Wildlife Activities
Research and Monitoring - Post-Development Monitoring of Marsh Birds
Post-Development Monitoring of Marsh Birds
Monitoring the use of created marsh habitat by covered marsh bird species is ongoing throughout the LCR. Presence/absence surveys are conducted at newly developed marsh habitat sites.
The purpose of this work is to determine whether marsh land cover types created under the LCR MSCP are used by California black rails, Yuma clapper rails, and least bitterns. Surveys for Yuma clapper rail in existing habitat have been conducted in Topock Gorge by Reclamation since 1996 (Work Task D1). Since 2006, Reclamation has participated in the National Marsh Bird Monitoring Program, which involves surveying for several species, including the LCR MSCP covered marsh species, simultaneously using taped recordings of the species calls. Surveys of marsh habitat created under the LCR MSCP utilize this same protocol. Marsh bird survey data on the LCR is utilized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for baseline population estimates and habitat suitability analysis.
For additional information on this project, please refer to Work Task F7: Post-Development Monitoring of Marsh Birds (PDF). Find Technical Reports for this Work Task here.
Updated October 14, 2011