Scientists Put GPS on a Duck – Learn He’s a Big Fan of Missouri

I found out today that I have something in common with a Mallard duck. He and I are both big fans of Missouri and I can prove it with scientific data from a GPS tracker.

I saw this fun post on Cohen Wildlife Lab's Facebook/Meta page. They tell the story of a Drake Mallard duck, but didn't share his name (Donald?). They placed a GPS tracker on the duck I will now refer to as Donald and made a map of his adventures. He seems to love Missouri.

Donald appears to have traversed more than 9,300 miles in his travels and has consistently included Missouri in his flight path. This game cam shows you why Donald chose the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge as his winter vacation home.

It's a duck paradise there. US Fish and Wildlife Service says you might even see ducks nesting in your Missouri yard if you have a constant water source. Normally you'll see these feathered friends traveling south to gulf areas during the winter and then back to the northern United States in the Spring.

I look forward to the time when Donald will be flying north over Missouri again. That will mean warmer weather is headed our way finally.