Waterfowl
Flyways
The term "flyway" has long been used to
designate the migration routes of birds. For management
purposes, four waterfowl flyways - Pacific, Central,
Mississippi, and Atlantic - were established in the
United States in 1948. To varying degrees the waterfowl
populations using each of these flyways differ in
abundance, species composition, migration pathways,
and breeding ground origin. There are differences,
also, in levels of shooting pressure and harvest.
For the most part flyway boundaries follow Sate lines.
However, the boundary between the Pacific and the
Central flyway generally follows the Continental Divide.
There are some problems in matching waterfowl migration
corridors with flyway boundaries because some species
nest and winter in areas that do not occur along a
north-south axis. These species cross flyway boundaries
during migration. On balance, the present arrangement
is useful in that it permits reasonable management
of waterfowl. At some future time, it is possible
that further rearrangement of boundaries may permit
better management of the waterfowl resource.
Flyway Councils
In 1952, Flyway Councils were formed in each of the
four flyways. The Council in each flyway is made up
of representatives from the wildlife agencies of the
States in that flyway - one representative from each
State. The Councils study flyway problems, develop
waterfowl management recommendations, and generally
work closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
in implementing waterfowl management and research
programs.
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