Noose Carpets: A Novel Method to Capture Rails

ABSTRACT Avian research may require investigators to capture birds for many reasons, including to collect measurements and attach leg bands or transmitters. The effectiveness and efficiency of capture techniques varies by species, habitat, and time of year. Rails are particularly challenging to capt...

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Main Authors: Eamon J. Harrity, Courtney J. Conway
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-03-01
Series:Wildlife Society Bulletin
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1068
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author Eamon J. Harrity
Courtney J. Conway
author_facet Eamon J. Harrity
Courtney J. Conway
author_sort Eamon J. Harrity
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Avian research may require investigators to capture birds for many reasons, including to collect measurements and attach leg bands or transmitters. The effectiveness and efficiency of capture techniques varies by species, habitat, and time of year. Rails are particularly challenging to capture because of their secretive behavior and the dense vegetation they inhabit. As such, basic natural history questions for many rail species remain unanswered. We paired audio lures with modified noose carpets to capture and study 69 Yuma Ridgway's rails (Rallus obsoletus yumanensis) in the southwestern United States during 2016–2018. We compared results with other more commonly used capture methods, and our results show that noose carpets paired with audio lures can be an effective tool to capture rails, thereby facilitating studies of their ecology and life history. Noose carpets are easy to use, cheap to build and maintain, and effective over a wide range of conditions. This method could be used to capture rails other than the Yuma Ridgway's rail by adjusting the noose size, noose line weight, and audio lures to match the target species. Published 2020. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
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spelling doaj-art-a613d83b56e84915afbeb5e5fa63c7cf2025-08-20T01:56:55ZengWileyWildlife Society Bulletin2328-55402020-03-01441152210.1002/wsb.1068Noose Carpets: A Novel Method to Capture RailsEamon J. Harrity0Courtney J. Conway1Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Fish & Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho 875 Perimeter Drive, Mail Stop 1141 Moscow ID 83844 USAU.S. Geological Survey, Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Fish & Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho 875 Perimeter Drive, Mail Stop 1141 Moscow ID 83844 USAABSTRACT Avian research may require investigators to capture birds for many reasons, including to collect measurements and attach leg bands or transmitters. The effectiveness and efficiency of capture techniques varies by species, habitat, and time of year. Rails are particularly challenging to capture because of their secretive behavior and the dense vegetation they inhabit. As such, basic natural history questions for many rail species remain unanswered. We paired audio lures with modified noose carpets to capture and study 69 Yuma Ridgway's rails (Rallus obsoletus yumanensis) in the southwestern United States during 2016–2018. We compared results with other more commonly used capture methods, and our results show that noose carpets paired with audio lures can be an effective tool to capture rails, thereby facilitating studies of their ecology and life history. Noose carpets are easy to use, cheap to build and maintain, and effective over a wide range of conditions. This method could be used to capture rails other than the Yuma Ridgway's rail by adjusting the noose size, noose line weight, and audio lures to match the target species. Published 2020. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1068avian capture techniquescapture efficiencyendangered speciesnoose carpetsRallidaeRallus obsoletus yumanensis
spellingShingle Eamon J. Harrity
Courtney J. Conway
Noose Carpets: A Novel Method to Capture Rails
Wildlife Society Bulletin
avian capture techniques
capture efficiency
endangered species
noose carpets
Rallidae
Rallus obsoletus yumanensis
title Noose Carpets: A Novel Method to Capture Rails
title_full Noose Carpets: A Novel Method to Capture Rails
title_fullStr Noose Carpets: A Novel Method to Capture Rails
title_full_unstemmed Noose Carpets: A Novel Method to Capture Rails
title_short Noose Carpets: A Novel Method to Capture Rails
title_sort noose carpets a novel method to capture rails
topic avian capture techniques
capture efficiency
endangered species
noose carpets
Rallidae
Rallus obsoletus yumanensis
url https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1068
work_keys_str_mv AT eamonjharrity noosecarpetsanovelmethodtocapturerails
AT courtneyjconway noosecarpetsanovelmethodtocapturerails