King Rail (<i>Rallus elegans</i>) Trapping Efficiency and Detection Techniques in Southwestern Lake Erie Coastal Marshes, USA

Shirkey, Brendan T.; Simpson, John; Picciuto, Michael A.

doi:10.1675/063.040.0110

Cited by 8 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 12 publications

(11 reference statements)

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“…We trapped king rails from early May through late June between 2019 and 2021. We selected trapping sites based on past sightings and captures during prior years and located birds using call‐broadcast techniques (Shirkey et al, 2017 ). We captured king rails using whoosh nets and walk‐in traps (Shirkey et al, 2017 ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We selected trapping sites based on past sightings and captures during prior years and located birds using call‐broadcast techniques (Shirkey et al, 2017 ). We captured king rails using whoosh nets and walk‐in traps (Shirkey et al, 2017 ). Upon capture, we attached VHF radio transmitters (ATS – Isanti, Minnesota; model A1050; weight: 2.4 g; frequency range: 164.3 to 165.4 MHz) to king rails using leg‐loop harnesses (Rappole & Tipton, 1991 ) made of 0.7 mm diameter stretch magic cord (Stretch Magic Inc – Sonoma California).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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King rail (Rallus elegans) home range and microhabitat characteristics in western Lake Erie coastal marshes

Brewer

Gehring

Garcia

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

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The king rail (Rallus elegans) is a secretive marsh bird that is threatened or endangered in eight of nine states and provinces in the Laurentian Great Lakes (Great Lakes) region. Available survey data suggests that this species has undergone population declines across this region and these are believed to have been driven by habitat loss and degradation. An improved understanding of the amount and type of habitat king rails require during the breeding season at sites within the Great Lakes region would inform and improve progress toward conservation goals. During 2019–2021, we caught and radio‐tagged 14 king rails in northwestern Ohio and southeastern Michigan within impounded coastal wetlands of western Lake Erie. We used radio telemetry to identify breeding season (May–August) home‐range characteristics and third order habitat selection within home ranges (hereafter microhabitat). For the birds whose home range stabilized (N = 10), we found a mean home‐range size of 8.8 ha (±1.63 [SE]; range = 1.9 to 15.8). We generated a classification tree to determine which habitat characteristics were associated with king rail presence within home ranges in our study. We found that vegetative density within home ranges was particularly associated with king rail presence. Phragmites australis was also associated with king rail presence, despite its invasiveness and negative ecological impacts in the region, and could be selectively maintained to benefit king rails. Our results suggest that managers may be able to provide microhabitat for king rails by maintaining water depths of 6 to 17 cm and by promoting native, robust vegetation in the genera Carex and Juncus. Our findings could help inform wetland managers and conservation planners in the Great Lakes region, particularly in western Lake Erie coastal marshes, of patch sizes, water depths, plant communities, and vegetative structure preferred by king rails.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

King rail (Rallus elegans) home range and microhabitat characteristics in western Lake Erie coastal marshes

Brewer

Gehring

Garcia

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

Self Cite

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show abstract

“…Vocalization-based surveys are the predominant tool used to study secretive marsh birds (Taylor and van Perlo 1998;Conway 2011), but have a limited ability to determine basic biological characteristics, such as the phenology of incubation, brood rearing, and ightless molt. Camera trapping is emerging as a valuable tool for the study of rails (O'Brien and Kinnaird 2008;Colyn et al 2017;Shirkey et al 2017;Znidersic 2017;Colyn et al 2019;Znidersic 2019), and has the ability to capture the chronological development of these characteristics. We successfully applied camera trapping techniques to the study of the Eastern Black Rail in coastal South Carolina and conducted the longest sustained sampling effort of any kind for the subspecies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Window into the Breeding Ecology and Molt of the Eastern Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis jamaicensis)

et al. 2021

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Knowledge of the ecology and behavior of the Eastern Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis jamaicensis) has remained nearly as elusive as the rail itself. Camera trapping methods facilitated the rst study of breeding phenology and chick development (n = 33 broods), ightless molt phenology and duration (n = 10 adults in molt), and courtship and brood rearing behaviors. In addition, behavioral observations combined with phenology data provided evidence of pairs raising two or more broods during a breeding season. Conservation and management efforts for the Eastern Black Rail should take into consideration periods of vulnerability such as incubation, brood rearing and ightless molt, which coincide with increasingly severe and frequent coastal ooding events and hurricanes. To effectively develop conservation strategies to ensure the persistence of the Eastern Black Rail, it is necessary to understand factors key to the fecundity and survival of the subspecies.

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“…We captured waterbirds using a combination of drop nets (Doherty 2009), whoosh-nets (Shirkey et al 2017), and hand-held net gun (Huschle et al 2002). Upon capture, we banded birds with an aluminum United States Geological Survey Bird Banding Lab band with a unique numerical identifier.…”

Section: Field Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Hawaiian waterbird movement across a developed landscape

Paxton

Kawasaki

et al. 2022

J Wildl Manag

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A key component for biologists managing mobile species is understanding where and when a species occurs at different locations and scaling management to fit the spatial and temporal patterns of movement. We established an automated radio‐telemetry tracking network to document multi‐year movement in 2016–2018 of 3 endangered waterbirds among wetlands on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, USA: ʻalae ʻula or Hawaiian gallinule (gallinule; Gallinula galeata sandvicensis), ʻalae keʻokeʻo or Hawaiian coot (coot; Fulica alai), and aeʻo or Hawaiian stilt (stilt; Himantopus mexicanus knudseni), each with different ecological requirements. There were marked differences in the movement propensity of the species, with no movement among sites detected in gallinules, 31% of coots moving among wetlands, and very high levels of daily movement in stilts. A network analysis revealed strong evidence for fidelity among individual stilts to specific wetlands, indicating different groups of wetlands supported different birds. There was also strong evidence for patterns in daily and seasonal movement patterns of stilts. Our work indicates the importance of each wetland to the waterbirds they support, as each individual had strong fidelity to a single wetland. In addition, for Hawaiian coots and stilts, which were documented moving among multiple wetlands, a network of wetlands may be key for long‐term persistence of these endangered species, and coordinated regional management of waterbirds as a shared resource could provide greater benefits to waterbirds than independent management of each wetland.

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King Rail (Rallus elegans) Trapping Efficiency and Detection Techniques in Southwestern Lake Erie Coastal Marshes, USA

Cited by 8 publications

References 12 publications

King rail (Rallus elegans) home range and microhabitat characteristics in western Lake Erie coastal marshes

King rail (Rallus elegans) home range and microhabitat characteristics in western Lake Erie coastal marshes

A Window into the Breeding Ecology and Molt of the Eastern Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis jamaicensis)

Hawaiian waterbird movement across a developed landscape

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