Understanding the spring migration ecology of Sora and Virginia Rail in central Illinois: a study utiilizing automated telemetry

The Sora (Porzana carolina) and Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola) belong to the family of marshbirds called Rallidae which consists of rails, coots, and gallinules. These secretive marshbirds are difficult to detect due to their cryptic nature in the dense emergent vegetation of wetlands. Detailed information about the spring migratory connectivity and stopover ecology of Sora and Virginia Rail is lacking. Much of the wetland habitat required by these secretive marsh birds has been lost across the Midwest over the last 200 years due to agriculture and urban development. Stopover sites are critical for survival during this most stressful portion of the annual cycle allowing birds to rest and refuel during migration. High-quality stopover sites are needed to alleviate potential carryover effects that could affect survival, especially during spring when breeding success could be impacted. Therefore, it is important to understand the migratory behavior and connectivity of rails to assess conservation priorities. We banded 557 Sora and Virginia Rail between 2021-2023 to describe spring migration timing in central Illinois and we deployed 188 pulse-coded VHF tags to estimate spring stopover duration at our study sites and daily activity during stopover using automated radio telemetry. Automated telemetry was also used to investigate factors influencing departure behavior of Sora and Virginia Rail and the Motus Tracking Network was used to identify regional movements after departure. These results provide the species-specific information needed to make informed land management decisions for the conservation of wetland birds.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Natural Res & Env Sciences

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2024

Author dc:creator

• Cremer, Chad A

Contributors dc:contributor

• Fournier, Auriel M.V.
• Ward, Michael P.
• Schauber, Eric M.

• Sora
• Porzana Carolina
• Virginia Rail
• Rallus Limicola
• Spring Migration Chronology
• Migratory Routes
• Stopover Duration
• Automated Telemetry
• Motus Tracking Network

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2024 Chad Cremer

Language dc:language

eng, en

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/124449

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/124449