U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
@USFWS

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is dedicated to the conservation, protection, and enhancement of fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats. 🐟🦆 🌱

 Washington, DC
fws.gov/social-media
Joined July 2009
9,700 Photos and videos
About 340-375M birds are predicted to migrate across the U.S. each night this weekend! Lights at night can be very disorienting to birds during their long fall migration. To help prevent deadly bird collisions, turn off or dim unnecessary lights! Graphic: CornellLab, BirdCast
Map of the Lower 48 uses colors to indicate density of migrating birds, with a huge patch of white surrounded by yellow stretching from Michigan all the way down to Florida, indicating a high concentration of migrating birds, with other areas in orange and the Rocky Mountain region in purple, indicating a lower intensity of migrating birds present; large text on map reads ‘Night of September 27, 2026,’ and ‘374 million birds predicted.’

ALT Map of the Lower 48 uses colors to indicate density of migrating birds, with a huge patch of white surrounded by yellow stretching from Michigan all the way down to Florida, indicating a high concentration of migrating birds, with other areas in orange and the Rocky Mountain region in purple, indicating a lower intensity of migrating birds present; large text on map reads ‘Night of September 27, 2026,’ and ‘374 million birds predicted.’

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It’s time. 🦆🎨🎊 The 2026 Duck Stamp Contest is next week, Sept. 24-25! Watch the livestream on the USFWS YouTube page starting at 10 a.m. Central time, 11 a.m. Eastern time both days.
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Every year, hundreds of talented artists submit their work to see if it can become the symbol for one of the most successful conservation tools in American history. Since 1934, federal Duck Stamp sales have raised more than $1.3 billion to conserve millions of acres of vital wetland habitat for migratory waterfowl.
Stamp painting art features three flying waterfowl over water on a mostly cloudy day with forest in the background; big text on stamp reads 'Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp' as well as 'U.S. Department of the Interior,' with a $25 price tag.

ALT Stamp painting art features three flying waterfowl over water on a mostly cloudy day with forest in the background; big text on stamp reads 'Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp' as well as 'U.S. Department of the Interior,' with a $25 price tag.

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More info about the federal Duck Stamp program, including links to both live stream days and the 2026 art gallery: fws.gov/program/federal-duck… USFWS video Video description: Ducks take off from water and fly in a small group as staggered white text appears, first ‘DUCK,’ then ‘STAMP,’ then ‘CONTEST,’ and finally ‘SEPT 24-25,’ with the blue-winged teal finally landing in water.

Federal Duck Stamp Contest & Event Information | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

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Clinging to summer with these butterfly pics! 🦋 Photos: Gordon Garcia
Close-up of a black butterfly with orange and light blue markings on the wing landed on a pink flower.

ALT Close-up of a black butterfly with orange and light blue markings on the wing landed on a pink flower.

Close-up of a bright orange butterfly with black body and black wing exterior with white markings, landed on a yellow flower.

ALT Close-up of a bright orange butterfly with black body and black wing exterior with white markings, landed on a yellow flower.

Close-up of an orange butterfly with black body and black wing exterior with white markings, landed on a yellow flower.

ALT Close-up of an orange butterfly with black body and black wing exterior with white markings, landed on a yellow flower.

Close-up of an orange and brown butterfly that has landed on a flower with big yellow petals.

ALT Close-up of an orange and brown butterfly that has landed on a flower with big yellow petals.

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Species: Viceroy butterfly; Eastern black swallowtail; Pearl crescent butterfly; Monarch butterfly
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Press Release: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Announces Streamlined Statewide Approach for Addressing Common Raven Conflicts fws.gov/press-release/2026-0…

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Announces Streamlined Statewide Approach for Addressing Common Raven...

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced a streamlined statewide permitting approach for state wildlife and agriculture agencies seeking authorization to address conflicts...

fws.gov
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About 260-310M birds are predicted to migrate across the U.S. each night this weekend! Lights at night can be very disorienting to birds during their long fall migration. To help prevent deadly bird collisions, turn off or dim unnecessary lights! Graphic: CornellLab, BirdCast
Map of the Lower 48 uses colors to indicate density of migrating birds, with yellows, a big patch of white and orange in the Midwest meaning a high intensity, and the majority of other areas in purple or pink to indicate lower intensity, with orange drifting into the Southeast, too; large text on map reads ‘Night of September 12, 2026,’ and ‘331 million birds predicted.’

ALT Map of the Lower 48 uses colors to indicate density of migrating birds, with yellows, a big patch of white and orange in the Midwest meaning a high intensity, and the majority of other areas in purple or pink to indicate lower intensity, with orange drifting into the Southeast, too; large text on map reads ‘Night of September 12, 2026,’ and ‘331 million birds predicted.’

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“I came, I saw, I conquered” – probably from a famous great egret. Don’t let the angelic feathers fool you, great egrets are aggressive hunters who stalk marshes like they own the place. They mostly eat fish, but they'll occasionally nosh on rodents, amphibians, reptiles and crustaceans too. Their go-to move is the lightning-fast bill stab.
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Video: Dan Streiffert, flic.kr/p/2rpC11D Video description: Large white bird stalks prey in reflective waters, eventually nabbing something with a successful bill thrust beneath the surface; then a slightly zoomed in and slowed down version of the catch.

Great Egret

Explore Dan Streiffert's 7070 photos on Flickr!

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fws.gov/story/2026-09/celebr…

Celebrating a Conservation Legacy | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

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Migratory Bird Annual Status Reports are out now 🦆➡️ fws.gov/story/migratory-bird…
Graphic shows 10 waterfowl species on the left, with names and then population numbers on the right, with text 'Total Ducks (Numbers in Thousands) at the bottom.

ALT Graphic shows 10 waterfowl species on the left, with names and then population numbers on the right, with text 'Total Ducks (Numbers in Thousands) at the bottom.

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is mourning federal wildlife officer David Taylor, 38 of Scio, Oregon, who is believed to have died while helping evacuate residents threatened by the Railroad South Fire. Officer Taylor was going door to door alongside local emergency crews helping families get to safety. His last contact with dispatch came while he was helping a family evacuate their home. Evidence recovered from a structure where he was working to help a resident escape indicates that he died during the evacuation effort. Formal identification remains pending with the medical examiner. Everything we know about David's actions reflects extraordinary courage, selflessness and devotion to duty. Our hearts are with his family, friends, fellow officers and all who served alongside him. We will never forget his service.
A uniformed U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Officer David Taylor, wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap stands outdoors alongside fellow officers.

ALT A uniformed U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Officer David Taylor, wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap stands outdoors alongside fellow officers.

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News Release: @Interior Finalizes Streamlined Process for Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons fws.gov/press-release/2026-0…

Interior Finalizes Streamlined Process for Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons | U.S. Fish &...

WASHINGTON — The Department of the Interior today announced the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is finalizing a streamlined process for authorizing seasonal migratory game bird hunting, reducing...

fws.gov
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Today feels like the right day to appreciate the Dolly Varden. ❤️ A beautiful fish with a coat of many colors, found in cold, clear waters across Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. There are a lot of beautiful things in this world, and we’ll always have a special place in our hearts for the Dollys. Here’s to the Dollys that make our world a little more beautiful.
Dolly Varden swimming near the rocky bottom of a clear freshwater stream.

ALT Dolly Varden swimming near the rocky bottom of a clear freshwater stream.

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Meet the Borax Lake Chub, a fish isolated thousands of years ago and found only in one 10-acre lake in southeastern Oregon. Catch episodes: fws.gov/fish-of-the-week-pod… A Borax Lake Chub and aerial view of Borax Lake in the Alvord Desert of southeastern Oregon. 📷 Courtesy of @MyODFW
a shiny fish held in a clear viewing aquarium against a desert lake

ALT a shiny fish held in a clear viewing aquarium against a desert lake

Aerial view of a lake situated in a desert environment

ALT Aerial view of a lake situated in a desert environment

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About 150-230M birds are predicted to migrate across the U.S. each night this weekend! Lights at night can be very disorienting to birds during their long fall migration. To help prevent deadly bird collisions, turn off or dim unnecessary lights! Graphic: CornellLab, BirdCast
Map of the Lower 48 uses colors to indicate density of migrating birds, with yellows, white and orange in the Midwest meaning a high intensity, and the majority of other areas in purple or pink to indicate lower intensity; large text on map reads ‘Night of August 21, 2026,’ and ‘229 million birds predicted.’

ALT Map of the Lower 48 uses colors to indicate density of migrating birds, with yellows, white and orange in the Midwest meaning a high intensity, and the majority of other areas in purple or pink to indicate lower intensity; large text on map reads ‘Night of August 21, 2026,’ and ‘229 million birds predicted.’

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Seen any monarchs lately? Fall migration for monarch butterflies begins in mid-August and runs to mid-November. As they prepare for their long journey to Mexico or California, watch for monarchs fueling up on nectar from late-blooming plants like aster, blazing star, boneset, goldenrod, hyssop and more! Photo: Gordon Garcia
Butterfly with black and white markings on its orange wings and body, rests on a yellow flower with a blurred green background.

ALT Butterfly with black and white markings on its orange wings and body, rests on a yellow flower with a blurred green background.

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The Fish and Wildlife Service thanks the more than 200,000 commenters who responded to the request for information on the process for calculating setbacks for the drain tiles around the wetland easements. Our administration is dedicated to protecting both the wetland easements purchased by the FWS that are necessary to protect our conservation heritage as well as the private landowners’ use of their lands outside the easement boundaries. At this time, no further action is planned as we review the information received.
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service retweeted
U.S. Department of the Interior
@Interior
Aug 14
More casts. More hunts. More access. We just announced the largest expansion of hunting and fishing opportunities in @USFWS history. More than 92 million acres of National Wildlife Refuge System lands are now open to hunting. That’s more than 95% of the system. America’s public lands are open for adventure.
Two hunters in camouflage gear using a duck call while sitting in a marsh surrounded by reeds, accompanied by a focused Labrador retriever.

ALT Two hunters in camouflage gear using a duck call while sitting in a marsh surrounded by reeds, accompanied by a focused Labrador retriever.

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