Seven members of an endangered bird species were released into the wild at Naval Base Ventura County Point Mugu last week — three of which were hatched and raised at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
Light-footed Ridgway’s rails were first listed as federally endangered in 1969, but their numbers were brought up to more than 656 breeding pairs by 2016. However, due to challenges like predation, ocean inlet closures, and fluctuating weather patterns, the breeding population has since declined by more than half. Today, approximately 266 pairs remain.
Habitat loss and human activity have been major drivers of this decline, as with so many other species, say experts.
“About 90% of this appropriate habitat for these birds in California no longer exists,” said Terri Haines, a senior wildlife care specialist with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
She said that an ongoing partnership between the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Living Coast Discovery Center, and SeaWorld San Diego is vital to protecting the species and bringing their numbers back up again, especially given their limited and fragmented habitat along the California coast and into northern Baja California.
The light-footed Ridgway’s rail (Rallus obsoletus levipes) is known to be shy and secretive. It is about the size of a hen, and it is easily identified by its warm brown chest, grey and brown feathers, long legs and toes, and a notable short tail that flicks up. The bird makes a distinctive clattering or clapping sound as part of their vocalizations, and the species was previously known as the clapper bird.
Haines said that the unassuming little birds are crucial to maintaining the overall health of the marshy ecosystems they live in.
“These places aren’t going to be healthy without birds like rails. They are predators — you might not know it by looking at them, but they are predators, and as we all know predators help keep an ecosystem healthy,” she said.
“So not only are they important to the natural world, but the people living in these areas and enjoying these communities also get to enjoy the beautiful, healthy ecosystem that these rails provide.”
Naval Base Ventura County Point Mugu encompasses around 2,200 acres of wetlands, including the largest functioning salt marsh in coastal Southern California. The vegetated marshes of Mugu Lagoon, which constitute more than 25% of the potential habitat for the light-footed Ridgway’s rail, provide a crucial sanctuary for this endangered species.
“They were our first three chicks of the 2024 season and they hatched in April… they spent the last few weeks proving that they can do well in the wild and are ready to be wild birds, and we watched them fly off,” Haines said. “Hopefully good things will happen with them.”
