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King Rails in southeastern Arkansas are majority resident

Jessica M Novobilsky·Caleb Powell Roberts·Jason McCallie·Karen Rowe·Auriel M.V. Fournier
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Abstract

King Rails ( Rallus elegans ), a declining species of secretive marsh bird, have a mixed migratory strategy, with some individuals migrating and some being year-round residents. Determining the distribution of migratory versus resident King Rails is critical to guiding habitat management and assessing risks to populations. We examined the migratory status of adult King Rails at the Choctaw West Wildlife Management Area in southeastern Arkansas, the only known site in Arkansas with multiple breeding pairs. Of the 23 adult King Rails we tagged in 2022 and 2023, two birds migrated away from the local area, one in each year. One migrated 145 km, and the other 450 km. Our findings suggest that the line between the migratory and resident range of Arkansas King Rails could be north of our site.

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Avian Conservation and EcologyArticle

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Jessica M Novobilsky, Caleb Powell Roberts, Jason McCallie, Karen Rowe, Auriel M.V. Fournier. 2026. King Rails in southeastern Arkansas are majority resident. https://doi.org/10.5751/ace-03134-210209

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Arkansas placeArticle subjectAvian Conservation and Ecology subjectChoctaw West Wildlife Management Area, southeastern Arkansas placeUnited STates place

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