Assessing Microtopography with Drones Understanding the microtopography of Black Rail habitat is critical to the design and creation of new habitat for the species; a difference in just a few centimeters of water can determine whether a Black Rail will use a certain area or avoid it completely. Field work to characterize microtopography and [...]
In the field with the Director. USFWS Coastal Marsh Visit with USFWS Director Martha Williams at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge The Director of USFWS, Martha Williams, made a visit to southern Maine in May! We had the pleasure of co-hosting her along with Rachel Carson NWR staff and our regional leadership. [...]
Fire can be a valuable tool to manage the distribution and composition of vegetation and reopen habitats for Black Rails. Susan McRae Black Rail Management Guidance Document Released The Black Rail Conservation Plan indicates the urgent need to focus habitat work in non-tidal locations where birds are relatively safe from regular flooding [...]
Eastern Black Rail Listing Update In October, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announced their proposal to list the Eastern Black Rail subspecies as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). After a review of the best available information, the Service determined the subspecies meets the definition of threatened because it is likely to [...]
Saltmarsh Sparrow in the New York Times Saltmarsh Sparrows nest in high marsh grasses just above the mean high tide line. They have naturally adapted to occasional flooding events; eggs can survive short periods of inundation and young birds often climb to safety in the grass above the nest. However, more than a foot of [...]
Juvenile red knot (note the greenish-yellow legs) getting a band. USFWS Biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Virginia Tech, Audubon, and Clemson University worked to trap and band red knots moving through South Carolina during the Spring 2015 migration season. The crews were able to [...]