Aerial survey teams from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service counted approximately 926,900 waterfowl during the annual Mid-Winter Waterfowl Survey in the first week of January 2026, marking a notable increase over both the 2025 total of 705,300 birds and the recent five-year average of 684,280.
The survey, conducted each winter since the early 1960s, inventories ducks, geese and swans along Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay shorelines, the tidal Potomac River and Atlantic coast areas. Teams of pilots and biologists fly systematic routes to document abundance and distribution of wintering waterfowl in key tidal habitats.
“The Mid-Winter waterfowl survey allows our biologists to assemble a long-term picture of wintering waterfowl abundance and distribution,” said Wildlife and Heritage Director Karina Stonesifer. “Waterfowl are continuously responding to environmental cues, including weather, food availability, and habitat quality.”
Dabbling ducks totaled 117,300 birds, below the 2025 count of 126,000 but still within typical variation. Mallards numbered 63,900, above the five-year average of 56,320, while American black ducks reached 33,600, exceeding their five-year average of 30,360.
Diving ducks showed the largest increase, with 239,100 counted compared to 100,200 in 2025 and the five-year average of 145,860. Biologists attributed the higher numbers of diving ducks and Canada geese to colder weather across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic during December and January, which likely pushed more birds southward into Maryland’s milder tidal waters.
| Species | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
| Mallard | 53,500 | 56,800 | 45,100 | 62,300 | 63,900 |
| Black Duck | 24,600 | 21,800 | 24,200 | 47,600 | 33,600 |
| Gadwall | 6,800 | 3,400 | 2,600 | 2,000 | 3,100 |
| Widgeon | 300 | 1,900 | 500 | 3,800 | 2,200 |
| Green-winged Teal | 6,900 | 6,200 | 17,500 | 8,900 | 7,400 |
| Shoveler | 900 | 200 | 100 | 100 | 500 |
| Pintail | 4,600 | 3,300 | 1,300 | 1,300 | 6,600 |
| Total Dabblers | 97,600 | 93,600 | 91,300 | 126,000 | 117,300 |
| Redhead | 7,000 | 12,800 | 10,000 | 5,700 | 11,300 |
| Canvasback | 7,700 | 57,800 | 18,800 | 28,500 | 25,300 |
| Scaup | 29,500 | 74,000 | 28,400 | 36,900 | 105,800 |
| Ring-necked Duck | 2,100 | 6,200 | 7,000 | 5,900 | 5,300 |
| Goldeneye | 100 | 400 | 300 | 300 | 500 |
| Bufflehead | 10,600 | 16,800 | 16,300 | 13,200 | 18,600 |
| Ruddy Duck | 22,400 | 22,300 | 39,500 | 9,700 | 72,300 |
| Total Divers | 79,400 | 190,300 | 120,300 | 100,200 | 239,100 |
| Scoters | 1,300 | 3,400 | 1,800 | 4,200 | 6,300 |
| Long-tailed Duck | 100 | 100 | 100 | 500 | 400 |
| Mergansers | 1,400 | 1,700 | 1,900 | 2,400 | 4,500 |
| Total Ducks | 179,800 | 289,100 | 215,400 | 233,300 | 379,600 |
| Brant | 200 | 400 | 1,100 | 800 | 1,300 |
| Snow Goose | 13,600 | 12,500 | 16,100 | 40,200 | 29,900 |
| Canada Goose | 361,100 | 320,800 | 350,500 | 414,200 | 509,400 |
| Tundra Swan | 7,400 | 7,300 | 9,600 | 12,900 | 16,900 |
| Total Waterfowl | 563,800 | 632,200 | 593,200 | 705,300 | 926,900 |
Canada geese totaled 509,400, surpassing the 2025 count of 414,200 and the five-year average of 391,200. The elevated goose numbers align with patterns observed during periods of regional cold snaps that concentrate birds in ice-free estuarine areas.
The survey provides critical long-term data for waterfowl management, habitat conservation and regulatory decisions affecting hunting seasons and bag limits in Maryland. Results help track population trends, identify shifts in wintering distribution and inform efforts to protect key wetlands and submerged aquatic vegetation beds that support wintering birds.
Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries remain one of the most important wintering areas on the Atlantic Flyway for many species. The annual counts contribute to broader continental monitoring coordinated by state and federal agencies.
The survey covers most tidal shorelines and near-shore waterfowl habitat in Maryland, though exact routes and coverage areas are adjusted annually based on weather and visibility conditions.
Past five-year survey totals reflect natural fluctuations driven by weather, food resources and breeding success in northern nesting areas.
The 2026 results indicate a strong wintering population in Maryland waters this season, with diving ducks and Canada geese driving the overall increase.