U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Toggle navigationUtility (Top) navigationAbout Us ForwardBackAbout UsMission & VisionLeadershipOur OrganizationOur FacilitiesRegionsLaws & Regulations ForwardBackLaws & RegulationsLaws, Agreements & TreatiesHunting RegulationsLibrary ForwardBackLibraryCategoriesCollectionsHomeServices ForwardBackServicesDuck Stamps ForwardBackDuck StampsBuy a Duck Stamp or E-StampBuy a Junior Duck StampFish StockingImporting & ExportingConsultation & Technical Assistance ForwardBackConsultation & Technical AssistanceESA Section 7 ConsultationHabitat Conservation Planning (HCPs)Candidate Conservation Agreements (CCA & CCAA)Safe Harbour Agreements (SHA)Conservation BankingCoastal Barrier Resources Act Project ConsultationCoastal Barrier Resources System Property DocumentationFinancial AssistanceSpecies ManagementInvestigational New Animal Drugs (INADS)PermitsSearch All ServicesDuck Stamps One of the easiest ways that anyone can support bird habitat conservation is by buying duck stamps.Species ForwardBackSpeciesExplore Taxonomic TreeFind a SpeciesInterest story Bats: “The Coolest Mammals on Earth”Visit Us ForwardBackVisit UsEventsRecreation PassesOutdoor RecreationWhere to HuntWhere to FishOur LocationsScenic Drives Tour routes of great scenic drives on National Wildlife Refuges.Get Involved ForwardBackGet InvolvedCareers and InternshipsVolunteeringFriends PartnershipsLearning OpportunitiesEducation ProgramsEventsPartnerships ForwardBackPartnershipsPartnership CategoriesPartner ListVolunteer Search for volunteer opportunities around the countryNewsroom ForwardBackNewsroomPress ReleasesCongressional TestimonyMedia ContactsWild Things News about wonderful wild things and placesInitiatives ForwardBackInitiativesCombating Wildlife TraffickingDirector's PrioritiesClimate ChangeHuntingFishingInvasive SpeciesPollinatorsProtecting WildlifeClimate Action FWS is taking steps to mitigate climate impactsI want to ForwardBackI Want ToReport Wildlife CrimeDo Business with FWSVolunteerFind a Job or InternshipVisit a RefugeBuy a Duck StampApply for a PermitFind FundingFind TrainingWild work Search employment opportunities with USFWSSearchSearchSearchEnter the terms you wish to search for. × Migratory BirdsImage Details
 Migratory BirdsAbout UsWhat We DoContact UsGet InvolvedEventsLibraryNewsSpecies 5067756A bird nest with three chicks in it.It's Bird Nesting Season!Find out more info on bird nest protections, helping orphaned or injured baby birds, and dealing with potential bird problems.LIVING AROUND BIRDSThe Migratory Bird Program works with partners to protect, restore and conserve bird populations and their habitats for the benefit of future generations by: ensuring long-term ecological sustainability of all migratory bird populations, increasing socioeconomic benefits derived from birds, improving hunting and bird watching and other outdoor bird-related experiences, and increasing awareness of the value of migratory birds and their habitats for their aesthetic, ecological, recreational and economic significance.What We DoImage DetailsOur ServicesAmong our major roles in bird management and habitat conservation, we conduct surveys; coordinate with public-private bird conservation partnerships; provide matching grants for partner-based conservation efforts; administer conservation laws and develop policies and regulations; and issue permits that allow individuals and organizations to participate in migratory bird conservation in a variety of ways.We also help educate and engage our nation's youth in wildlife conservation topics and provide resources for parents and educators who want to help their students explore and appreciate our natural world and our feathered friends.Image DetailsOur Projects and InitiativesThe USFWS has been a leader in migratory bird conservation since the founding of the Service. Our efforts focus migratory bird conservation at large flyway and continental scales. We identify and coordinate with our State, Federal and nonprofit partners to respond to emerging conservation and hunting issues. We work with our partners to build public understanding of migratory bird conservation. We also lead the federal family in bird conservation issues.One of our core responsibilities is managing game species to provide for recreational and subsistence hunting opportunities and authorizing take of migratory birds in a manner that is compatible with the four international treaties. We must strive for continual improvements and efficiency in issuing permits while maintaining sustainable populations of birds.Because the quantity, quality, availability, and distribution of habitats are important drivers of bird populations, the loss and degradation of natural habitats are key factors in the declines of many migratory bird species. Ensuring the future of migratory birds requires the effective conservation of breeding, wintering, and migration habitats throughout their annual cycle to sustain populations at desired levels. Strategic, adaptive, collaborative approaches that address habitat requirements of birds at landscape scales are paramount, so that finite resources can be leveraged across organizational lines and targeted toward “local” habitat conservation actions expected to best support range-wide objectives for population sustainability.The Migratory Bird Program manages data as a strategic asset and a “trust resource” by developing information systems that improve customer service, government transparency, decision-making, and accessibility for the public.Image DetailsOur Laws and RegulationsA fairly large number of international treaties and domestic laws have been enacted that provide protection for migratory birds. To help put the legal authorities into perspective, we have categorized them as primary and secondary authorities. Primary authorities are international conventions and major domestic laws that focus primarily on migratory birds and their habitats. Secondary authorities are broad-based domestic environmental laws that provide ancillary but significant benefits to migratory birds and their habitats.More About What We DoLatest Stories and TopicsStoriesAcrylic painting of a Ruddy Duck by Chance Bertelsen titled Robby the Ruddy Duck for the Junior Duck Stamp contest.Mississippi Junior Duck Stamp Art ContestThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 Mississippi Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest.Apr 15, 20242024 Alaska Jr. Duck Stamp Best of Show Winner2024 Alaska Junior Duck Stamp ContestThe 2024 Alaska Jr. Duck Stamp Contest winners have been announced!Apr 3, 2024Klamath Marsh NWR from the air looking WestClicking for RailsWhat’s a yellow rail, you ask?
They are about the size of robin, but skinnier and with short tails; they are stealthy and shy (except when they’re not – read on); they are streaked with dull yellow and dark brown, dappled with white flecks, like water-splashed old grass and the sedge that it...Mar 25, 2024Three people wearing special eclipse glasses, stare upWildlife WondersWildlife Behavior and a Solar EclipseDoes a solar eclipse affect wildlife? The short answer – it does. Thank you for coming to our Ted Talk. The long answer – it does, and we can look to past eclipses for answers.Mar 22, 2024A wind turbine in the oceanMigratory SpeciesWhere do birds go offshore? The answers may be blowing in the windThe Service's growing collaboration with offshore-wind companies helps biologists uncover new information about offshore movements of birds, bats and even butterflies.Mar 19, 2024Two young eagles in the nestTrue or False?My standard poodle, Angel, has a lot of questions about birds.
She mostly wants to know what they are and why they won’t play with her. I think she also wants to know what they taste like, and if it’s anything like the chicken she steals from my kitchen counter.
“True or false?” she asks with her...Mar 18, 2024View All NewsOur ServicesWhether you contribute as a partner in a grant project, engage with local organizations through the Urban Bird Treaty program, co-host a special event with partners in your area, or buy a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation (Duck) Stamp - supporting one of the nation's oldest and most successful conservation programs - YOU have an opportunity to play a crucial role in bird conservation.North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) Grants: US Standard ProgramThe U.S. Standard Grants Program is a competitive, matching grants program that supports public-private partnerships carrying out projects in the United States that further the goals of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). These projects must involve long-term protection,...Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) Grant ProgramThe Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) Grant Program funds projects promoting the conservation of neotropical migratory birds in the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean. Grants funded under the NMBCA program help partners to protect,...Buy a Duck Stamp or E-Stamp**12/22/2023 Statement on Duck Stamp Modernization Act of 2023**On December 19, 2023, President Biden signed into law the Duck Stamp Modernization Act of 2023. This Act modifies provisions regarding the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, commonly referred to as the...View Our ServicesOur LibraryImage DetailsData obtained from various migratory bird surveys and programs are used to produce reports and publications, guidance documents, management and conservation plans, and hunting regulations - all of which are necessary to conserve and manage migratory birds.Population StatusAnnual migratory bird population status reports are posted each year in mid to late August. Highlighted species include waterfowl, American Woodcock, Mourning Dove, Band-tailed pigeon, Sandhill Crane, and Mottled Duck. Additional reports include population status on Peregrine falcon and Bald and...Library Collection18 ItemsThreats to BirdsMigratory birds face numerous threats throughout their annual cycles from human-caused sources. The U.S Fish & Wildlife Service is working with governments, conservation organizations, industry, and the public to reduce threats across the North American landscape to preserve our birds for...Library Collection5 ItemsAvoiding and Minimizing Incidental Take of Migratory BirdsTo better protect migratory bird populations and provide more certainty for the regulated public, the Service seeks to address human-caused mortality by providing information on beneficial practices to avoid and minimize the incidental injury and killing of migratory birds. The U.S. Fish and...Library Collection11 ItemsEagle Management LibraryInformation about bald eagle and golden eagle biology, behaviors, and populations. Guidance and tools for conserving, managing, and monitoring eagles. Information on the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and it's regulations, as well as information on permits for eagle take, possession, and...Library Collection27 ItemsRaven Conflict ManagementExplore our comprehensive approach to addressing the dynamic challenges posed by the increasing populations of common ravens in North America, as we strive to balance ecological integrity and human interests.Library Collection5 ItemsView Our LibraryProjects and ResearchThe Migratory Bird Program develops and implements a variety of activities designed to inform bird conservation policies and initiatives. These activities are numerous and varied, and are undertaken by a wide variety of organizations through partnerships as well as by the public through various citizen action and citizen science initiatives.Banded black duckImage DetailsBird Banding: A Conservation Tool within the Migratory Bird Program (Ducks, Geese, Doves, and more)Interested in how you can report a banded bird or how the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Program uses this information?  Maybe you'd like to know more about reward bands or what types of birds are banded?  Read on to find the answers!Reporting Banded BirdsIf you have found or harvested a banded bird, please report it at  www.reportband.gov. You'll need the...Bird Banding: A Conservation Tool within the Migratory Bird Program (Ducks, Geese, Doves, and more)woman looking at lake at sunsetImage DetailsAdaptive Harvest ManagementThe annual process of setting duck hunting regulations in the United States is based on a system of resource monitoring, data analyses, and rule making.Each year, monitoring activities such as aerial surveys and hunter questionnaires provide information on harvest levels, population size, and habitat conditions. Data collected from this monitoring program are analyzed each year...Adaptive Harvest ManagementView All ProjectsOur SpeciesThe Migratory Bird Program utilizes a number of different lists to direct U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service actions and priorities to manage and protect migratory birds.View Our Species
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