Ducks leave on falling water?

[Redleg Camo]

Recently heard someone say that birds will leave an impoundment if the water level drops a few inches. Says rising water is ok, but falling water is not. Any truth to that?

[thawhacker]

I don’t know but I can’t see it happening

[ChickenFlip]

Doesn't sound 100% accurate. Maybe depending on what type of bird they were talking about. I could see divers leaving if the water gets too shallow.

[Hogg]

So many potential variables that come into play renders the question meaningless.

[Catdaddy]

Recently heard someone say that birds will leave an impoundment if the water level drops a few inches. Says rising water is ok, but falling water is not. Any truth to that?

With heavy rains, the wood ducks will leave an impoundment to take advantage of the new water in the swamp bottoms. They return to the impoundment after the water level in the swamps drop.

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[TXFowler]

They will leave when the food is gone, the water is gone, or they don't feel safe. I've seen yall post pictures of a wood duck eating your deer corn with no water around. Ducks gonna duck. But if there is food and a little water, they will be happy until they get pressured.

[tman]

I think the takeaway is that birds will zero in on "new water". They move to new water to feed.

Idk about impondments but you see a very accelerated version of this for coastal birds following the tide. Birds move up into the grass as the tide starts to flood the new food, then once the tide recedes, the birds leave the high tide spot and go to the low tide loaf.

[Tater]

They will leave when the food is gone, the water is gone, or they don't feel safe. I've seen yall post pictures of a wood duck eating your deer corn with no water around. Ducks gonna duck. But if there is food and a little water, they will be happy until they get pressured.

I was turkey hunting on a knob overlooking a pasture in a creek bottom many moons ago and a group of woodducks paraded by me eating acorns, lol.

[Calibogue]

With heavy rains, the wood ducks will leave an impoundment to take advantage of the new water in the swamp bottoms. They return to the impoundment after the water level in the swamps drop.

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Or they don't find acorns in the swamp.
To the OP question, no, never seen birds leave because of falling water.

[willyworm]

If the water falls to where they can longer reach the food, ie the corn, then yeah they'll leave for food they can actually get to.

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[Calibogue]

Of course if it is no longer suitable habitat they're going to leave but I didn't take that as the point of the question.

[BOGSTER]

I've drained a field of millet after teal season and had bluewings and wood ducks dry feed on it for 3 weeks after til I ran them off.



I've seen ringnecks (by the hundreds) stay in a pond in March til it dwindled down to a backyard pool sized hole.