Nevada Duck Migration Report 2026: Counts and Timing

Q: Where is the nearest duck count to Nevada?

The nearest count flown this fall on the Pacific Flyway is the Summer Lake Wildlife Area Weekly Waterfowl Counts in Oregon, run by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (Summer Lake Wildlife Area), counted on October 7, 2026 (31,865 ducks). In Nevada itself, this week's iNaturalist observations are the running record.

Q: Which ducks come through Nevada first?

In Nevada, blue-winged teal climb first, from around the week of Sep 7, 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 Nevada in?

Nevada is in the Pacific Flyway. The western corridor from Alaska down the coast states and Great Basin. The freeze watch for Nevada reads forecast lows at the Pacific Flyway's northern staging areas: Freezeout Lake, Klamath Falls.

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, Nevada included.

Q: When does duck season open in Nevada?

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

Week of Nov 9

Usual fall high in observations

2016 to 2025

Week of Oct 19

Usually climbing from

halfway up from the July level

31,865

Nearest count, Oregon

ducks, October 7, 2026; about 380 miles away

Pacific

Flyway

freeze watch below

The agency counts

The nearest counts to Nevada on the Pacific Flyway

The nearest agency counts on the Pacific Flyway are in Oregon (about 380 miles away), measured center to center, so read them as the flyway’s trend rather than a count of Nevada’s own birds.

2026 fall count

Summer Lake Wildlife Area Weekly Waterfowl Counts

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (Summer Lake Wildlife Area) · Oregon · about 380 miles from Nevada

Counted October 7, 2026

31,865 ducks

470 snow and Ross's geese the same week

In the agency’s words

Summer Lake Wildlife Area Weekly Waterfowl Counts Ducks ... 9/22 - 9/28 33,285 ... 9/29 - 10/5 30,700 ... 10/6 - 10/12 31,865 44,802 50,856 97,073 36,057 60,839 59,687 39,728 42,368 42,785 51,879 57,925

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (Summer Lake Wildlife Area), October 7, 2026. Read it at the source

Ducks, geese, swans and coots on the Summer Lake Wildlife Area in south central Oregon, counted each week of the season and set against past years

How often: Weekly, early September to late January
Season: September to January
The usual peak: 10/6 - 10/12, the highest week in the Pre 5-Yr average column (57,925 ducks)
Long term: Pre 5-Yr average for 10/6 - 10/12: 57,925 ducks
Counted at: Summer Lake Wildlife Area

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

Observations this week

Nevada against a normal year

Observations this week in Nevada

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

Observations this week in the Pacific Flyway

Duck observations here usually reach their fall high around the week of Nov 16. Counting this week’s research grade observations.

Which ducks come through Nevada, and when

Each row is one species’ share of Nevada 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 23

Green-winged tealdabblingweek of Dec 14holds into winter

Blue-winged tealdabblingweek of Sep 14

Northern pintaildabblingweek of Dec 14

American wigeondabblingweek of Oct 26holds into winter

Gadwalldabblingweek of Nov 9holds into winter

Wood duckdabblingweek of Dec 14holds into winter

Canvasbackdivingweek of Dec 21holds into winter

Redheaddivingweek of Nov 9holds into winter

Lesser scaupdivingweek of Nov 2

Ring-necked duckdivingweek of Nov 23holds into winter

Buffleheaddivingweek of Oct 26

Common goldeneyedivingweek of Nov 30

What moves the birds

Freeze watch up the Pacific 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 Pacific Flyway

Reading the seven day forecast lows at Freezeout Lake, Klamath Falls.

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

Nevada duck migration questions

When do ducks migrate through Nevada?

Duck observations in Nevada usually climb from the week of Oct 19 and reach their fall high around the week of Nov 9, and the share stays that high into January; they stay above the halfway mark between their July level and that high through the week of Mar 23. 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.

Where is the nearest duck count to Nevada?

Which ducks come through Nevada first?

What flyway is Nevada in?

How many ducks are on the continent this fall?

When does duck season open in Nevada?

More for the Nevada season

Duck migration on every flywayEvery agency count, the freeze watch and this week's observations, flyway by flyway.Nevada waterfowl seasonDuck season dates, zones and limits for Nevada.Nevada pheasant seasonOpening day and the agency's own outlook for Nevada.Nevada sandhill cranesWhere and when the cranes stage in Nevada.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.