Rail search: deep in the marsh, a firebird hides

"Black rails are the most secretive bird in North America," says Tall Timbers ornithologist Heather Levy. "Yellow rails are the second most secretive bird in North America." Tall Timbers Research Station heads out into the high marsh habitats of north Florida to discover the secrets of these reclusive birds. They've been affected by habitat loss, sea level rise, and the exclusion of fire from their marsh home.
We travel to two sites with Heather and her team to find the birds. It's part of a Gulf wide initiative from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Project Firebird.
We explore the habitat, watch it undergo a prescribed fire, and begin to grow back. We see how animals in the marsh respond to fire in the short term, having evolved in a landscape that burned every few years.
Dig a little deeper on the WFSU Ecology Blog: blog.wfsu.org/blog-coastal-he...

[@peterkleinhenz]

This is such incredible, important work. Well done!

[@amandawoods8323]

Ty.

[@judyadams2550]

So cool. I love this work you do

[@pamwingrove7206]

Very cool research. Please do an update when you resurvey this marsh!

[@amandawoods8323]

Two controlled burns have gotten out of control this year.

[@amandawoods8323]

Too early because of nesting season.