The Game Management Authority (GMA) will begin its annual survey of Victoria’s game duck population on Tuesday, November 12, 2024.

The survey will be conducted by wildlife biologists, who will record the presence, species and number of game ducks at more than 850 waterbodies across Victoria, including wetlands, farm dams, sewerage treatment plants, streams and rivers. The survey will also include ground counts where the helicopter is unable to operate.

Satellite imaging will then be used to determine the amount of wetland habitat available and, together with survey abundance estimates, used to estimate the total abundance of Victoria’s game duck species.

The GMA is continuing this research in 2024 as part of the Victorian Government’s Sustainable Hunting Action Plan 2021-24 and commitment to introducing adaptive harvest management.

GMA Research Principal, Dr Jason Flesch said regularly collecting data is critical to understanding what drives the abundance and productivity of game duck populations.

“Results from this survey will help to accurately estimate total game duck abundance, based on environmental conditions at the time,” Dr Flesch said.

“This research benefits wildlife conservation by increasing our understanding of the ecology of Victoria’s game duck populations and the health of their habitats.”

The 2024 survey is scheduled to take place from Tuesday, November 12 until Friday, November 29, inclusive. The flight schedule may change from day to day, depending on weather conditions or other factors.

Residents in these areas may see a helicopter flying at low levels while they complete this survey. The safety of people and livestock is a priority and disturbance to livestock will be minimised or avoided.

The results of the survey will be published on the GMA website in 2025.

For more information, including a map of the proposed flight path, visit: gma.vic.gov.au/research/duck-research.

This article appeared in The Buloke Times, 12 November 2024.