North Carolina Duck Migration Report 2026: Counts and Timing

Q: Which ducks come through North Carolina first?

In North Carolina, northern pintail climb first, from around the week of Oct 12, and canvasback come last, from around the week of Nov 30. 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 North Carolina in?

North Carolina is in the Atlantic Flyway. The eastern seaboard corridor, Maine to Florida, inland to West Virginia. The freeze watch for North Carolina 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, North Carolina included.

Q: When does duck season open in North Carolina?

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

Week of Nov 23

Usual fall high in observations

2016 to 2025

Week of Nov 9

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 North Carolina

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)

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

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 270 miles from North Carolina

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 of SCDNR Coastal Waterfowl Areas

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · South Carolina · about 140 miles from North Carolina

Last published midwinter survey, January 2026

53,889 ducks

124 of them mallards

38,960 ducks estimated on Santee Coastal Reserve and 13,349 at Yawkey, mostly teal, gadwall, pintail, wigeon and shovelers; up from 34,889 waterfowl on the same six properties in January 2025

Total and mallards added up from the published species counts

USFWS estimate, corrected for birds missed from the air

In the agency’s words

Santee Coastal SCDNR | 0 | 15.072960237970458 | 9070.8437826462377 | 3464.9763454089421 | 10165.650204437979 | 6803.8493333340184 | 7762.0437845182396

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, January 2026. Read it at the source

A January aerial survey of ducks, geese and swans on six SCDNR coastal waterfowl properties (Santee Coastal Reserve, Yawkey, Bear Island and others), flown by USFWS crews with SCDNR, reported as visibility corrected estimates, not raw counts

How often: One January aerial survey a year (Midwinter); SCDNR also runs weekly or biweekly ground counts on lottery hunt areas in December and January but publishes only a season total
Season: January to January
Counted at: Santee Coastal Reserve WMA, Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center, Bear Island WMA, Santee Delta WMA, Samworth WMA, Sandy Beach WMA

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

Observations this week

North Carolina against a normal year

Observations this week in North Carolina

Duck observations here usually reach their fall high around the week of Nov 23. 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 North Carolina, and when

Each row is one species’ share of North Carolina 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

Mallarddabblingno fall rise; as common in summer

Green-winged tealdabblingweek of Nov 9

Blue-winged tealdabblingno fall rise; as common in summer

Northern pintaildabblingweek of Oct 19

American wigeondabblingweek of Nov 23

Gadwalldabblingweek of Nov 23

Wood duckdabblingno fall rise; as common in summer

Canvasbackdivingweek of Dec 14holds into winter

Redheaddivingweek of Dec 14

Lesser scaupdivingweek of Nov 23holds into winter

Greater scaupdivingweek of Nov 23

Ring-necked duckdivingweek of Nov 23

Buffleheaddivingweek of Nov 23

Common goldeneyedivingweek of Dec 7

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

North Carolina duck migration questions

When do ducks migrate through North Carolina?

Duck observations in North Carolina usually climb from the week of Nov 9 and reach their fall high around the week of Nov 23, 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 are ducks counted in North Carolina?

Which ducks come through North Carolina first?

What flyway is North Carolina in?

How many ducks are on the continent this fall?

When does duck season open in North Carolina?

More for the North Carolina season

Duck migration on every flywayEvery agency count, the freeze watch and this week's observations, flyway by flyway.North Carolina waterfowl seasonDuck season dates, zones and limits for North Carolina.North Carolina pheasant seasonOpening day and the agency's own outlook for North Carolina.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.