The use of decoys as a research tool for attracting wading birds

The ability to attract wading birds to a specific location is an important tool for wading bird research. We examined the effectiveness of three commercially available decoy types in attracting free-ranging wading birds to a precise location. There was a statistically significant effect of decoy type on the abundance of wading birds. Wading birds were more attracted to sites with plastic flamingo and Tyvekt bag decoys than with Texas rag decoys or no decoys (control sites). The flamingo and Tyvekt bag decoys have a rigid three-dimensional shape, which may be a more important characteristic than the detailed features of a decoy in attracting wading birds. White wading birds showed a significant effect of decoy type on abundance, whereas birds with dark plumage did not.