term average. The DNR says the survey data help guide waterfowl management decisions in Wisconsin and are also used as part of the broader North American breeding waterfowl survey.
The results have local relevance in the Dodge County area. The DNR says Horicon Marsh is co-managed by the state and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with management focused on enhancing habitat for migratory waterfowl and waterbirds. The DNR says hundreds of thousands of ducks and tens of thousands of Canada geese and sandhill cranes migrate through Horicon Marsh during spring and fall.
The DNR is also pointing waterfowl hunters to the Waterfowl Hunters Expo, scheduled for Aug. 21 and 22 at the Sunnyview Expo Center in Oshkosh. The event website lists hours of 12PM to 6PM Aug. 21 and 8AM to 4PM Aug. 22, with vendors, seminars, calling championships, youth activities, and conservation-related programming.
