Iowa Duck Migration Report 2026

Duck observations in Iowa usually jump to their fall high in a single week, around the week of Nov 2; they stay above the halfway mark between their July level and that high through the week of Dec 21. 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.

Iowa Department of Natural Resources runs the Fall Migration Waterfowl Survey (Waterfowl Migration Report), last counted on October 2, 2026 (30,390 ducks). Illinois Natural History Survey (Forbes Biological Station) runs the INHS Waterfowl Aerial Inventory, Central Mississippi River, last counted on September 23, 2026 (4,275 ducks, 395 mallards). Each count links to the agency's own report.

Iowa is in the Mississippi Flyway. The continent's busiest duck corridor, following the Mississippi River system. The freeze watch for Iowa reads forecast lows at the Mississippi Flyway's northern staging areas: Bemidji, Fergus Falls, Green Bay, Alpena, Saginaw Bay.

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, Iowa included.

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