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WMGT 301 Final Questions with
Detailed Verified Answers
What are the 4 major flyways for waterfowl? Ans: Pacific, Atlantic, Central,
and Mississippi
Migratory Hunting Stamp Act Ans: 1934. Requires all waterfowl hunters to
purchase duck stamp. First duck stamp of mallard
North American Waterfowl Management Plan Ans: 1986. Continent-wide
program has helped many populations recover
Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) under the Farm Bill Ans: 1990. Incentive for
farmers to restore previously drained wetland habitats back into native
wetland.
Areas of focus: central valley of California, prairie pothole region, Lower
Mississippi Alluvial Valley, other bottom land hardwood, flood plains, and
riparian habitat.
Breeding Habitat for Waterfowl Ans: Prairie Pothole of northern Great Plains
(dabbling ducks and others), Northern Deciduous forest (mergansers, blue
and green winged teal, golden-eyes), eastern deciduous forest (wood ducks) ,
Alaska and northern Canada (Northern pintail, mergansers, golden-eyes,
scaups, etc), and Texas Coast (mottled duck, whistling duck)
Wintering Habitat for Waterfowl Ans: Almost all migrate into south California,
Texas, and Florida except:
-Black duck moves into central, eastern states
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-Greater scaup and scoters remain on both coastlines
-Common eider and long-tailed duck remain along coasts in Canada and far
northern states
-Hooded merganser in southeastern states and California coast
-Common merganser remains a little more north across the central part of the
US into panhandle of TX.
-Red-breasted merganser stays along the entire coastline and great lakes.
When do most ducks arrive on breeding grounds? Ans: Late March to early
May
Resource needs for waterfowl Ans: -Make regular use of wetlands that vary in
size, water permanency, and vegetative composition. -Habitats with many
small ponds on which ducks may isolate themselves, or those with heavy
vegetation, bays, or inlets where pairs are visually separated, can reduce
encounters between birds and increase pair densities.
Feeding in waterfowl Ans: Depends on season and availability:
-Dabbling and diving ducks switch from plants and seeds to invertebrates
prior to breeding and molting season
-The need for dietary protein during the pre-nesting and egg-laying periods
causes ducks to seek aquatic invertebrate foods, which may compose 75-
100% of the hen's diet.
-Young eat insects and invertebrates opportunistically.
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Nesting in diving ducks Ans: construct nest over water amid emergent
vegetation
Nesting in dabbling ducks Ans: made in dead vegetation remaining from
previous growing season. tall, dense grasses or shrubs with low growth forms.
Ground-nesters at wetlands/water's edge
Name at least 3 waterfowl species that prefer nesting in cavities Ans: Wood
ducks (La), bufflehead, black-bellied whistling ducks (La), hooded and
common merganser, both golden-eyes
Incubation in waterfowl: How many eggs produced and how long does
incubation last? Ans: Most ducks lay a single egg each day until a clutch of 9
to 11 eggs is complete.
Incubation period that ranges from 23 to 30 days for most species, with
shorter periods typical of species that lay smaller eggs.
Limiting factor in nesting for waterfowl Ans: predators are abundant, and
duck nests are concentrated because nesting cover is limited.
Nest success is often less than 15%
Brood behavior and traits Ans: Newly hatches ducklings leave the nest soon
after hatching, and may walk through uplands or follow streams to brood-
rearing wetlands up to a mile away.
Because ducklings cannot thermo-regulate until they are about 2 weeks old,
they are periodically brooded by the hen.
WMGT 301 Final Questions with
Detailed Verified Answers
What are the 4 major flyways for waterfowl? Ans: Pacific, Atlantic, Central,
and Mississippi
Migratory Hunting Stamp Act Ans: 1934. Requires all waterfowl hunters to
purchase duck stamp. First duck stamp of mallard
North American Waterfowl Management Plan Ans: 1986. Continent-wide
program has helped many populations recover
Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) under the Farm Bill Ans: 1990. Incentive for
farmers to restore previously drained wetland habitats back into native
wetland.
Areas of focus: central valley of California, prairie pothole region, Lower
Mississippi Alluvial Valley, other bottom land hardwood, flood plains, and
riparian habitat.
Breeding Habitat for Waterfowl Ans: Prairie Pothole of northern Great Plains
(dabbling ducks and others), Northern Deciduous forest (mergansers, blue
and green winged teal, golden-eyes), eastern deciduous forest (wood ducks) ,
Alaska and northern Canada (Northern pintail, mergansers, golden-eyes,
scaups, etc), and Texas Coast (mottled duck, whistling duck)
Wintering Habitat for Waterfowl Ans: Almost all migrate into south California,
Texas, and Florida except:
-Black duck moves into central, eastern states
,2|Page
-Greater scaup and scoters remain on both coastlines
-Common eider and long-tailed duck remain along coasts in Canada and far
northern states
-Hooded merganser in southeastern states and California coast
-Common merganser remains a little more north across the central part of the
US into panhandle of TX.
-Red-breasted merganser stays along the entire coastline and great lakes.
When do most ducks arrive on breeding grounds? Ans: Late March to early
May
Resource needs for waterfowl Ans: -Make regular use of wetlands that vary in
size, water permanency, and vegetative composition. -Habitats with many
small ponds on which ducks may isolate themselves, or those with heavy
vegetation, bays, or inlets where pairs are visually separated, can reduce
encounters between birds and increase pair densities.
Feeding in waterfowl Ans: Depends on season and availability:
-Dabbling and diving ducks switch from plants and seeds to invertebrates
prior to breeding and molting season
-The need for dietary protein during the pre-nesting and egg-laying periods
causes ducks to seek aquatic invertebrate foods, which may compose 75-
100% of the hen's diet.
-Young eat insects and invertebrates opportunistically.
, 3|Page
Nesting in diving ducks Ans: construct nest over water amid emergent
vegetation
Nesting in dabbling ducks Ans: made in dead vegetation remaining from
previous growing season. tall, dense grasses or shrubs with low growth forms.
Ground-nesters at wetlands/water's edge
Name at least 3 waterfowl species that prefer nesting in cavities Ans: Wood
ducks (La), bufflehead, black-bellied whistling ducks (La), hooded and
common merganser, both golden-eyes
Incubation in waterfowl: How many eggs produced and how long does
incubation last? Ans: Most ducks lay a single egg each day until a clutch of 9
to 11 eggs is complete.
Incubation period that ranges from 23 to 30 days for most species, with
shorter periods typical of species that lay smaller eggs.
Limiting factor in nesting for waterfowl Ans: predators are abundant, and
duck nests are concentrated because nesting cover is limited.
Nest success is often less than 15%
Brood behavior and traits Ans: Newly hatches ducklings leave the nest soon
after hatching, and may walk through uplands or follow streams to brood-
rearing wetlands up to a mile away.
Because ducklings cannot thermo-regulate until they are about 2 weeks old,
they are periodically brooded by the hen.
