Research

Waterfowl Aerial Inventories

The Illinois and Mississippi river valleys are major migration and wintering areas for nearly 30 species of waterfowl in the Mississippi Flyway. INHS, with support from the IDNR and the Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration Fund through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), has conducted aerial inventories of waterfowl along the Illinois and Mississippi rivers since 1948 (except 2001). This undertaking represents the longest known inventory of waterfowl, preceding even the USFWS breeding waterfowl counts and mid-winter inventories established in 1955. Therefore, 65 years of data exist on fall-migrating waterfowl for these critical ecoregions and have vastly improved our understanding of the chronology of migration, the effects of refuges, and the distribution of waterfowl in Illinois. Data from this project was published in 1999: 

Movements of Mallards and American Green-winged Teal in Response to Hunting-related Disturbance

Numerous factors influence the decisions of individual ducks and flocks of waterfowl during fall migratory stopover and throughout the winter in mid-latitude states, from food availability, winter severity, and disturbance by people, hunting or otherwise. Understanding the role hunting-related disturbance plays in waterfowl movement and migratory decisions is paramount to aid in the management of sanctuary and public hunting areas in mid-latitude states. We marked American green-winged teal and mallards during winters 2022-2024 in the Illinois River Valley. We monitored movements and compared those to volleys of shots from nearby public-hunting areas collected with autonomous recording units. Analyses are ongoing to determine stopover duration, migratory departure timing, survival, and space use of these birds during the hunting season in central Illinois

Waterfowl & Wetland Habitat Monitoring at the Emiquon Preserve

The Emiquon Preserve, a 7,000-acre drainage and levee district adjacent to the Illinois River near Havana, IL, was acquired by The Nature Conservancy in 2000. This property, home to Thompson and Flag Lakes, was known as having two of the most productive lakes in the Illinois River valley. Drained and used for agricultural production for approximately 70 years, The Nature Conservancy has since restored the historic lake basins. As water and wildlife return to the property, we will monitor waterbird use and changes in habitat characteristics. To accomplish this, we’ve conducted ground and aerial surveys of waterfowl and other waterbirds during spring and fall migrations, summer brood monitoring, aquatic invertebrate monitoring during brood rearing, annual evaluation of moist-soil plant seed production in fall, and wetland habitat mapping to document annual changes in habitat quality and diversity as the site develops. Monitoring began in fall 2007, and waterfowl have responded favorably to the restoration. Peak fall abundance has topped 90,000 waterfowl, and peak spring abundance has exceeded 119,000, comprised of 20 duck, 3 goose, and 3 swan species. Additionally, 23 species of non-waterfowl avifauna have been observed at the preserve. Habitat monitoring and mapping have revealed significant growth in wetland area at the Emiquon Preserve, from 630 acres in 2007 to a peak of 4,747 wetland acres in 2010. 

Wetland Management Workshops for Public Managers

We work with public land managers to demonstrate the application of moist-soil management techniques to provide high quality migratory and wintering waterfowl habitat acreage in the state of Illinois. These workshops allow us to reach new staff members or other who may have little-to-no moist-soil management experience. They also promote discussions of where future research into wetland management could aid biologists in making more informed management decisions.