waterfowl
noun
wa·ter·fowl
ˈwȯ-tər-ˌfau̇(-ə)l 
ˈwä-
plural waterfowl also waterfowls
: a bird that frequents water
especially
: a swimming game bird (such as a duck or goose) as distinguished from an upland game bird or shorebird
Examples of waterfowl in a Sentence
The lake is a refuge for migrating waterfowl.
Recent Examples on the Web
It's estimated that roughly 40% of waterfowl and shorebirds in North America use the flyway.
—
Journal Sentinel, 22 Apr. 2024
California’s Department of Food and Agriculture is now asking farmers to be on the lookout for sick birds and mammals, and to take steps to humanely remove migrating birds and waterfowl that could come into contact with their herds, and prevent them from nesting nearby.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2024
Staff move the camera to capture the large flocks of sandhill cranes and waterfowl that visit the area.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Apr. 2024
This year’s regs include a proposal to allow waterfowl hunting on an 87-mile stretch of the Yellowstone River in eastern Montana that’s currently off limits to waterfowl hunting.
—Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 8 Mar. 2024
Next month, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) will consider a measure that would open waterfowl hunting on an 87-mile stretch of the Yellowstone River in a part of the Big Sky State known for great goose hunting.
—Travis Hall, Field & Stream, 28 Mar. 2024
Steel waterfowl shotshells remain the most popular.
—Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, 28 Mar. 2024
Further south, Bellevue’s sprawling Lake Sammamish offers ample opportunity for spotting a wide variety of waterfowl along its idyllic shores.
—Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
But steel shot for waterfowl remains the most popular.
—Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, 28 Mar. 2024
Journal Sentinel, 22 Apr. 2024
California’s Department of Food and Agriculture is now asking farmers to be on the lookout for sick birds and mammals, and to take steps to humanely remove migrating birds and waterfowl that could come into contact with their herds, and prevent them from nesting nearby.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2024
Staff move the camera to capture the large flocks of sandhill cranes and waterfowl that visit the area.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Apr. 2024
This year’s regs include a proposal to allow waterfowl hunting on an 87-mile stretch of the Yellowstone River in eastern Montana that’s currently off limits to waterfowl hunting.
—Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 8 Mar. 2024
Next month, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) will consider a measure that would open waterfowl hunting on an 87-mile stretch of the Yellowstone River in a part of the Big Sky State known for great goose hunting.
—Travis Hall, Field & Stream, 28 Mar. 2024
Steel waterfowl shotshells remain the most popular.
—Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, 28 Mar. 2024
Further south, Bellevue’s sprawling Lake Sammamish offers ample opportunity for spotting a wide variety of waterfowl along its idyllic shores.
—Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
But steel shot for waterfowl remains the most popular.
—Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'waterfowl.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near waterfowl
Cite this Entry
“Waterfowl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waterfowl. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
waterfowl
noun
wa·ter·fowl
ˈwȯt-ər-ˌfau̇l
ˈwät-
plural waterfowl also waterfowls
: a bird that is found in or near water
especially
: a swimming bird (as a duck or goose) often hunted as game
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