— A recent paper demonstrates just how significant coastal Louisiana is for supporting massive bird populations. Louisiana ranks #1 in population of Mottled Ducks, Royal Terns, Black Skimmers, Wilson’s Plovers, and many other important species. Louisiana even ranks #1 in the country for its state bird – the Brown Pelican – a species that was eradicated in the 1960s by DDT but is now flourishing due to reintroduction efforts and nesting island restoration.