USFWS Migratory Birds

09/14/2026

We know that many of you are getting excited about the 2026 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest Sept 24 & 25! Hot off the press is the Flickr gallery with this year's entries for you to check out- there are 331 in total this year!

All images in this album are copyrighted and downloading has been disabled. You can watch the Federal Duck Stamp Contest live!  Day 1 of the Contest will begin at 10:00am CT/ 11:00am ET on Thursday, September 24th.  Day 2 of the Contest begins at 10:00 am CT/ 11:00 am ET on Friday, Septemb...

04/21/2026

And the conservation message winner for the 2026 National Junior Duck Stamp Contest is from 13-year old Iris Lovett from Wisconsin. Thank you Iris for your message: The future of wildlife reflects our care - give ducks a place to land. 🦆
Read the news release from the event:

A talented young artist from Texas has taken top honors at the National Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest. A blue-winged teal by 17-year-old Nina Liang, will grace the 2026-2027 Junior Duck Stamp, which raises funds to educate and engage our nation’s youth in wildlife and wetlands conservation and out...

04/21/2026

Congratulations to 14-year old Thora Larson from South Dakota for winning third place🥉in the 2026 National Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest! 🦆 "Simple joys" is an acrylic and oil painting of a blue-winged teal, and is an outstanding example of the talent this Junior Duck Stamp Program cultivates : https://www.fws.gov/service/buy-junior-duck-stamp
📷Blue-winged teal painted by Thora Larson (c) USFWS Used by Permission

04/21/2026

Congratulations to the very talented 14-year old Jisun Yoon from New Jersey for winning second place with this acrylic painting of a mallard hen in the 2026 National Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest!🦆 The piece, "Lunch at the Water's Edge" is an amazing example of this program that connects youth with the outdoors. 🥈 Support conservation education and our youth by buying these stamps: https://www.fws.gov/service/buy-junior-duck-stamp
📷Mallard hen painted by Jisun Yoon, (c) USFWS Used by Permission.

04/21/2026

What an exciting day for the Junior Duck Stamp Program! 🦆Congratulations to Nina Liang from Texas for winning first place in this year’s National Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest! 🥇Nina took top honors in the contest with an oil painting of a pair of blue-winged teal. The art, titled "Sailors of Mustard Algae," will be made into the 2026-2027 Junior Duck Stamp, which goes on sale June 26, 2026! Learn more about the Junior Duck Stamp🦆 : https://www.fws.gov/press-release/2026-04/nina-liang-17-wins-us-fish-and-wildlife-service-2026-national-junior-duck
📷Blue-winged teal painted by Nina Liang, (c) USFWS used by permission.

04/17/2026

It’s almost time! The National Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest takes place Tuesday, April 21. 🦆

Each year, thousands of students explore wildlife conservation, learn about waterfowl and their habitats, and build lasting connections to the outdoors—whether through birdwatching, hunting, fishing, or other nature-based activities. 🏞️

After studying conservation principles, students create original artwork to reflect what they’ve learned. Entries are judged at the state level, and top pieces advance to the national competition. 🥇🥈🥉

Take a sneak peek at this year’s incredible submissions:

These entries, from all 50 states and U.S. territories, will be judged at the National Junior Duck Stamp Contest in Falls Church, VA on April 21st, 2026. *Please note, the judges are instructed to refrain from viewing as images differ than in person*

10/01/2025

Due to the federal government shutdown, this account is not being actively updated.
For more information, please visit:

Operations in the Absence of Appropriations

09/15/2025

This is THE week! The 2025 Federal Art Contest is this Thursday and Friday, and we hope you join us in-person or online to support this incredible conservation program!

🦆 The judging is open to the public and will take place at the National Wildlife Visitor Center at Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, MD. But if you can't make it to Maryland, don't worry - you can watch it from the comfort of your own home 📺: https://www.fws.gov/event/2025-federal-duck-stamp-contest

Join us to find out whose art will help raise tens of millions of dollars for wildlife conservation!

Image: 2025-2026 Federal Duck Stamp featuring a pair of spectacled eiders painted by Adam Grimm from South Dakota.
© USFWS

07/08/2025

Our Migratory Bird Program pilot biologists ✈️ and ground crews have concluded the 2025 Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey! The survey (commonly referred to as the May Survey) is conducted by airplane, helicopter, and ground over a 2 million square mile area that covers the principal waterfowl 🦆breeding areas in North America, and includes parts of Alaska, Canada, and the northcentral and northeast U.S.

The primary purpose of the survey is to estimate breeding waterfowl 🦆populations and track trajectory for most North American duck species, several populations of Canada geese, tundra swans, and American coot, and to evaluate breeding habitat conditions.

Since 1955, its results have guided waterfowl harvest and habitat management, and have been used by researchers to shed light on large-scale dynamics of waterfowl populations.

You can read their first-hand observations of what they saw on the landscape:

North and South Dakota Terry Liddick, Wildlife Biologist-Pilot and Jeff Drahota, Wildlife Biologist

06/27/2025

Time to put your stamp on conservation!

The 2025-2026 Federal Duck Stamp is now on sale! The new stamp features a pair of spectacled eiders painted by Adam Grimm of South Dakota.

Be a part of this conservation legacy – buy stamps, save wetlands, and help wildlife! Read the press release: https://www.fws.gov/press-release/2025-06/us-fish-and-wildlife-service-debuts-new-federal-and-junior-duck-stamps

Why purchase a Federal Duck Stamp?
⛰️ Free admission to national wildlife refuges that have entrance fees
💧 Funding helps protect wetlands
🦆 Healthy habitat supports migratory birds and other wildlife
🎨 Get inspired by art – and nature
✅ Required for hunting migratory birds

The talented Catheryn Liang from Texas painted a northern shoveler now adorning the 2025-2026 Junior Duck Stamp. Support conservation education and youth by buying Junior Duck Stamps: https://fws.gov/program/junior-duck-stamp

Photo credit: © USFWS