The Wood Duck was once the most abundant duck east of the Mississippi River. But the draining of wetlands, forest fragmentation, and market hunting caused serious declines in their numbers. In 1918, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act banned hunting of Wood Ducks for 23 years. Federal regulation and the concern of dedicated individuals, including Frank Bellrose, brought the duck back. By the 1960s, populations had recovered to three million birds.
