Experimental evidence suggests that broadcasting rail calls overnight can influence broad-scale site selection by migrating rails
Broadcasting conspecific calls during migration is known to attract some focal species. Our goal was to determine if broadcasting rail calls overnight during spring migration could influence site selection by Virginia Rails ( Rallus limicola ), Soras ( Porzana carolina ), Yellow Rails ( Coturnicops...
| المؤلفون الرئيسيون: | , , , , |
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| التنسيق: | مقال |
| اللغة: | English |
| منشور في: |
Resilience Alliance
2024-06-01
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| سلاسل: | Avian Conservation and Ecology |
| الموضوعات: | |
| الوصول للمادة أونلاين: | https://www.ace-eco.org/vol19/iss1/art18 |
| _version_ | 1827206551940628480 |
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| author | Dustin E Brewer Thomas M Gehring Michael P. Ward Eric M. Dunton Rachael Pierce |
| author_facet | Dustin E Brewer Thomas M Gehring Michael P. Ward Eric M. Dunton Rachael Pierce |
| author_sort | Dustin E Brewer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Broadcasting conspecific calls during migration is known to attract some focal species. Our goal was to determine if broadcasting rail calls overnight during spring migration could influence site selection by Virginia Rails ( Rallus limicola ), Soras ( Porzana carolina ), Yellow Rails ( Coturnicops noveboracensis ), and King Rails ( Rallus elegans ); if so, we sought to identify the scale at which this effect occurred. We completed in-person marsh bird surveys in 2021 (the ‘control’ year) and in 2022, when we experimentally broadcast vocalizations of focal species overnight in central Michigan at study sites that ranged from lower-quality to higher-quality habitat. In 2022, we also used autonomous recording units (ARUs) to document arrival dates and presence. Soras and Virginia Rails were the only focal species detected during in-person surveys, though a King Rail was opportunistically detected during the experimental year. We detected a mean of 0.86 ± 0.38 [SE] more rails per survey point (a 218% increase) in the experimental year compared to the control year within the same wetland units. This effect was most pronounced in higher-quality habitat. Citizen science (eBird) data indicated increased rail abundance and occurrence at our study sites during our experimental and post-experimental years, but not our control year, relative to the eight years before field work began. We did not find differences in rail abundance between locations that varied in proximity to overnight playback. ARU data provided preliminary evidence that, in lower-quality habitat, focal species tended to arrive ≥2 weeks earlier in the immediate vicinity of playback stations. Our results suggest that broadcasting overnight playback of the calls of focal species could influence site selection by rails, especially in concert with habitat restoration initiatives, though effects may extend beyond the immediate vicinity where playback is broadcast. |
| first_indexed | 2025-03-21T12:25:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d78b9c41f9934fcfac7b629fba38d6a1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1712-6568 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-03-21T12:25:59Z |
| publishDate | 2024-06-01 |
| publisher | Resilience Alliance |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Avian Conservation and Ecology |
| spelling | doaj.art-d78b9c41f9934fcfac7b629fba38d6a12024-06-28T13:41:44ZengResilience AllianceAvian Conservation and Ecology1712-65682024-06-011911810.5751/ACE-02649-1901182649Experimental evidence suggests that broadcasting rail calls overnight can influence broad-scale site selection by migrating railsDustin E Brewer0Thomas M Gehring1Michael P. Ward2Eric M. Dunton3Rachael Pierce4Department of Biology, Institute for Great Lakes Research, Central Michigan UniversityDepartment of Biology, Institute for Great Lakes Research, Central Michigan UniversityUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge, Saginaw, MI, USAU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Birds, East Lansing, MI, USA.Broadcasting conspecific calls during migration is known to attract some focal species. Our goal was to determine if broadcasting rail calls overnight during spring migration could influence site selection by Virginia Rails ( Rallus limicola ), Soras ( Porzana carolina ), Yellow Rails ( Coturnicops noveboracensis ), and King Rails ( Rallus elegans ); if so, we sought to identify the scale at which this effect occurred. We completed in-person marsh bird surveys in 2021 (the ‘control’ year) and in 2022, when we experimentally broadcast vocalizations of focal species overnight in central Michigan at study sites that ranged from lower-quality to higher-quality habitat. In 2022, we also used autonomous recording units (ARUs) to document arrival dates and presence. Soras and Virginia Rails were the only focal species detected during in-person surveys, though a King Rail was opportunistically detected during the experimental year. We detected a mean of 0.86 ± 0.38 [SE] more rails per survey point (a 218% increase) in the experimental year compared to the control year within the same wetland units. This effect was most pronounced in higher-quality habitat. Citizen science (eBird) data indicated increased rail abundance and occurrence at our study sites during our experimental and post-experimental years, but not our control year, relative to the eight years before field work began. We did not find differences in rail abundance between locations that varied in proximity to overnight playback. ARU data provided preliminary evidence that, in lower-quality habitat, focal species tended to arrive ≥2 weeks earlier in the immediate vicinity of playback stations. Our results suggest that broadcasting overnight playback of the calls of focal species could influence site selection by rails, especially in concert with habitat restoration initiatives, though effects may extend beyond the immediate vicinity where playback is broadcast.https://www.ace-eco.org/vol19/iss1/art18audio playbackconspecific attractionhabitatmigrationsecretive marsh birdsoravirginia rail |
| spellingShingle | Dustin E Brewer Thomas M Gehring Michael P. Ward Eric M. Dunton Rachael Pierce Experimental evidence suggests that broadcasting rail calls overnight can influence broad-scale site selection by migrating rails Avian Conservation and Ecology audio playback conspecific attraction habitat migration secretive marsh bird sora virginia rail |
| title | Experimental evidence suggests that broadcasting rail calls overnight can influence broad-scale site selection by migrating rails |
| title_full | Experimental evidence suggests that broadcasting rail calls overnight can influence broad-scale site selection by migrating rails |
| title_fullStr | Experimental evidence suggests that broadcasting rail calls overnight can influence broad-scale site selection by migrating rails |
| title_full_unstemmed | Experimental evidence suggests that broadcasting rail calls overnight can influence broad-scale site selection by migrating rails |
| title_short | Experimental evidence suggests that broadcasting rail calls overnight can influence broad-scale site selection by migrating rails |
| title_sort | experimental evidence suggests that broadcasting rail calls overnight can influence broad scale site selection by migrating rails |
| topic | audio playback conspecific attraction habitat migration secretive marsh bird sora virginia rail |
| url | https://www.ace-eco.org/vol19/iss1/art18 |
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