Delaware Duck Migration Report 2026: Counts and Timing

Q: When do ducks migrate through Delaware?

Duck observations in Delaware usually climb from the week of Oct 26 and reach their fall high around the week of Nov 2; they stay above the halfway mark between their July level and that high through the week of Mar 30. That is from ten years of research grade iNaturalist observations, 2016 to 2025, counted as a share of all bird observations so the growth of the app does not skew it.

Q: Which ducks come through Delaware first?

In Delaware, blue-winged teal climb first, from around the week of Aug 31, and canvasback come last, from around the week of Dec 14. That is the week each species' share of bird observations first passes the halfway mark between its July level and its fall high; the species chart shows all of them week by week.

Q: What flyway is Delaware in?

Delaware is in the Atlantic Flyway. The eastern seaboard corridor, Maine to Florida, inland to West Virginia. The freeze watch for Delaware reads forecast lows at the Atlantic Flyway's northern staging areas: Presque Isle, Lake Champlain at Burlington, Watertown.

Q: How many ducks are on the continent this fall?

The 2026 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service breeding survey estimated 33.4 ± 0.6 million birds, 6% below the long-term average of 35.4 ± 0.09 million. That is the fall flight's starting point for every state, Delaware included.

Q: When does duck season open in Delaware?

Season dates, zones and bag limits for Delaware are set by the state wildlife agency inside the federal frameworks and are listed on the Delaware waterfowl season page, linked below.

Week of Nov 2

Usual fall high in observations

2016 to 2025

Week of Oct 26

Usually climbing from

halfway up from the July level

1

Agency survey

listed below

Atlantic

Flyway

freeze watch below

The agency counts

Where ducks are counted in Delaware

Midwinter survey

Aerial Waterfowl Survey

Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Fish and Wildlife

Last published midwinter survey, January 2026

59,709 ducks

18,363 of them mallards

22,649 American black ducks, the most in any January flight in the dataset since 1978, and 24,174 snow geese against 248,322 in 2025

Total added up from the published species counts

In the agency’s words

{"year":"2026","sum_atlantic_brant":"74","sum_canada_goose":"84257","sum_snow_goose":"24174",...,"sum_american_black_duck":"22649","sum_mallard":"18363","sum_northern_pintail":"5190"

Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Fish and Wildlife, January 2026. Read it at the source

Ducks, geese and swans across the eastern half of Delaware from the Pennsylvania line to the Maryland line, by species and survey zone, from the air; the January flight is the statewide Midwinter count and the fall flights cover the bayshore zones only

How often: Fall flights in October, November and December over three bayshore zones (zones 5 to 7), then one statewide January Midwinter flight over every zone
Season: October to January
Counted at: Zone 1, Pennsylvania State line south to the Delaware Memorial Bridge
Zone 2, Delaware Memorial Bridge to the C&D Canal
Zone 3, C&D Canal to Liston Point and Kenton
Zone 4, Liston Point to Route 6 Smyrna
and 7 more

The agency’s survey page The report this count is from Read October 8, 2026

The nearest other counts on the Atlantic Flyway

Counted through the season

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge Ground Waterfowl Survey

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge · Maryland · about 70 miles from Delaware

Last season’s count, March 19, 2026

469 ducks

62 of them mallards

In the agency’s words

Winter 2026 ... 3/19/2026 ... Mallard MALL ... 62 ... total waterfowl ... 621 ... total duck ... 469

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, March 19, 2026. Read it at the source

Ducks, geese, swans and other water birds on Blackwater NWR on Maryland's Eastern Shore, by species, from the ground, plus a January aerial survey

How often: Roughly weekly
Season: November to March
Highest published count: 5,613 ducks, January 2026
Counted at: Blackwater, Barren Island, Bishops Head, Smith Island, South Marsh and Bloodsworth Island

The agency’s survey page The report this count is from Read October 8, 2026

Midwinter survey

Midwinter Aerial Waterfowl Survey, Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Southeast Region National Wildlife Refuge System (Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge) · North Carolina · about 320 miles from Delaware

Last published midwinter survey, January 2026

217,264 dabbling ducks

45,097 diving ducks

9,474 of them mallards

286,972 total waterfowl, the second highest of 61 Southeast refuges flown, led by an estimated 82,671 American wigeon and 52,298 northern pintail

USFWS estimate, corrected for birds missed from the air

In the agency’s words

Mattamuskeet NWR 217,264 45,097 9,663 14,948 0 286,972 286,972

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Southeast Region National Wildlife Refuge System (Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge), January 6, 2026. Read it at the source

A January aerial survey of ducks, geese and swans on Mattamuskeet NWR and Lake Mattamuskeet in eastern North Carolina, reported as visibility corrected estimates by species and by guild, not raw counts

How often: One January aerial survey a year (Midwinter), published as a regional report the following spring
Season: January to January
Counted at: Open water transects (unit GX), Survey unit A, Survey unit B, Survey unit D, Survey unit E

The agency’s survey page The report this count is from Read October 8, 2026

Observations this week

Delaware against a normal year

Observations this week in Delaware

Duck observations here usually reach their fall high around the week of Nov 2. Counting this week’s research grade observations.

Observations this week in the Atlantic Flyway

Duck observations here usually reach their fall high around the week of Nov 9. Counting this week’s research grade observations.

Which ducks come through Delaware, and when

Each row is one species’ share of Delaware bird observations by week from August to July, darkest at its high point, from research grade iNaturalist observations 2016 to 2025. The last column is the week each species first comes four fifths of the way from its July level to its August to December high.

SpeciesAugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulUsual fall high

Mallarddabblingweek of Nov 2

Green-winged tealdabblingweek of Oct 26

Blue-winged tealdabblingweek of Sep 14

Northern pintaildabblingweek of Nov 2

American wigeondabblingweek of Nov 2

Gadwalldabblingweek of Nov 2

Wood duckdabblingno fall rise; as common in summer

Canvasbackdivingweek of Dec 21holds into winter

Greater scaupdivingweek of Nov 16holds into winter

Ring-necked duckdivingweek of Nov 30holds into winter

Buffleheaddivingweek of Dec 7

Common goldeneyedivingtoo few fall records

What moves the birds

Freeze watch up the Atlantic Flyway

When the shallow water at the northern staging areas locks up, dabbling ducks move south to open water. These are the National Weather Service seven day forecast lows there, with nights at or below 28°F marked.

Freeze watch on the Atlantic Flyway

Reading the seven day forecast lows at Presque Isle, Lake Champlain at Burlington, Watertown.

Two ring-necked ducks swimming in dark open water along the edge of a sheet of ice — Ring-necked ducks on the open water left at the ice edge, Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge, South Dakota. When the shallow pools lock up, the birds that feed in them have to move. “Ring-Necked Duck in Winter Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge South Dakota (54202161621)”, USFWS Mountain-Prairie (Liz Julian), Public domain

Delaware duck migration questions

When do ducks migrate through Delaware?

Where are ducks counted in Delaware?

Which ducks come through Delaware first?

What flyway is Delaware in?

How many ducks are on the continent this fall?

When does duck season open in Delaware?

More for the Delaware season

Duck migration on every flywayEvery agency count, the freeze watch and this week's observations, flyway by flyway.Delaware waterfowl seasonDuck season dates, zones and limits for Delaware.Delaware pheasant seasonOpening day and the agency's own outlook for Delaware.Fall bird migrationThe songbird and raptor migration, state by state.Eagle watchingWhere bald eagles gather at open water in winter.Hunting licensesWhat a license costs, and the duck stamp that goes with it.

Duck migration in other states

Agency counts read up to October 8, 2026, each from the page linked on its card, and the agency’s own report is the one that governs. Observation curves from iNaturalist research grade records 2016 to 2025; this week’s figures and the forecast lows are read when the page opens. Every state is on the duck migration report.