Kentucky Duck Migration Report 2026

Duck observations in Kentucky usually climb from the week of Oct 26 and reach their fall high around the week of Nov 9; they stay above the halfway mark between their July level and that high through the week of Nov 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.

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources runs the Kentucky Waterfowl Ground Counts (Periodic Waterfowl Surveys and Ground Counts), midwinter survey, last published for February 2026 (12,441 ducks, 9,513 mallards). Each count links to the agency's own report.

In Kentucky, gadwall climb first, from around the week of Oct 26, and mallard 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.

Kentucky is in the Mississippi Flyway. The continent's busiest duck corridor, following the Mississippi River system. The freeze watch for Kentucky 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, Kentucky included.

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