Nocturnal distance sampling all‐terrain vehicle surveys for nonbreeding rails

ABSTRACT Rails (Family: Rallidae) are among the most difficult birds to detect. Although methods have been developed to optimize detection during the breeding season, there is no current suitable survey method for the nonbreeding season. Low detection of rails and lack of suitable methods limit moni...

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Main Authors: Auriel M. V. Fournier, David G. Krementz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2017-03-01
Series:Wildlife Society Bulletin
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.745
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author Auriel M. V. Fournier
David G. Krementz
author_facet Auriel M. V. Fournier
David G. Krementz
author_sort Auriel M. V. Fournier
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Rails (Family: Rallidae) are among the most difficult birds to detect. Although methods have been developed to optimize detection during the breeding season, there is no current suitable survey method for the nonbreeding season. Low detection of rails and lack of suitable methods limit monitoring efforts and examination of important questions related to rail conservation and habitat management during the nonbreeding season. We present a new survey method along with suggestions for its effective use in moist‐soil wetlands. We conducted nocturnal surveys during the autumns 2012–2015 in Missouri, USA, to detect sora (Porzana carolina) using hierarchical generalized distance sampling along transects that we traveled while riding all‐terrain vehicles at night. We evaluated assumptions of our survey method by examining the response by radiomarked sora to survey vehicles and comparing survey counts between surveys on the same night. These surveys produced sora density estimates with error that can be used to address conservation and management questions such as habitat use and migratory timing. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
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spelling doaj-art-9420848a525945d49baabc4daeea5a312025-08-20T02:36:34ZengWileyWildlife Society Bulletin2328-55402017-03-0141115115610.1002/wsb.745Nocturnal distance sampling all‐terrain vehicle surveys for nonbreeding railsAuriel M. V. Fournier0David G. Krementz1Arkansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitDepartment of Biological SciencesUniversity of Arkansas1 University DriveFayettevilleAR72701USAU.S. Geological SurveyArkansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitDepartment of Biological SciencesUniversity of Arkansas1 University DriveFayettevilleAR72701USAABSTRACT Rails (Family: Rallidae) are among the most difficult birds to detect. Although methods have been developed to optimize detection during the breeding season, there is no current suitable survey method for the nonbreeding season. Low detection of rails and lack of suitable methods limit monitoring efforts and examination of important questions related to rail conservation and habitat management during the nonbreeding season. We present a new survey method along with suggestions for its effective use in moist‐soil wetlands. We conducted nocturnal surveys during the autumns 2012–2015 in Missouri, USA, to detect sora (Porzana carolina) using hierarchical generalized distance sampling along transects that we traveled while riding all‐terrain vehicles at night. We evaluated assumptions of our survey method by examining the response by radiomarked sora to survey vehicles and comparing survey counts between surveys on the same night. These surveys produced sora density estimates with error that can be used to address conservation and management questions such as habitat use and migratory timing. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.745all‐terrain vehicleautumn migrationMissouriPorzana carolinarailsora
spellingShingle Auriel M. V. Fournier
David G. Krementz
Nocturnal distance sampling all‐terrain vehicle surveys for nonbreeding rails
Wildlife Society Bulletin
all‐terrain vehicle
autumn migration
Missouri
Porzana carolina
rail
sora
title Nocturnal distance sampling all‐terrain vehicle surveys for nonbreeding rails
title_full Nocturnal distance sampling all‐terrain vehicle surveys for nonbreeding rails
title_fullStr Nocturnal distance sampling all‐terrain vehicle surveys for nonbreeding rails
title_full_unstemmed Nocturnal distance sampling all‐terrain vehicle surveys for nonbreeding rails
title_short Nocturnal distance sampling all‐terrain vehicle surveys for nonbreeding rails
title_sort nocturnal distance sampling all terrain vehicle surveys for nonbreeding rails
topic all‐terrain vehicle
autumn migration
Missouri
Porzana carolina
rail
sora
url https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.745
work_keys_str_mv AT aurielmvfournier nocturnaldistancesamplingallterrainvehiclesurveysfornonbreedingrails
AT davidgkrementz nocturnaldistancesamplingallterrainvehiclesurveysfornonbreedingrails