Michigan touches four of the five Great Lakes, and is home to vast numbers of inland lakes and rivers. That means it is basically a duck paradise.
Some ducks, like the ubiquitous mallard, can be seen throughout the state during the spring and summer months. But as the seasons shift and the weather becomes colder, a variety of distinctly weirder waterfowl can be seen. April Campbell, an Ann Arbor resident and birding enthusiast, joined Stateside to talk about the strange waterfowl you might come across in Michigan's colder months.
“We're located along several major flyways. And because of the Great Lakes, you know, we have several large, deep bodies of water near us,” said Campbell. “This is great for ducks and the ducks that come from the north Arctic areas, boreal areas of Canada. As those areas become colder and ice [forms] over the water, then ducks begin to move further south to find more open water. And guess where they go?”
That's right: Michigan.
The type of water those ducks seek is largely determined by the type of species they belong to.
“The dabblers don't like the deep water. They're going to be in more of the shallow waterways or flooded farm fields or that kind of thing,” explained Campbell. “Your divers like the deeper water because that's where the fish are.”
So, the next time you pass an open body of water this winter—whether it's a puddle or a Great Lake—take a moment to look around you. You might just spot one of these fascinating winter waterfowl for yourself.
Hear the full conversation with April Campbell on the Stateside podcast.
