2020 Great Duck Pileup

2020 Great Duck Pileup

Date	November 2020 (2020-11)
Type	Environmental Anomaly
Cause	Man-made landscape
Deaths	~200 waterfowl

The 2020 Great Duck Pileup was an environmental anomaly, causing the death of over 200 waterfowl, which occurred in northwest Iowa. Migrating waterfowl mistook a wet roadway for a body of water, and were subsequently injured or killed upon landing.

Background

The event happened in early November, 2020 along Highway 20 in Cherokee, Woodbury, and Plymouth counties. The incident was caused by heavy rain, fog, and nighttime conditions making the roadway appear to be a body of water from the air. The birds crash-landed on the pavement after confusing its dark colored reflection. The birds were likely unfamiliar with the location, as a cold front had pushed a large number of migrating waterfowl more South than their normal routes. Due to the harsher conditions, the birds were likely tired, disoriented, and desperate to land. A number of animals were accidently struck by vehicles travelling on the highway.

It is estimated that roughly 200 waterfowl perished in the incident. While biologists emphasized the tragedy of the situations, they stated that it would not impact the overall migration and sustainability of the species, as the total migration involves millions of birds. Officials have used the event to raise awareness about the impact of human landscapes on wildlife.