FILLING CRITICAL KNOWLEDGE GAPS TO EVALUATE VULNERABILITY OF THE
WESTERN YELLOW RAIL
Sean P. Murphy, Susan M. Haig, Faye Weekley, Mark P. Miller, Thomas D. Mullins, Kenneth J. Popper, & Michael Green
Yellow Rail Symposium 19 July 2013
• Historical information• Current knowledge• Ongoing efforts
Objectives
1) Historical background
2) Since 1982- Nesting ecology- Genetic analyses
3) Current endeavors
Historical Breeding Distribution
Pre-1950− Mono Co, CA− Klamath Co, OR
1950-1980− Extirpated from all
historic sites
1982− Rediscovered in west
- Marshall, D. et al. 2003. Birds of OR. OSU Press.
- Shuford & Gardali. 2008. CA Bird Sp. of Special Concern. CA Dept of Fish & Game.
Winter Distribution
Historically (early 1900’s)- Coasts & bays
• Humboldt to Orange (57/64 records)
- San Joaquin Valley (6 records)
Recently (since 1970’s)- Extirpated from all historic
sites
- Marshall, D. et al. 2003. Birds of OR. OSU Press.
- Shuford & Gardali. 2008. CA Bird Sp. of Special Concern. CA Dept of Fish & Game.
Current Distribution
Western YERA classifications• SENSITIVE-CRITICAL (OR)• SPECIAL CONCERN (CA)
• SENSITIVE SPECIES – USFS (R6)
Breeding− Majority in sc. Oregon
Winter− Coastal CA?
NESTING ECOLOGY (Popper & Stern 2000)
- Hatch: early June through July
- Clutch: 8 eggs (n=8; SD = 1.1; range 6-9)
- Nest: equal parts dead/senescent and live vegetation
- Vegetation: Carex dominated at nest
- Water: 7cm depth at calling males (n=638, SD=3.6)
- Home range: 19.3 ha(n=9, range 4.6-45.2; Popper & Stern 1996)
Western Yellow Rail
Population Structure & Bottlenecks
GENETIC STRUCTURE- Oregon population subtly different from the others- Likely an artifact of geographic distance
Miller et al. 2012. Condor 114: 100-112.
BOTTLENECKS (red)- Oregon- Michigan- Wisconsin/e. Minnesota
Need: additional samples from other breeding populations
Annual Cycle: filling in the blanks
Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge- 40,000 acres of marsh and sedge meadows- Approximately half the western population (~300 pairs)- Fall management activities: haying, burning, grazing- Proposed 10,000 acre river restoration project
Impacts of management actions:1) Identify postbreeding space use
2) Determine fall departure
3) Determine winter location
Field Methods
Captured calling males in late June- 23 in 2012- 12 in 2013 (one female)
Attached 1.5g VHF transmitters - 19 in 2012- 11 in 2013 (one female)
Tracked radio-marked birds over subsequent months
Telemetry MethodsHaramis & Kearns (2000) attachment
Haramis & Kearns. 2000. JFO 71: 135-139.
Challenges of tracking Yellow Rails
Transmitter information:- 2012: Holohil BD2N (4-5 mo)- 2013: Lotek Connectivity Tag (6 mo)
Needle in a Haystack
- Conduct fall/winter ground telemetry surveys at historical winter sites
- Looking for more partners
PROBABLE WINTER DISTRIBUTION
Future Efforts
- Survey all known breeding locations (including CA sites)
- Partner with stakeholders throughout the western population range
- Refine telemetry techniques
- Location tags to identify winter location and migration
- Collect additional genetic samples from other breeding populations (contact me at [email protected])
Acknowledgements:
US Geological Survey Elise Elliott-SmithAmanda HollandDaniel HowardJeff HollenbeckMichael Casazza
Klamath Bird ObservatoryKaren Hussey John Alexander
Jim Rivers – Oregon St. Univ.Lew Oring – Univ. of NV-RenoMarty St. Louis – OR Div. Fish & WildlifePeter Sanzenbacher – ABR, Inc.Bruce Taylor – OR Habitat JVTom Rickman – Lassen NFMark Colwell – Humboldt St. Univ.Tom Gardali – Point Blue Conserv. Sci.
US Fish and WildlifeKeely LopezDave MauserMike JohnsonRob DosterMichelle McDowell
Klamath Marsh NWR
Summer LakeSycan Marsh
Camas Prairie
Wood River Valley
Odessa Creek
Aspen Lake