The preliminary estimate of total ducks from the 2008 Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey was just over 37 million. This is a 9 percent decline from last year’s estimate, but still 11 percent greater than the 1955-2007 average.

In the U.S. and Canadian prairies, population estimates of many species declined. Populations increased in the boreal forest to the north, likely reflecting in part the birds that overflew the prairies because of drier habitat conditions.

The Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey samples 2 million square miles across the north-central and northeastern United States, south-central, eastern and northern Canada, and Alaska. The survey estimates the number of ducks on the continent’s most important nesting grounds.

Overall, habitat conditions for breeding waterfowl in 2008 were generally similar to, or somewhat worse than, conditions in 2007. The total pond estimate was 4.4 million. This was 37 percent below last year’s estimate of 7.0 million ponds and 10 percent below the long-term average of 4.9 million.

The annual survey guides the U.S. Wildlife Service’s waterfowl conservation programs under authority of the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The Wildlife Service works in partnership with state biologists from the four flyways — the Atlantic, Mississippi, Central and Pacific — to establish regulatory frameworks for waterfowl hunting season lengths, dates and bag limits.

Highlights from the survey in the north-central United States, south-central and northern Canada, and Alaska include:

Mallard estimated population of 7.7 million birds, similar to last year’s estimate of 8.3 million birds and the long-term average;

Blue-winged teal estimated population of 6.6 million birds, similar to last year’s estimate of 6.7 million birds and 45 percent above the long-term average;

The estimated population of green-winged teal stands at 3.0 million and is similar to last year and 57 percent above the long-term average;

The estimated population of 2.7 million gadwall was 19 percent below last year and 56 percent above the long-term average;

The estimated number of 1.1 million redheads was similar to last year and was 66 percent above the long-term average;

The canvasback estimate was 489,000, which is 44 percent below last year’s estimate of 865,000 and 14 percent below the long-term average;

The estimated abundance of northern shovelers, at 3.5 million was 23 percent below last year and 56 percent above their long-term average;

Scaup (lesser and greater combined), estimated at 3.7 million, were similar to last year and 27 percent below the long-term average; and

The 2.6 million estimate for northern pintails is 22 percent below last year and 36 percent below the 1955-2007 average.

Population estimates for American black ducks, ring-necked ducks, American wigeon, bufflehead, goldeneye and mergansers surveyed in eastern North America were similar to last year as well as their 1990-2007 averages.

The entire 2008 Trends in Duck Breeding Populations report can be downloaded from the service’s Web site at www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/.

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