Combining citizen science derived species distribution models and stable isotope

analysis reveals migratory connectivity in a secretive species, the Virginia Rail

Auriel M.V. Fournier #, Alexis R. Sullivan #

Joseph K. Bump, Marie Perkins, Mark C. Shieldcastle, Sammy L. King

# First two authors contributed equally

@RallidaeRule

Migratory Connectivity

• Managing migratory animals is challenging

• Especially when they are difficult to detect and are small

• Stable isotopes are useful, but limited

Citizen science data• Helps gather data at a scale

not possible otherwise

• Has its own weaknesses

• Cannot address connectivity on its own

• Can be used to create an informative prior

Sample Collection• Migration

Black Swamp Bird Observatory NW Ohio, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Caught in walk in traps with an audio lure during spring migration

• Wintering Grounds Louisiana Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit – Louisiana State

University Various public and private wetlands from Texas to Louisiana Caught in walk in traps & by hand Additional samples collected from museum collections

Why Virginia rails?• Band Recovery and

Geolocators are ineffective

• Satellite transmitters are not small enough

• Secretive nature, low detection,

• Hydrogen isotopic ratios vary with latitude

• Matching the values leaves us with wide bands of possible origin

• Species Distribution Models based on eBird data don’t take into account individual variation

• But can be an informative prior to help limit the area within a isotopic band

• Using species distribution models as informative priors for isotopic assignment limits the high probability areas of origin

Implications• Can be used on other small,

difficult to detect or elusive species

• Can be used on other taxa

• Help inform conservation, target future areas of research

Acknowledgements• Thanks to  the Ecosystem Science Center at Michigan

Technological University for funding part of this project as part of their undergraduate research program.  

• Thanks to Tom Kashmer of Black Swamp Bird Observatory for doing the Ohio sample collection

• Thanks to the following museums for contributing to this project

The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History; 1297, 6002, 1273

The Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago; 21031, 52462, 62463, 52464, 52466

University of Kansas Natural History Museum; 103156, 18716, 18715

Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard; 292751, 150117, 212297

Questions?

Doug Greenberg – Flickr (dagberg)

Figshare - doi.org/5m5

aurielfournier@gmail.com

@RallidaeRule

aurielmvfournier.com

Alexis Sullivan

@lxsllvn