Aerial Surveys

SCDNR has conducted aerial surveys of all known wading bird colonies in the coastal plain of South Carolina since 1988. The purpose of these surveys is to determine the status of the colonies (active or inactive) and to estimate the number of nests. Aerial surveys are generally more time and cost efficient and are less disruptive to the nesting birds compared to ground surveys. Aerial surveys are very useful for determining if known colonies are active (if birds are nesting) and for locating new colonies.