Numbers of wading birds in the Everglades have decreased as much as 70% since the 1930s. The decline of wading bird populations in the Everglades was one of the first and most visible signs that the Everglades ecosystem had been degraded. Currently, wading birds are used as an important component of the Everglades restoration effort. We are analyzing aerial survey, hydrology, and vegetation data over a 20-year period to estimate the influence of factor within and external to the Everglades that may have contributed to wading bird declines and distribution changes. The results will be part of the scientific input into the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), which uses hypothesized relationships between wading birds and hydrology to shape hydrologic targets for the Everglades restoration.