Application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Thermal Imaging Cameras to Conduct Duck Brood Surveys

Abstract

ABSTRACTBrood surveys are used to estimate productivity in ducks, but road‐side transects, aerial surveys, and double‐observer ground surveys have likely underestimated productivity. Duck broods are elusive and prefer wetlands with emergent vegetation where they hide at signs of disturbance, making it difficult to get accurate brood counts. Estimates of brood detection probabilities are typically below 50% and variable, which makes biological inferences about abundance tenuous. We conducted a study to evaluate the efficacy of using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with a thermal imaging camera to survey duck broods in 2 study areas. In Manitoba we located 669 broods with the UAV, compared to 344 detected by double‐observer ground surveys. In Minnesota we detected 225 ducks broods with the UAV, whereas only 105 duck broods were detected by ground observers. Using a Huggins closed‐capture model in program MARK we estimated an average detection probability across both sites of 0.55 (SE = 0.02) with the UAV compared to 0.24 (SE = 0.02) for the ground crews. Although the UAV detected twice as many broods as the ground surveys, detection probability with the UAV was impacted by temperature, humidity, vegetation density, and the criteria we used to determine whether a brood could be classified as resighted. Nevertheless, using a UAV equipped with a thermal imaging camera effectively doubled the number of broods detected compared to traditional methods, and surveys were completed 3 times faster. With advancing drone and camera technology we believe UAV brood counts will become increasingly accurate and provide reliable measures of local duck productivity. © 2021 The Wildlife Society.