Ducks are back on Sonoma County’s wetlands

Laguna de Santa Rosa — First light lifts over the Laguna and the water stirs: pintails skim the shallows, teal chatter in tight circles, and a raft of mallards lifts off like a shaken rug. If you’ve been out to the Laguna, Shollenberger Park, or the baylands lately, you’ve seen it too. After three wet winters, ducks are back.

Fresh numbers from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife confirm what locals are watching on the water. The 2025 breeding survey shows total ducks in California up 27% from last year to 474,495. Mallards — the state’s anchor duck — jumped 49% to 265,640. Gadwalls more than doubled. “The survey indicated an increase in mallard abundance, and habitat conditions were good in northern California, so we expect average to above-average production for all waterfowl species,” said Melanie Weaver, a CDFW waterfowl biologist.

That surge is playing out, vividly, in Sonoma County. The Laguna de Santa Rosa, our largest freshwater wetland, is a key Pacific Flyway stopover. When seasonal floodplain ponds refill, the place becomes a buffet: smartweed, invertebrates, and fresh submerged plants pull in dabblers and divers alike. The Laguna Foundation notes the wetland complex is a vital migration stop; recent planning documents count 200-plus bird species using the mosaic of creeks, ponds, wet meadows, and marsh…

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