Wetlands Restoration

The restoration, enhancement and preservation of wetlands are necessary to support black duck populations. While not all wetlands are suitable habitat for black ducks, healthy wetlands support black duck abundance. The Black Duck Action Team is collaborating with the Wetlands Workgroup to identify priorities for protection, restoration and enhancement.

Between 2014 and 2024, 4,862 acres of wetlands were gained within the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and 61,161 acres were enhanced.

Ecosystem Factors

Habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation, both within the Chesapeake Bay watershed and at other ends of the Atlantic Flyway population’s range, have a large impact on black duck populations. Food availability, a key factor, is affected by competition as well as proximity to developed or otherwise disturbed lands. Other ecosystem factors influencing black duck populations in the Bay watershed include shoreline disturbance (e.g., due to dredging or development), pressure from invasive species and impacts due to changing environmental conditions (e.g., flooding, salinity changes and salt marsh migration due to sea level rise, shifts in migration patterns or wintering range and changes in weather patterns such as storm intensity and frequency).