SPECIES DETECTION SURVEY PROTOCOLS

YELLOW RAIL SURVEYS

Fish and Wildlife Branch Technical Report No. 2014-14.0 December 2014

saskatchewan.ca/environment

YELLOW RAIL SURVEY PROTOCOL

First Edition 2014

PUBLISHED BY:

Fish and Wildlife Branch Ministry of Environment 3211 Albert Street Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 5W6 [email protected]

SUGGESTED CITATION FOR THIS MANUAL Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment. 2014. Yellow Rail Survey Protocol. Fish and Wildlife Branch Technical Report No. 2014-14.0. 3211 Albert Street, Regina, Saskatchewan. 8pp.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Alberta’s Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Ministry is gratefully acknowledged for provision of their Sensitive Species Inventory Guidelines April 2013 document and permission to adapt the guidelines for Saskatchewan. The document provided a base reference and content source for personnel conducting respective species surveys in Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan Yellow Rail Survey Protocol Acknowledgements: Sue McAdam has compiled much of the respective Saskatchewan species-specific survey protocol parameters and lead edits of the Saskatchewan protocol versions based on the Alberta Sensitive Species Inventory Guidelines April 2013 document. The Research Permit Process Renewal working group (Karyn Scalise, Sue McAdam, Ben Sawa, Jeff Keith, Andrea Benville and Ed Beveridge) has also contributed to reviews of the Saskatchewan protocol along with additional ministry-external reviewers.

COVER PHOTO CREDITS Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis), © Larry Master

CONTACT [email protected]

COPYRIGHT Brand and product names mentioned in this document are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Use of brand names does not constitute an endorsement.

Except as noted, all illustrations are copyright 2014, Ministry of Environment.

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14.0 YELLOW RAIL SURVEY PROTOCOL

14.1 INTRODUCTION This survey protocol provides instruction on collecting data on the occupancy (presence/not- detected) of yellow rails (Coturnicops noveboracensis) in a given area during the breeding season. Yellow Rails are poorly detected by traditional survey methods due to their secretive and nocturnal activities (Siddie-Slettedahl 2013). Detection of birds demonstrating breeding behaviour such as calling is considered sufficient evidence to confirm breeding. Avoidance is strongly recommended for the duration of the breeding season where breeding is suspected or confirmed.

14.1.1 Status and Distribution Yellow Rails may be found throughout Saskatchewan. Most current or historical records occur in the southern half of the province, which probably reflects search effort and protocol suitability for this nocturnal species, rather than the distribution of birds. Populations can change dramatically with wetland characteristics among years (K. Drake pers. comm.). The Whitesand River marsh complex has very high Yellow Rail densities (K. Drake pers. comm.). Breeding has been confirmed in northern Manitoba (Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas undated) and there may be substantial populations in northern Alberta (Prescott et al. 2003) and possibly Saskatchewan as well. Though there is limited data available, the Yellow Rail is believed to be declining (COSEWIC 2009).

For further information on the Yellow Rail in Saskatchewan, please visit the Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre (SKCDC). Additional information may be provided in Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) Status Reports, in the Species at Risk Act (SARA) Registry documents and in the Migratory Birds Convention Act.

14.1.2 Biology The Yellow Rail is typically associated with marsh, wetland complexes that are dominated by sedges and other emergent vegetation (COSEWIC 2009). The species can also be found along river/stream floodplains, wet meadows and vegetated areas of bogs, in areas where there is limited standing water.

Due to the nocturnal habits and often inaccessible marsh habitat, the Yellow Rail is not commonly reported (Timmermans and McCracken 2003, Conway 2009, COSEWIC 2009). The species is occasionally detected during Breeding Bird Surveys (BBS); however, these surveys are not concentrated in suitable habitat for the Yellow Rail and are conducted at an inappropriate time of day for species detection (Timmermans and McCracken 2003). Yellow Rails are often found in the same areas as LeConte’s sparrows (Ammodramus leconteii), Nelson’s sparrows (Ammodramus nelsoni) and sedge wrens (Cistothorus platensis) (Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas undated, Siddie-Slettedahl 2013). If the associated species are detected it is advisable to conduct appropriate surveys for yellow rails (Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas undated.

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14.2 SURVEY STANDARDS The standards provide instructions on the areal extent of surveys to be conducted. They provide information on experience, capabilities, minimum equipment needs, survey conditions and permit requirements.

14.2.1 Survey Area Extent Surveys must be conducted in areas with SKCDC observations as well as in any areas that provide suitable habitat for the species in question. The proposed project area, plus the appropriate setback distances, must be assessed. All suitable habitat within this area must be surveyed. Setback distances identified in the Saskatchewan Activity Restriction Guidelines for Sensitive Species(Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment 2014a) are based on the species and the level of disturbance associated with the project.

14.2.2 Personnel Personnel must be able to identify Yellow Rails by call and by sight, identify suitable habitat and be familiar with the survey methodology. Personnel must have a well-developed search image for Yellow Rails. Knowledge of specific Yellow Rail biology, behaviour and preferred habitat allows for more accurate results. Surveyors must be trained in sampling methods and show proficiency in calling marsh birds. Observers must have no hearing impairments. If surveys are conducted by remote recording systems, the Recordings must be interpreted by people with specific experience indentifying recordings of Yellow Rails.

14.2.3 Survey Effort Detection of the Yellow Rail is reliant on a number of factors including time of year, time of day, ambient temperature and whether or not surveys are timed to coincide with the peak calling period (Ministry of Environment 1998, Conway et al. 2008). Complete three or preferably four call-playback survey repeat visits at each station (Martin 2012). Visits must be spaced at least four days apart (K. Drake pers. comm.).

Once the target species is detected, subsequent survey visits are not necessary. However, if additional surveys are not conducted to detect additional individuals, presence is assumed in suitable habitat throughout the project area and the appropriate setback distances in the Saskatchewan Activity Restriction Guidelines for Sensitive Species must be applied.

14.2.4 Time of Year Call play back surveys must be conducted during the appropriate time of year for the latitude. Limited information is available for breeding dates for Yellow Rails. In Manitoba, the earliest breeding is expected to start on May 16 in the south, May 26 in the central areas and June 26 in the north (Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas undated). These dates may be used until more confirmed dates and locations are available for Saskatchewan. The highest detection occurs earlier in the field season (Siddie-Slettedahl 2013). South of the forest fringe, surveys are to be completed by the middle of June to capture peak vocalization and detection (Martin 2012).

14.2.5 Time of Day The Yellow Rail is nocturnal and therefore all surveys must be conducted during the peak vocalization period to obtain the best results. Peak detection occurs from 2300 hours to 0300 hours in the Foam Lake, Saskatchewan area (Drake and Frey 2014). This time of day should be appropriate for surveys in most parts of Saskatchewan where the Yellow Rail occurs.

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14.2.6 Environmental Conditions A compendium of environmental condition standards (Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment 2014b) has been prepared to complement the survey protocols for Saskatchewan. The full range of values for the respective environmental condition (e.g., temperature, precipitation, cloud cover, noise, etc.) has been provided in the standards document with the expectation that appropriate value range(s) will be applied as per the survey protocol parameters.

Autonomous recordings are significantly affected by winds of 4kph which reduces both visual and auditory detection in recordings. Recordings should be carried out in calm air (Drake and Frey 2014). Surveys actively carried out by personnel must not be conducted when wind speeds are greater than 20 km/hr or above Level 3 on the Beaufort Scale (Conway 2009, Bird Studies Canada 2010). Yellow rails do not call during cold temperatures; therefore surveys must not be conducted when ambient temperatures are below 0° C (RIC1998). Surveys must not be conducted during fog, rain, or snow (Bazin and Baldwin 2007, Conway 2009, Sidie-Slettedahl 2013). Yellow Rail detection was not found to be affected by moonlight (Siddie-Slettehahl 2013, K. Drake pers. comm.). 14.2.7 Equipment List • Call playback equipment with Yellow Rail calls • Omnidirectional recorder for remote surveys • Waders • GPS receiver • Thermometer • Headlamps/flashlights • Bird Survey Loadform

14.2.8 Permit Requirements Research permits are required for Yellow Rail call playback surveys as as they affect behaviour. Notification is requested for automated recording surveys. Notification implies the appropriate survey protocol(s) will be used and data loadforms submitted. Permit conditions require that surveys and corresponding data collection be conducted according to standardized protocols. Survey protocols and loadforms are available on the ministry Research Permit downloads webpage. Please refresh your internet browser to clear any cached websites or bookmarks for this website to ensure you have the most up-to-date information and document versions. Properly conducted surveys and reliable data submissions are vital tools required to understand and manage wildlife populations and their habitat. Data submissions also facilitate and expedite environmental assessment reviews by Fish and Wildlife Branch.

14.3 SURVEY METHODS The survey methods describe the procedures for conducting Yellow Rail call playback surveys and or songmeter surveys.

14.3.1 Procedures Instructions are provided on call playback surveys, automated recording surveys and reporting the results of surveys.

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14.3.1.1 Call Playback Surveys The Yellow Rail is a secretive, nocturnal bird that is rarely detected during general non-specific wildlife surveys (Timmermans and McCracken 2003). A concerted effort is required to locate the Yellow Rail. In recent years, a number of regional, national and continental surveys have been developed to focus on marsh birds, including the Yellow Rail, in hopes of increasing the amount of information on the species (Bazin and Baldwin 2007, Conway 2009, Bird Studies Canada 2010). This protocol design is based on these larger programs; however, it is focused on the Yellow Rail and therefore some differences exist in regards to survey timing.

Detection of the Yellow Rail has increased by 9.5 per cent in Manitoba with the use of a conspecific call playback survey (Martin 2012). The call that is to be used in all Yellow Rails surveys is the male attraction call. This call is characterized by the “click-click”, similar to two small stones being tapped together.

Surveys must be concentrated in areas of suitable habitat for Yellow Rails, including marshes, wetlands, wet meadows, or floodplains with emergent vegetation. Survey points must be 350 metres apart (Drake and Frey 2014). Surveys can be conducted by foot or non-motorized boat. Access and size of the marsh will dictate the most suitable mode of transportation.

Survey points should be selected prior to the commencement of the survey and be marked so that they can easily be found in the dark. Immediately after arriving at the survey point, the call playback equipment must be placed approximately one metre above the ground/water, pointed towards the centre of the wetland or marsh (Conway 2009). The caller must not be moved or rotated once the survey begins.

The location of each survey point must be georeferenced using a GPS receiver (NAD 83; UTM). At each survey point, a five-minute passive survey must be conducted followed by three minutes of call playback and then an additional two minutes of passive surveying (Conway and Nadeau 2010). Summarily, the survey must be broken down as follows (Conway 2009): o Five (5) minutes of passive silent surveying o Three (3) minutes of call playback for the Yellow Rail, which includes: . Five (5) seconds of calling . Five (5) seconds of silence . Repeat the above pattern for the entire three (3) minute interval o Two (2) minutes of passive surveying o Stop

14.3.1.2 Automated Bio-acoustic Recorders/Songmeters An effective alternative to staffing personnel in the field is to use digital recording devices (K. Drake pers. comm.). Recording yellow rails is an acceptable method of detection, provided the survey standards are met. This method is good for areas with poor access and for minimizing disturbance by observers and avoiding nocturnal work. Abiotic data, such as temperature, can be recorded using an environmental data logger (Saenz et al. 2006).

Automated bio-acoustic call recorders, or song meters, are currently being tested for use in yellow rail surveys (Muhly et al. 2011). These digital recorders offer several potential advantages including: Improved safety for personnel, record Yellow Rails up to an entire breeding season, and provide a permanent record (Saenz et al. 2006).

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14.3.1.2.1 Recording Equipment Use omnidirectional microphones and recorders to record Yellow Rail vocalizations. Recording devices are to be spaced so that an average detection radius of 175m is achieved Drake and Frey 2014). Position the recording equipment in a north/south direction. With the right microphone on the east side, arrange the recording device and microphone as far apart as possible to ensure noise made by the observer is equally delivered to both microphones. Consult the manual to determine the appropriate recording level of the microphone being used.

14.3.1.2.2 Standardized Recording Procedure Ensure recording levels are standardized to allow for comparisons and to reduce the chance of poor quality recordings. Recordings must be made at ≥320 kbps. At the start of each point count recording, state the date, observer name, point count station location and time. Recordings must be interpreted by an expert in identifying Yellow Rails from audio recordings.

14.4 SUBMISSIONS Please refer to the Submissions section under the Standard Permit Conditions on the Ministry of Environment website. Observations should be submitted using the appropriate loadform from the Biodiversity webpage. Any incidental wild species (plant or animal) observations should also be submitted to the ministry ([email protected]) using the Plant or Wild Species Loadform respectively.

iMapInvasives is the provincial system for submitting the occurrence of invasive plant or animal species. Any observations of prohibited, noxious or nuisance weeds, along with observations of any other invasive species, should be submitted using this website. An account is not required to submit observations. If you have any questions, please contact the SKCDC for more information.

14.5 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Alberta Species At Risk Reports

Alberta Status Reports

All About Birds. Bird Guide. Yellow Rail. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology

COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Yellow rail Coturnicops noveboracensis in Canada.

Dendroica, a bird identification aid

Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas - Atlas des oiseaux nicheurs du Manitoba

Poole, A. (Editor). 2005. The Birds of North America Online.

Saskatchewan Activity Restriction Guidelines for Sensitive Species

Saskatchewan Activity Restriction Guidelines for Sensitive Species Background Information

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Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre

Stewart and Kantrud 1971 Wetland Classification System

The Atlas of Saskatchewan Birds

The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan

14.6 LITERATURE CITED Alberta Sustainable Resource Development. 2010. The general status of Alberta wild species 2010. Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Fish and Wildlife Division, Edmonton AB. [Online] http://www.srd.alberta.ca/FishWildlife/SpeciesAtRisk/GeneralStatusOfAlbertaWildSpeci es/GeneralStatusOfAlbertaWildSpecies2010/Default.aspx. Accessed July 8th 2011.

Bazin, R. and F. B. Baldwin. 2007. Canadian Wildlife Service standardized protocol for the survey of Yellow rails (Coturnicops noveboracensis) in prairie and northern region. Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service-Prairie and Northern Region, Edmonton, Alberta. 22 pp. Bird Studies Canada. 2010. The prairie and parkland marsh monitoring program – training kit and instructions for surveying marsh birds and their habitats. Bird Studies Canada, Saskatoon, SK, Canada. 27 pages. [Online] http://www.bsc- eoc.org/volunteer/ppmmp/index.jsp. Accessed June 22nd, 2011.

British Columbia Ministry of Environment. Lands and Parks, Resources Inventory Branch for the Terrestrial Ecosystems Task Force Resources Inventory Committee (RIC).1998. Inventory methods for marsh birds: bitterns and rails. Standards for Components of British Columbia’s Biodiversity No. 7. Prepared by the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks Resources Inventory Branch for the Terrestrial Ecosystems Task Force Resources Inventory Committee. [Online] http://www.ilmb.gov.bc.ca/risc/pubs/tebiodiv/marshbirds/assets/bira.pdf Accessed June 22nd, 2011.

Conway, C. J. 2009. Standardized North American marsh bird monitoring protocols, version 2009-2. Wildlife Research Report #2009-02. U.S. Geological Survey, Arizona Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Tucson, AZ.

Conway, C. J., C. P. Nadeau, R. J. Steidl and A. R. Litt. 2008. Relative abundance, detection probability and power to detect population trends of marsh birds in North America. Wildlife Research Report #2008-02. U.S. Geological Survey, Arizona Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Tucson, AZ.

Conway, J. C. and C. P. Nadeau. 2010. Effects of broadcasting conspecific and heterospecific calls on detection of marsh birds in North America. Wetlands (2010) 30: 358-368.

COSEWIC. 2009. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Yellow Rail Coturnicops noveboracensis in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. vii+32 pp. [Online]

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http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/virtual_sara/files/cosewic/sr_Yellow%20Rail_0810_e.pdf. Accessed June 22nd, 2011.

Drake K. and M.D. Frey. 2014. Bird monitoring and avian community sampling: using autonomous recording units to gain information on cryptic and nocturnal species. Bird Studies Canada ARU Technical Report. Wildlife Habitat Canada. March 14, 2014.26pp.

Gahn, J. F. 1974. Study of breeding rails with recorded calls in north-central Colorado. The Wilson Bulletin, September 1974 Vol. 86, No. 3. [Online] http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Wilson/v086n03/p0206-p0214.pdf. Accessed June 22nd, 2011.

Government of Alberta. 2012. Enhanced approval process. Sustainable Resource Development, Lands Division. Edmonton, AB. [Online] http://srd.alberta.ca/FormsOnlineServices/EnhancedApprovalProcess/EAPManualsGuid es/documents/EAP-IntegratedStandardsGuide-Jul16-2012.pdf Accessed August 15th 2012.

Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas. (undated). http://www.birdatlas.mb.ca/ Accessed October 10, 2013

Martin, K.A. 2012. Habitat suitability of the Yellow Rail in south-central Manitoba. M.Sc. thesis. University of Manitobe. Winnipeg. 137pp. Muhly, T., E. Bayne, K. Drake, D. Huggard and S. Nielsen. 2011. Recommendation for a Yellow Rail monitoring pilot study in the lower Athabasca region of Alberta. Report to the Ecological Monitoring Committee for the Lower Athabasca, Alberta. 37 pages

Prescott, D. R. C., M. R. Norton and I. M. G. Michaud. 2003. Night surveys of Yellow Rails, Coturnicops noveboracensis and Virginia Rails, Rallus limicola, in Alberta using call playbacks. Canadian Field-Naturalist 116:408-415.

Robert, M. and P. Laporte. 1997. Field techniques for studying breeding Yellow Rails. Journal of Field Ornithology 68(1): 53-63. [Online] http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/JFO/v068n01/p0056-p0063.pdf. Accessed June 22nd, 2011.

Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment. 2014a. Saskatchewan activity restriction guidelines for sensitive species. http://www.biodiversity.sk.ca/Docs/SKactivityrestrictions.pdf Accessed January 4, 2014.

Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment. 2014b. Fish and Wildlife Branch scientific research permit environmental condition standards. Fish and Wildlife Branch Technical Report No. 2014-21. 3211 Albert Street, Regina, Saskatchewan. 60 pp.

Sidie-Slettedahl, A.M. Evaluating the use of autonomous recording units to monitor Yellow Rails, Nelson’s Sparrows and Leconte’s sparrows. M.Sc. Thesis. South Dakota State University. 2013. http://pubstorage.sdstate.edu/wfs/thesis/Sidie-Slettedahl-Anna-2013- MS.pdf. Accessed October 4, 2013.

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Species at Risk Act Registry. [Online] http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca. Accessed May 15th, 2011.

Timmermans, S. T. A. and J. McCracken. 2003. A background and discussion paper on the national marsh bird monitoring strategy for Canada. Submitted to The Inland Waterbird Chapter of the NABCI Canada’s Waterbird Technical Committee. [Online] http://www.bsc-eoc.org/download/NABCIMMPstrategy.pdf. Accessed June 22nd, 2011.

14.7 PERSONAL COMMUNICATION Kiel Drake, Ph.D., Bird Studies Canada. Saskatoon. SK.

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