Utah Duck Migration Report 2026

Duck observations in Utah 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 Apr 20. 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.

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 Utah itself, this week's iNaturalist observations are the running record.

In Utah, green-winged teal climb first, from around the week of Oct 5, and ring-necked duck come last, from around the week of Dec 7. 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.

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

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, Utah included.

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