Snow geese land at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Dorchester County Department of Natural Resources photo.
Above average Canada goose and diving duck numbers likely reflect colder winter
Maryland 2026 - During the first week of January, aerial survey teams of pilots and biologists from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted the annual inventory of ducks, geese and swans wintering along the state’s Chesapeake Bay, tidal Potomac River and Atlantic coast shorelines. This year, the survey teams counted about 926,900 waterfowl which was higher than both the 705,300 birds observed in 2025 and the most recent five-year average of 684,280 birds.
“The Mid-Winter waterfowl survey allows our biologists to assemble a long-term picture of wintering waterfowl abundance and distribution,” said Wildlife and Heritage Director Karina Stonesifer. “Waterfowl are continuously responding to environmental cues, including weather, food availability, and habitat quality.”
Overall, dabbling duck numbers (117,300) were lower than the 2025 count of 126,000 birds. The number of mallards (63,900) and black ducks (33,600) were higher than their respective 5-year averages (56,320 and 30,360). Diving duck numbers (239,100) were higher than the 100,200 ducks counted in 2025 and the 5-year average (145,860).
Biologists counted 509,400 Canada geese in the 2026 survey effort which was more than the 414,200 geese counted in 2025 and the 5-year average (391,200). Overall, higher Canada goose and diving duck numbers likely reflect the cold weather experienced by the northeast and mid-Atlantic regions during December and January.
The Midwinter Waterfowl Survey has been conducted annually since the early 1960s and covers most of the tidal shorelines and near-shore waterfowl habitat in Maryland (see below for survey results from the past 5 years).
