Ridgway’s Rail Release and Monitoring

A pair of captive-bred Ridgway’s rails has begun laying eggs at Sea World.  This is exciting news for wildlife officials who are gearing up for the release of 10 radio-tagged rails at Buena Vista Lagoon in late May or early June.

BVAS is signing up volunteers to help monitor the rails following their release, and record their dispersal throughout the lagoon as they settle into individual territories.  The data will shed light on territory size and selection criteria, willingness to share habitat, tolerance for human presence, vulnerability to predators, etc.  The data could help influence the eventual design and implementation of the Buena Vista Lagoon restoration plan.  Leave your name at the  Center if you’d like to help.

Ridgway’s Rail by Steve Brad

BVAS is planning a “Ridgway’s Rail Discovery Day” event during the summer, when the public will have an opportunity to locate a rail by its radio signal and learn a little more about this endangered species that lives at the lagoon.