The survey results reveal a significant decline in the number of breeding ducks in California. Overall, the breeding duck population has decreased by 25 percent compared to last year, with mallards—the most abundant duck species in the survey—seeing a 12 percent decline.
CDFW Waterfowl Program Biologist, Melanie Weaver, highlighted the ongoing challenges, stating, “Despite another good water year, the lack of adequate nesting habitat, particularly in the Central Valley, continues to restrict waterfowl population growth in California.”
The total number of ducks (all species combined) dropped from 495,438 in 2023 to 373,884 in 2024. This figure 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, also below their long-term average. The decline is attributed primarily to the loss of nesting habitat and the impacts of recent drought conditions.
The survey, conducted annually since 1948 using fixed-wing aircraft, provides population estimates for areas where the majority of waterfowl nesting occurs in California. These areas include wetland and agricultural regions in northeastern California, the Central Valley, the Suisun Marsh, and some coastal valleys.
Most of California’s wintering duck population comes from breeding areas surveyed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in Alaska and Canada. The results from these surveys should be available by August. The CDFW survey information, alongside data from other Pacific Flyway states, is used by the USFWS and the Pacific Flyway Council to set hunting regulations for the Pacific Flyway states, including California.
The full 2024 California Waterfowl Breeding Population Survey Report is available on the [CDFW website](https://wildlife.ca.gov).
For further details and ongoing updates, please visit the CDFW website and stay informed about the status of waterfowl populations and conservation efforts in California.
