Western Gulf Coast Mottled Duck Survey

This operational 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 Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and the Migratory Bird Program, this survey uses airplanes and helicopters to monitor mottled ducks within their breeding habitat 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.