Marsh-dwelling black rails are more often heard than seen, and they arenât heard very often. William & Maryâs Center for Conservation Biology led a decades-long effort that culminated in the eastern black railâs listing as âthreatenedâ on the Endangered Species List. (WYDaily/ David Seibel courtesy of William & Mary)
A bird that since John James Audubonâs time has scurried under the radar of all but the most attentive ornithologists, conservationists and naturalists has received protection from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The bird isÂ
Laterallus jamaicensis, the eastern black rail. William & Maryâs Center for Conservation Biology led a 20-year effort to rally regulators and the birding community to get behind the bird, an effort that paid off in early November when Fish and Wildlife placed the black rail on the list of threatened animals under the Endangered Species Act.