Bird Usage by Habitat Types in a Large Freshwater Lake

Winter and summer bird numbers were determined for four aquatic habitats in Miller's Lake, Evangeline Parish, Louisiana. As the succession of the vegetation progressed from open water to water tupelos (Nyssa aquatica), the number of bird species occurring in each habitat increased during both seasons, and the number of individuals and avian species diversity increased during summer. Bird numbers in each habitat were higher in winter than summer. In the more structurally complex aquatic habitats avian densities and species richness were higher than in upland areas of similar vegetative complexity.