Скачать или смотреть Black Rail Research

Black rails are rare and elusive birds, the smallest rail species in North America, and fervently sought by researchers and bird-watchers alike. Their small size, dark plumage, and typical behavior of walking instead of flying make them extremely difficult to see and study in the densely vegetated habitat they prefer.

This past summer, FWC researchers tested out methods to trap and radio-track black rails as part of a pilot project to understand how they use the habitat around them. Black rails occur in freshwater and saltwater marshes throughout Florida and the U.S., but they are picky in their habitat selection, making them the Goldilocks of the rail world. Researchers want to better understand what these rails prefer and how to manage wetland habitat for those conditions so we can reverse the decline in numbers seen in the last decades. Radio-tracking allows researchers to gather the data needed despite the secretive nature of black rails.

To learn more about this bird: https://www.fws.gov/southeast/wildlif...