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Spring and fall waterfowl migrations have been monitored by the Canadian Wildlife Service during the 1970s and 1980s, and subsequently by the Long Point Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Fund during the 1990s.
Migration trends since the 1970s have been similar in spring and fall, with high numbers in the 1970s, substantial declines in the 1980s, followed by increases during the 1990s. Low numbers during the 1980s were probably not caused by any deficiency or habitat change at Long Point. We know that several species that migrate through Long Point experienced low numbers continent-wide at that time. Waterfowl numbers at Long Point have been steadily increasing since 1991. This can probably be attributed to at least one of two factors: 1) the substantial increase in the continental populations of most waterfowl species during this time; and/or 2) the ready availability of zebra mussels since the early 1990s which has apparently resulted in either more birds (of certain species) using Long Point, or birds staging for longer periods.
Probably the most prominent change in Long Point's waterfowl community since the 1970s has been the substantial increase in the number of Tundra Swans. Based on survey results, Long Point is probably one of the most important Tundra Swan staging areas east of the Rockies. However, it has been proposed that swans may influence the abundance and distribution of ducks directly through displacement of the ducks from preferred habitats or indirectly through competition for food. Consequently, the importance of Long Point to staging Tundra Swans, and their direct and indirect effects on other waterfowl species will be the subject of an intensive 3-year study by LPWWRF and the University of Western Ontario, starting in 1998.
The most noticeable change in the distribution of waterfowl at Long Point since the 1970s (although this phenomenon probably started prior to the 1970s) has been the substantial increase in the number of diving ducks using the south shore of Long Point (Lake Erie) during the fall. Large flocks of diving ducks are regularly observed flying to the Bay in the evening and returning to the lake in the morning. It is assumed that birds are loafing on the lake during the day to seek refuge from disturbance, and subsequently feeding on the Bay at night. Based on these distributional shifts and the fact that excessive disturbance by humans has been shown to be detrimental to waterfowl on migration areas (such as Long Point), as well as on their wintering and breeding areas, the Long Point Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Fund undertook a study in 1993 to identify the types, locations, and frequencies of disturbance, and possible effect on migrating waterfowl at Long Point.
The tendency of diving ducks to concentrate and feed on open water caused them to be disturbed more often by boat traffic than were the dabbling ducks, geese and swans. Disturbance rates were substantially higher during the spring than during the fall. High spring disturbance rates were attributed primarily to commercial fisherman regularly checking their seine and hoop nets, and to the fact that ducks have a higher tendency to relocate to the south shore during the fall, leaving fewer birds that can be disturbed on the inner bay at that time. It is interesting that despite high disturbance rates during the spring, ducks do not tend to redistribute to the south shore. This is probably due to the fact that fall migration is protracted, and ducks seem to have enough time to continue to use Long Point's wetlands, even though they can only feed on the bay at night. In contrast, during the spring, birds must forage intensively during the day and night to acquire the high body fat levels needed to migrate as well as to lay eggs. Consequently, human disturbance during the critical spring staging period should be monitored and restricted during peak migration.
The popularity of Long Point for waterfowl hunting resulted in the establishment of the Long Point Wildlife Management Unit (LPWMU) in 1961. The area remains one of the best areas to hunt waterfowl in southern Ontario, and the local economy continues to benefit from revenue generated from thousands of waterfowl hunters visiting Long Point each year. The number of waterfowl taken annually is influenced largely by continental trends in waterfowl numbers as well as by the number of hunters using the LPWMU. Mallards are by far the most prominent bird in the bag, followed by American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, American Black Ducks and Redheads.