[va-bird] Re: Rails,Warblers-Orange County
- From: Phoebetria@xxxxxxx
- To: MBOATER@xxxxxxx, va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 13 May 2004 09:07:12 EDT
In a message dated 5/13/04 7:34:10 AM, MBOATER@xxxxxxx writes:
Stopped by the Terry Run Marshes again this AM at first light
and once again had at least 2 rails "grunting". I could coerce
no other calls from the birds. However, once again, the rails
grunted only in response to tape playback of KING RAIL kek-kek-kek
and grunts. I got no response to any playback of VA Rail calls or
grunts. I also had a SORA calling here.
Hey Mike et al. -
I should mention that I use King Rail recordings during censuses of rails in
many areas, chiefly because the King's grunting vocalization (familiar to many
from the Peterson series of recordings) elicits response from virtually every
rail species -- even when recordings of other species, including their own,
have no effect (or, rather, elicit no vocalizations in response). I don't
know why this would be so. Virginia Rails are particularly likely to reply to
King Rail grunting when broadcast loudly, and their deepest pig-like grunting
can sound surprisingly similar, at least to my ear. When possible King Rails
were reported in Augusta County back about 7 years ago, Fenton Day and I went
along with Brooke Meanley to check out the area. A pair of Virginia Rails
was present, which was marvelous, and I think these were the birds felt to be
possible Kings. I think it's likely that the Terry Run marshes could have
King
Rails, and I hope that visual confirmation/documentation can confirm that.
The species is known to breed in very, very few places away from southernmost
Virginia Beach.
Note that King Rail is on the "Highest Continental Concern" Category of the
American Bird Conservancy's "Green List" (
http://abcbirds.org/greenlist.htm),
alongside Eskimo Curlew and Thick-billed Parrot, so we should, at the state
level, identify and move to protect any places where this declining species
shows
up and nests.
Ned Brinkley
Cape Charles, Virginia
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