Using Weather Radar to Support Aerial Waterfowl Counts

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In 2011-2013, the USGS UMESC used NEXRAD weather radar to observe waterfowl movements along the Wabash, White, and Patoka Rivers, including the Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Indiana and Illinois. This work was done with partners from the USFWS, Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Indiana DNR, Illinois Natural History Survey, and Southern Illinois University.  In conjunction with aerial surveys, NEXRAD observations were used to indicate reaches of the rivers hosting the largest groups of waterfowl, monitoring the time and direction of foraging flights, and observing the time when most waterfowl continued migration.

Author Name
Eileen Kirsch and Manuel Suarez
Author Email
ekirsch@usgs.gov, msuarez@usgs.gov