The purpose of the atlantic flyway cooperative research and survey grant proposalis to improve the status of waterfowl and other migratory waterbirds in the atlantic flyway

The U.S. Department of Interior Fish and Wildlife Service (DOI FWS) awarded the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife $133,333 under the Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education and Safety program (CFDA 15.611) on October 1, 2025, for a five-year performance period concluding September 30, 2030. This formula grant supports the Atlantic Flyway Cooperative Research and Survey initiative, which aims to improve the conservation status of waterfowl and other migratory waterbirds across the Atlantic Flyway region through coordinated research and population management activities.

The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife will deliver population surveys, research, and data collection services in collaboration with the Wildlife Management Institute, the designated sub-awardee (subaward dated May 6, 2026). These activities include aerial, boat, and ground-based breeding ground surveys to generate population estimates; bird banding and tagging programs to track survival, movement, and habitat use; and specialized research employing telemetry and color-marking techniques to address critical knowledge gaps. The resulting data on migratory bird population abundance, distribution, and trends will inform Atlantic Flyway Council decisions regarding adaptive harvest management strategies, hunting regulations, and conservation plans, ultimately benefiting waterfowl hunters and the general public who engage with these migratory waterbird resources.

The atlantic flyway council contains representatives from all the government agencies that have management responsibility for migratory bird resources in the flyway. The council determines actions required for sound migratory game bird management, including collecting information about populations in order to support regulated harvest. Data collection typically involves visiting the breeding grounds to conduct surveys (aerial, boat, ground) that are used to extrapolate population estimates to specific land areas. Birds are also captured, and marked with numbered tags (typically leg bands) to help understand survival, movement, and habitat use at multiple scales. Specific research project goals utilizing specialty techniques (telemetry, color markers, etc) are often incorporated to close knowledge gaps and inform future decisions. The expected outcomes include providing invaluable information on migratory bird population abundance, distribution, and trends. The data are used to update a wide variety of conservation plans, adaptive harvest management strategies, and hunting regulationsbeneficiaries include waterfowl hunters and members of the public who enjoy seeing or hunting waterfowl and other waterbirds.subrecipients under this grant include the wildlife management institute, who will engage additional entities as needed to carry out the implementation of this grant.