Flyways

The term "Flyway" is commonly used in two different ways. The term can be used to describe a group of states and provinces that work together administratively to manage their waterfowl resources, or it can be used as a biological term describing the flight path of ducks between breeding areas and wintering areas. There are four major biological flyways in the United States: Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and Pacific. These migration routes have been determined using several factors, including band returns, direct observations, and radar images.

The states that are included in each of the biological flyways work together to determine hunting regulations. Administratively, Georgia is in the Atlantic Flyway, which also includes the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia as well as the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec. Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands also are included in this flyway.