Several Duck Species Included in ‘Tipping Point List’ as New Report Sounds Alarm Over U.S. Bird Declines

The 2025 U.S. State of the Birds Report reveals troubling declines in bird species across almost every habitat and one of the most noteworthy declines this year is among waterfowl populations. Duck numbers, which were once a bright spot, are now trending downward. 

Waterfowl numbers stand out in the report with general populations seeing a 24 percent increase since 1970. The report also shows a recent downturn specifically in duck numbers, which Ducks Unlimited director of communications Chris Sebastian says is an expected result of extended drought in the Prairie Potholes Region. This unique wetland-grassland ecosystem which encompasses parts of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and three Canadian provinces provides crucial breeding and nesting grounds for many waterfowl species, as much as two-thirds of the North American duck population. 

The accelerated loss of wetlands and grasslands in key waterfowl regions is contributing to the declining trend, according to the report, which notes that “environmental and land-use changes are driving recent duck and marsh bird declines in many areas.”

Despite the recent dip in duck numbers, however, Sebastian tells Outdoor Life there are plenty of reasons to remain optimistic. 

“In 2024, the estimate for total breeding ducks in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Traditional Survey Area was 34 million. While 4 percent below the long-term average, the 2024 numbers were a 5 percent increase from the 2023 estimate and the first increase in total surveyed birds since 2015,” Sebastian says. 

This report comes five years after the pivotal 2019 study, which revealed a loss of 2.9 billion breeding adult birds across North America since 1970. To put those numbers in perspective, we’ve lost one-fourth of the continent’s birds in less than a human lifetime. 

The report indicates that more than one-third of American bird species are of moderate to high concern due to low numbers and declining population trends. That includes 112 of what the report called “Tipping Point” species, which means birds that have experienced a population decline of more than 50 percent over the last 50 years. This list includes northern pintails, king eiders, black scoters, and long-tailed ducks.

Of those, 42 were labeled “Red Alert” species with steep declining trends, and this list includes several popular game birds, including mottled ducks, sage grouse, and prairie chickens.  

Experts believe declining bird populations warn of looming environmental crises (like canaries in the coal mine). 

“The rapid declines in birds signal the intensifying stressors that wildlife and people alike are experiencing around the world because of habitat loss, environmental degradation, and extreme weather events,” said Amanda Rodewald, faculty director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Center for Avian Population Studies. “When we see declines like those outlined in the report, we need to remember that if conditions are not healthy for birds, they’re unlikely to be healthy for us.”

While the declines are concerning, the report also emphasizes the success of proactive and concerted conservation efforts that can help populations recover. 

“The science is solid in how to bring birds back,” the report notes. “Private lands conservation programs, and voluntary conservation partnerships for working lands, hold some of the best opportunities for sparking immediate turn-arounds for birds.” 

Hunters have long been at the forefront of these conservation efforts, particularly when it comes to waterfowl. In addition to being personally invested in keeping populations healthy, sportsmen and women contribute vast sums of money for habitat conservation. 

“The revenue from hunting licenses support management and growth of public lands, dollars from the federal duck stamps directly expand the National Wildlife Refuge system, and the voice of hunters are important to influence conservation-related legislation in states and Washington, D.C.,” Sebastian says. “Additionally, hunter membership in conservation organizations such as Ducks Unlimited gives us resources to move dirt and water on the landscape to conserve ducks and other animals.”

The recent slide in waterfowl populations should be concerning for duck hunters. Fortunately, says Sebastian, waterfowl are the most studied and managed game species in North America. The USFWS uses annual breeding duck survey populations to set the overall framework for waterfowl season length and daily limits for birds, and the agency has recommended a liberal framework for all four flyways during the 2025–26 duck seasons, Sebastian says.

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He says in light of the numbers, it is important for hunters to continue to speak up about the status of waterfowl populations and the reasons behind the numbers. More information about the 2025 State of the Birds report and annual waterfowl population surveys are available at www.ducks.org.

The 2025 report was co-authored by Ducks Unlimited, Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Center for Avian Population Studies, National Audubon Society, American Ornithological Society, American Bird Conservancy, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Klamath Bird Observatory, and the Institute of Bird Populations. It’s a comprehensive assessment of bird population health across the country and was released March 13 at the 90th annual North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.