The September 2025 estimate of blue-winged teal in coastal Louisiana and the Little River Basin is 101,000. Because only one day of the survey was completed in 2024 due to weather related to Hurricane Francine, a comparison to last year cannot be made. However, the 2025 estimate is 32% lower than September 2023 (148,000). It is 49% and 46% lower than the most recent 5- and 10-year averages respectively. The coast-wide mottled duck estimate (10,000) was the lowest September estimate ever recorded.
Nearly 80% of teal in the coastal region were observed in the southwest portion of the state, with the largest concentrations in northwest Vermilion and southeast Calcasieu parishes. However, the teal estimate for Southwest Louisiana (70,000) is the lowest since the 2018 estimate (48,000) and 46% lower than the regional estimate in 2023. It is also nearly 60% lower than both the most recent 5- and 10-year average. No single flock of greater than 500 birds was observed on transects. Marsh conditions are generally very good in Southwest Louisiana with excellent SAV coverage and very little floating nuisance aquatics. Nuisance vegetation coverage increased in the eastern portion of Southwest Louisiana. North of the marsh, agricultural areas are extremely dry with only 5-10% of the landscape holding water.
Conditions in Southeast Louisiana
Though four of 10 transects in Southeast Louisiana yielded no teal observations, the estimate in the southeast (19,000) is 12% higher than the 2023 estimate, 30% lower than the most recent 5-year, and 4% higher than the most recent 10-year average, and is the third highest estimate in Southeast Louisiana in the last 10 years. Marsh conditions in Southeast Louisiana are above average region-wide, with limited areas of problem vegetation. However, local areas where salvinia and hyacinth were observed were often broadly and fully covered.
About 28,000 and 1,000 black-bellied whistling ducks were estimated in the southwest and southeast portions of the surveyed area respectively. They remain illegal to harvest until the regular duck season in November.
The water level at Little River Basin at the time of the survey was 27.2 MSL (Center of the Lake) and rising. Nearly 60 of the basin was holding water resulting in ideal conditions for teal. About 12,000 blue-wings were estimated throughout the basin representing the second highest estimate at Little River Basin in the last 10 years. The Little (Duck) Lake refuge area to the north was 30-40% flooded and was holding less than 100 ducks.
The 2025 statewide teal season in Louisiana, during which cinnamon, blue-, and green-winged teal may be harvested, began Sept. 20 and runs through Sept. 28.
