The blue-winged teal ( Anas discors ) and the mottled duck are residents of 

 the areas. Migrating species include whistling duck ( Dendrocygna spp. ), 

 mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos ), pintail, teal, wigeon, redhead ( Aythya americana ), 

 scaup ( Aythya spp.), canvasback ( Aythya valisineria ), and merganser. 



Geese comprise the other important migrant group for which the refuge is 

 managed. Canada, snow, and white-fronted geese are usually the most abundant. 



Numerous wading birds and shorebirds find food and cover in the wetlands. 

 Gallinules, rails, egrets, ibises, herons, and cormorants are the most common 

 inhabitants of the marshes. The Sabine Refuge is a known nesting site in 

 Louisiana for the roseate spoonbill. 



The alligator is abundant in open water bodies as well as in canals and 

 bayous. The wetlands supported large numbers of these animals through the 

 1950's; since then the population has been maintained through various manage- 

 ment techniques at a level near 7,000. Poaching has frequently been a problem 

 on the refuge since the 1960's (Van Dyck, 1963), 



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