Where do the ducks go when the lagoon or lake freezes during winter?

Most ducks, geese, and cranes migrate to warmer climates as temps in their natural habitats drop, so by the time the lake is frozen, they've been long gone. That's why in the southern states, duck/goose hunting season starts in the early autumn, because of the sudden influx of huge numbers of birds that have left Canada and the Northeastern U.S. and moved to the warmer gulf coast marshes, and other waterways.

In case you're at all skeptical.. GD is completely right. This is also just one of the ways that scientists have been measuring global climate change. Ducks and geese have been leaving cold climates later than usual, and coming back to colder climates sooner than usual. For some species (not birds quite yet, but butterflies and insects especially) this change has had a major impact on breeding habits, which have caused harm to their respective populations.

thanks for the answers. and now heres another question : Who originally asked this question?

uh.. MIRZA! Spelled Correctly!!

actually its from "The Catcher In The Rye"

didn't you see Conspiracy Theorist? Only psycho-killers read "The Catcher In The Rye"

oh.. and of course every member of Queen. but who's to say they're not one in the same, right? ;-)

the book has been read by over a billion people - and only one out of a billion was a nutjob who killed lennon

that doesn't mean that that "over a billion people" didn't want to go out and kill people. ;-P ..maybe it was the book's fault. besides.. didn't the Berenstain Bears once say that one rotten apple could spoil a whole bunch? :)

...hmm, may it was the other way around. ;-)

evan did you ever read the book though?????

i'm worried that my inner Murderer will escape the clutches of my psyche. ;-)

p.s. - do you also just have Fluther up in a side window all day while at work? ..or is that just me. :)

dude i work at the apple store which means i am literally surrounded by internet-enabled macs. so evrytime i dont have a customer to talk to , im on fluther

also, read the book (trust me it wont raise your inner murderer)

Have you seen the documentary Winged Migration? If not, it will answer your question and more. And it's absolutely beautiful to boot.

http://www.roastgoose.com/recipes/Christmas_Goose_Dickens_Style.htm

South.

… they go south or they go in the oven, yumm…

As long as there is a little open water and ready access to food, they won’t go very far. I have shared a lake with ducks when it was below 0F. I was ice fishing, and they were standing on the ice next to open water caused by the warm water discharge from the power plant.