Based on aerial surveys on wintering grounds, populations of Pacific black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) have fluctuated around the minimum population level, while numbers in nesting colonies on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (YKD) have declined severely during the 1980s. To meet population recovery goals it is important to monitor the reproductive status of these colonies. Annual surveys by ground crews are impractical because of the large areas involved and ocular surveys from aircraft are not possible because of high densities of nests. Photography has been widely used to estimate numbers of other species of waterfowl, but is impractical because of the large areas, poor weather conditions, and cryptic coloration of brant. However, high-quality video imagery can minimize or overcome these problems. This study assesses various photographic techniques and analytical methods for enumerating brant and evaluating habitat conditions. This technique also has application in assessing changes in land cover.