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 smurphy@usgs.gov)

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