Nancy F. Walters

Nest Success and Nesting Habitats of Mottled Ducks on the Mississippi River Delta in Louisiana

Waterfowl management is a major goal at the Delta National Wildlife Refuge, yet there is little information on mottled duck (Anas fulvigula) nesting on the Mississippi River Delta (MRD) in Louisiana to guide management decisions. In 1998 and 1999, we determined nest success and its relationship to sites and habitat types. Average Mayfield nest success for all locations and years was 20.0%. Nest success differed among sites in 1998 and among habitat types in 1999. Greatest nest success (56.7%) was on Mississippi River levee sites and lowest nest success (0.3%) was on canal banks. Most nest...