Do ducks and geese migrate during the winter?

We used to only have Canadian Geese during the winter in the South, but in the 90s they started never leaving. I had a lake view window in my office and that's about when I noticed the change. They are fun to watch and see them with their lifetime partners and little ones. They make a mess though and you cannot let them take over your lake or pond.

Probably, the magnetic pole is shifting and their direction finder is off. Which is also the likely cause of any long term climate change.

I am over fifty and it seems to me more migratory birds are staying north now than when I was a girl. As a hunter and one that knows her birds because that's how I was raised I feel sure I am not wrong about my observation. It's not just ducks and geese but other birds as well. Eagles and some hawks that prey especially on those birds it seems are wintering here in Michigan more and more. The ducks and geese will stay if there is open water and food which people provide intentionally or unintentionally. Eagles of course hang about because their dinner the ducks and geese are here. The last few winters I saw multiple herons here in Michigan...something that was rare when I was a child. Goldfinches are sticking around too. The worst change in bird migrations has been the buzzard. Rare north of the southern Michigan border when I was a kid these garbage dumps on wings now make a regular appearance in the early spring and stay late in the fall. I shouldn't be too hard on them though they serve their purpose and have moved with the weather. Still, I am not a fan and wish they'd stayed south where they belong. Migrations have changed markedly since I was a kid and I suspect they will continue to change.

This winter I'll be heading out of Dodge. Where is none of your business.

I've seen ducks in cold areas during winter too, but I see many more in migration. I don't know why there are contradictions.