Karina Ornelas
SDBA Conservation Outreach Coordinator and entering the Master’s program at Arizona State University
On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, San Diego Bird Alliance, in collaboration with Hiram Moreno, a researcher from Baja California, hosted the annual Light-footed Ridgway’s Rail Workshop at the Kendall-Frost Marsh Field Station. This workshop focused on the design of the artificial nesting platforms that many tidal marshes, including Kendall-Frost Marsh, use. We all shared the current status of the platforms for the Light-footed Ridgway’s Rail, their successes and ideas for improvement. It also provided an opportunity for experts to exchange knowledge and explore potential strategies for protecting this endangered species on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Ridgway’s Rail challenges from tidal effects, predation, and other stressors. San Diego Bird Alliance has been working closely with the UC San Diego Natural Reserve System to maintain the platforms at Kendall-Frost Marsh that were first deployed in 2008 and 2009 on marshes in California and have played a vital role in conservation efforts since then.
Three main topics were discussed in the nesting platform-focused workshop:
Platform Design: All agreed that the platform covers needed to have built-in raptor landing deterrents on top, and we had some good ideas about height and improving how they can keep out other predators.
Reserve Management: All agreed on community outreach is a key for the community to know what is happening and can help with vandalism on the sites as well have a better predator control system.
Rail Ecology: All agreed that it would depend on the marsh and the location to evaluate the position of the platforms, like tidal channels, and evaluate potential predators. Advocate and engage decision makers to have a more effective management.
In each of these topics, the need for community outreach was emphasized–we and many other groups are doing important work for Ridgway’s Rail long-term survival by building community support for the species and their habitats.
Several organizations participated in the workshop, including the University of California San Diego Natural Reserve System, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the University of San Diego (Master’s students), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Living Coast Discovery Center, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (Ensenada), Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Baja California, and San Diego Bird Alliance. Our thanks to Hiram Moreno, a professor at UABC and a Ph.D. candidate at CICESE, played a key role in organizing the event.
The San Diego Bird Alliance is dedicated to the protection and preservation of endangered species, and we work closely with various organizations to support this important issue. During this workshop, the Bird Alliance shared the results of the annual King Tides surveys, which we organized at Kendall-Frost Marsh and the San Diego River Mouth during the highest tides of the year. These surveys provide valuable insights into how rails and other wildlife are using and being affected by the tides, as well as the impact of other factors, such as cats and racoons.
Additionally, over the weekend, Bird Alliance staff, Moreno and volunteers assisted in the Annual Light-Footed Ridgway’s Rail Survey at San Diego River and Kendall-Frost Marsh (led by Richard Zembal and Susan Hoffman). Although the results are unofficial until published by the survey leads, initial findings show that the San Diego River hosted nine pairs of rails, while Kendall-Frost Marsh had five pairs. San Diego Bird Alliance is excited to continue recruiting volunteers to support these important survey efforts across San Diego County.
In photo (left to right): Hans Sin (CDFW), Kellie Uyeda (UCSD NRS), Taryn Chong (LCDC), Clarissa Rodrigues (UCSD NRS), Aiyana Reissman (USD researcher), Andrew Meyer (SDBA), Sierra Vasquez (UCSD NRS student intern), Isabelle Kay (recently retired UCSD NRS), Justyn Stahl (USFWS), Lesley Handa (SDBA), Hiram Moreno (UABC and CICESE). (Front row from left to right) Karina Ornelas (SDBA), Beth Besom (volunteer LFRR cover designer), Laura Van Vraken (CDFW).
LFRR- Light-footed Ridgway’s Rail
UCSD NRS- University of California San Diego Natural Reserve System
CDFW- California Department of Fish and Wildlife
USFWS- U.S Fish and Wildlife Service
USD- University of San Diego
LCDC- Living Coast Discovery Center
SDBA- San Diego Bird Alliance
UABC-Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (Ensenada)
CICESE-Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Baja California