Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis) Occupancy in the Context of Fire in Mississippi and Alabama, USA

The Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis) is a migratory bird with many aspects of its ecology poorly understood. The objective of this study was to examine effects of fire, vegetation structure, and landscape variables on site occupancy and detection probabilities for Yellow Rails overwintering in coastal pine savannas of Mississippi and Alabama. Between December and April, 2012-2013, dragline surveys for Yellow Rail were conducted at three conservation areas: two in Jackson County, Mississippi, and one in Mobile County, Alabama, USA. Site occupancy for Yellow Rail was 0.81 +/- 0.06 (SD) with detection probabilities of 0.79 +/- 0.09 (SD). Yellow Rail occupancy related negatively with time since fire, indicating fire provides conditions attractive to Yellow Rail overwintering throughout the study area. Yellow Rail use of wetland and fire-maintained habitats within coastal Mississippi during winter, coupled with continued loss of open grasslands and inadequate management of fire-dependent pine savanna habitats throughout the southeastern USA highlights the continued need to prioritize the conservation and effective management of herbaceous-dominated ecosystems.