Nebraska is part of the Central Flyway and provides important
migration and wintering habitat for waterfowl produced in the
Prairie Pothole Region and other important waterfowl breeding
habitats in North America. The Rainwater Basin and Platte River
regions of Nebraska provide critical migration habitat to
millions of waterfowl, shorebirds and other migratory birds that
depend on these shallow wetland habitats to "rest and refuel"
prior to continuing their northward migration each spring. These
two regions are perhaps the most important migration habitat in
the entire Central Flyway. Other important waterfowl areas in
Nebraska include the Sandhills and the Missouri River
floodplain. While most waterfowl migrate to wintering habitats
further south each fall, large numbers of mallards and Canada
geese do remain in Nebraska during the winter, particularly
along the Platte River. DU's highest priority in Nebraska is to
protect and restore critical migration habitat in the Rainwater
Basin and along the Platte Rive