Author: Anna Gurney
They are elusive and hard to find. Sometimes referred to as a “feathered mouse” due to their movement and behavior, these secretive little, marsh-loving birds called Eastern black rails, once widespread in North Carolina, are at risk of extinction. And the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is seeking public review of a management plan developed to save this very important species from disappearing.
Habitat loss due to sea level rise, extreme weather events and land development is taking its toll on the Eastern black rail. It nests on the ground in the highest elevations of brackish and salt marsh on the Coastal Plain, and wet fields in inland areas. It requires wet marshes with thick grassy cover and water less than 1-inch deep for foraging and nesting because their young are small and cannot swim far. It is thought that its nests and young are being flooded more often and inland freshwater marshes have all but disappeared. Biologists estimate that this species may disappear from North Carolina within the next 35 years if significant actions are not taken. Farmers can help by refraining from mowing wet areas of hay and other fields from April through September.
The Wildlife Commission is improving habitat management in coastal and inland marshes, working to permanently protect coastal marshes, and providing guidance and assistance to private landowners with potential habitat. Our agency has been using new technology in efforts to learn more about the species to better protect it, including autonomous recording units to detect black rail calls.