Western Gulf Coast Mottled Duck Survey

This experimental survey is used to determine the status of the breeding mottled duck population each year along the Gulf Coast in Louisiana and Texas. Conducted during early April as a joint effort of the Migratory Bird Program, Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, this survey uses airplanes and helicopters to count mottled ducks along transects within their breeding range in both states. Airplane crews count mottled ducks along transects, while helicopter crews survey a subsample of transects to provide a visibility correction for the airplane counts.