Secretive marsh-birds in Iowa

In spring 2009 I initiated a 2-year project funded by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to investigate the distribution and abundance of secretive marsh-birds in Iowa. Tyler Harms, a M.S. student in my lab, is surveying wetlands statewide using call playbacks and is also collecting data on wetland characteristics and associated bird species of interest. The study will focus on eight species - Pied-billed Grebe, Least and American bitterns, King and Virginia rails, Sora, Common Moorhen, and American Coot. We completed our first field season in July and will post a report of 2009 findings here shortly.