The most common and abundant duck is the
mallard, which also boasts the latest migration.
Due to their feeding habits and their tolerance to
cold temperatures, their migration lasts from late
fall to early winter.
Canadian geese average 11 to 12-1/2 pounds and can
grow to 16 pounds and larger. Their wingspan can
top 6 feet.
Teal are the second most abundant waterfowl. They
travel farther than most other species, as far
south as Venezuela and Peru, a pretty big
accomplishment since they are among the smallest
duck species, only half the size of mallards.
There are currently an estimated 3.5 million
Canadian geese in the United States.
One of the first waterfowl species to begin
migration in the fall is the pintail. More than
half of the pintails that summer in Canada make
California their summer home.
Talk about endurance! The black (Pacific) brant
beats wings from Alaska south to Baja, Mexico,
stopping only for occasional rest on the ocean,
but never to eat. They save that for the trip back
north in the spring.
A female Canadian goose lays one egg every day to
day and a half until she has five or six. She
tends the eggs for 28 days before hatching. The
hatchlings can be led to water within two days.
Which species travels farthest during its
migration? Hands down it’s the arctic tern, which
travels an amazing 31,000 miles during its
migration.
