The Effects of Climate Change on
Waterfowl Migration Flyway Habitat in
North America
By Jason Preuett
Southern University
Urban Forestry
Topics
Introduction
Behavior and Migration
Habitat and Behavior
Waterfowl and Ecosystem
relationship
Migration Routes
Regions
Solutions
Conclusion
Introduction
Wetland habitat loss and warmer temperatures affect waterfowl
nesting timing, habitat, and available food source during migration
routes
According to the Wildlife Society, the ranges of habitats and
wildlife are predicted to move northward as temperatures increase
limited by migratory pathways, pollinator availability, and
concurrent movement of forage and prey
Waterfowl habitat is affected by urban growth, wetland loss, and
agricultural use
The effects of global warming on waterfowl populations and range
distributions can be negative or positive
Behavior and Migration Factors
Disruption of ecological processes,
displacement, or disruption of coastal wetlands
and alpine ecosystems
Migration timing and distance is affected by
global warming
Warmer temperatures would limit the need for
waterfowl to fly far south to find suitable habitat
for shelter and food
Nesting and reproductive behavior can be
altered with changes in weather
Habitat and Behavior
Forests, lakes, prairie, rivers, and wetlands directly affected.
The temperature increase can potentially result in precipitation
patterns changes and extreme weather of more frequent
droughts and flooding
Timing of migration for waterfowl is associated with seasonal
and annual periods of precipitation and flooding and food
availability affecting habitats
Nesting behavior can be indirectly affected by climate
conditions
Migratory waterfowl population is greatly affected year to year
by breeding success
The loss of habitat in available adequate wetlands and
grassland habitats plays a greater role
Picture Source: Ducks Unlimited – Northern Pintail
Waterfowl and Ecosystem
Relationship
• Waterfowl disburse seed and contribute
nutrients
• Depend on insects, grasses, and seeds in
migration and raising young
• Plays an important role as indicators of
overall health of natural systems due to
sensitivity to changes (National Wildlife
Federation 2005)
North America Flyways
Picture Source: Ducks Unlimited
Picture Source: Birdnature.org
Migration Routes
• Migration routes are also called flyways
consisting of Atlantic, Mississippi, Central,
and Pacific flyways
• Follow a north or south direction following
coasts, mountain ranges, rivers, and other
water bodies
• Timing and range of travel is affected by
climate and timing of food supply
Picture Source: Birdnature.org
Atlantic Flyway
• The prairie regions along this route cover
part of Pothole Region containing shallow
wetlands
• The coastal routes for migratory waterfowl
of canvasbacks, redheads, and lesser
scanups are used for travel to winter
habitat in the water and marshes south of
Delaware bay
Picture Source: Birdnature.org
Central Flyway
• Called the flyway of the Great Plains because it
includes the regions between the Mississippi
river valley and the Rocky Mountains
• Flyway merges east toward the Mississippi
flyway due the direction of the Missouri river
• Western boundary serves an important function
as breeding areas
• Majority of the Travel fly north to south toward
wintering grounds
Picture Source: Birdnature.org
Mississippi Flyway
• Longest migration route in the Western
Hemisphere merging in parts of the
Central flyway
Areas along the Mississippi river provide
cover and habitat for large numbers of
ducks, geese, shorebirds, and songbirds
Pacific Flyway
• Includes vast regions important for
breeding grounds in Alaska and Canada
• The migrating birds use wintering grounds
in California in the United States that do
not travel to Mexico or other flyways
Regions Along Flyways
Picture Source: Hunting Society.org – Wood Ducks
Regions
• Prairie Pothole Region
• Boreal Forests, Tundra, and other Arctic
Habitat
• Gulf Coast
• Atlantic Coast
• Pacific Coast
• Inland Regions: River Basins and
Freshwater Lakes
Prairie Pothole Region
Made up of shallow wetlands located in the north-central
United States and south-central Canada known as the
continent’s duck factory
Makes up only ten percent of the North American breeding
habitat, but produces 50 to 80 percent of the total duck
population
Climate change would affect the breeding success through
drought by causing reduced clutch sizes, shorter nesting
seasons, lower nesting success, and lower brood survival
Changes in climate reduce wetland pockets
Picture Source: tabletpcbuzz.com
Boreal Forests, Tundra, and other Arctic Habitat
Exist in Alaska and northern Canada
In Alaska 20 percent of North America
waterfowl breeding habitat
The region is warming up the fastest with
unknown affects on waterfowl nesting and
breeding
Scanup and scoter duck species have been
declining
Gulf Coast
Provides winter habitat with the wetlands located in the
southern part of the Mississippi flyway
Problems are the rising sea level and the loss of
wetlands affects species like lesser scanup and northern
pintail
If losses are severe, the migrating waterfowl would
redistribute inland affecting wintering waterfowl in cold
years
Species at the greatest risks include redheads, lesser
scanup, and canvasbacks
Shallow agricultural lands may service as alternative
food source for most dabbling ducks like mallards,
northern pintails, northern shovelers, and mottled ducks
Atlantic Coast
Includes Florida, Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay and part of the
Atlantic flyway
Affects the stream flows by altering local salinity and nutrients
loading degrading water quality and aquatic plants
Chesapeake Bay used by nearly 1 million waterfowl (ducks,
geese, and swans) during winter
Waterfowl population that uses the area during winter has
dropped significantly
In Florida, wetland habitat loss from urban development has lead
to saltwater intrusion and loss of winter habitat
Picture Source: Ducks Unlimited - Canvasbacks
Pacific Coast
Includes San Francisco Bay, San Diego Bay, Puget Sound, and
the Fraiser river delta in Canada
Covers the Pacific flyway providing critical habitat for resident and
migrating waterfowl
Rise in sea levels, inland precipitation pattern changes, and
decline in snow pack mountains could affect the region’s coastal
marshes and estuaries
Changes could alter key food sources and distribution affecting
the diving ducks canvasbacks and ruddy ducks
Picture Source: Ducks Unlimited Ruddy Duck
Inland Regions: River Basins and
Freshwater Lakes
• Areas are valuable for stopovers provide shelter areas
and food source
• Changes in precipitation patterns may alter the amount
of seasonal water flow and volume
• Great Lake areas where the possible combined changes
in breeding and migration habitats could lower
populations from 19 to 39 percent in these regions by
2030
• Great lake region supports diving and sea ducks and
projected to have increased evaporation with higher
temperatures causing the lake levels to drop reducing
submerged vegetation food source
Solutions
1.) Enhance current waterfowl and habitat
conservation efforts
2.) Incorporate global warming and
associated climate change into long-term
resource management and planning
3.)Reduce the amount of carbon released in
the air
Source: Waterfowler’s Guide to Global
Warming
Conclusions
• Climate change can potentially alter waterfowl habitats
and behavior
• Behavior changes act as a survival tool
• Potential migrations routes could travel shorter distances
south for winter habitats and more northern migration for
breeding grounds
• Changes in habitat flyways affect the survival and
resources that migratory waterfowl use.
• Habitat loss of wetlands can have major effects on the
behavior by changing seasonal precipitation and food
availability along migrating waterfowl.
• Management decisions of natural habitats and waterfowl
populations will be important in the future.
Any Questions