Rallus limicola (Virginia Rail)
Credit: Orien M. W. Richmond
about the species
Virginia Rails are secretive birds that are found sporadically in freshwater wetlands throughout California. This habitat specialist typically occurs in densely vegetated marshes, especially in coastal and lowland inland sites, but can be found in all of the state’s ecoregions, except for high elevations in the Sierra Nevada. Most freshwater wetlands in California were converted to agriculture and urbanization over the past century, limiting the habitat for this little known bird.
why species was selected
Little is known about the movements of wetland birds in California and the connectivity of sites across the state. Results of connectivity, effective population size, and genetic diversity of Virginia Rails can be directly compared to similar studies we are conducting on the California Black Rail, a threatened species of high conservation concern.
