Black Rails by Heather Levy

The Eastern Black Rail, a subspecies of the Black Rail, is a nemesis to most birders. Rarely seen in flight, it acts more like a mouse than a bird, shuffling underneath thick marsh vegetation. It is also crepuscular, meaning it is mainly active in the hours of dawn and dusk. With loss of habitat due in part to sea level rise, the Eastern Black Rail has been listed as Threatened on the Endangered Species List. In this Bird Chat, Orange Audubon Society was pleased to host Heather Levy, the Avian Research Specialist at Tall Timbers Research Station near Tallahassee. Heather studies the influences of habitat management on coastal marsh birds as well as pineland species. Heather is from southeast Florida, where her passion for birds developed. She received a BS degree in Environmental Science from Florida State University and an MS degree in Wildlife Sciences from the University of Georgia. Her thesis focused on cavity-nesting birds of old-growth longleaf pine forests. Heather is an avian research specialist at Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy studying Black and Yellow Rails on the coast. She is on the board of her local Audubon chapter, Apalachee Audubon Society, and the Florida Ornithological Society. When not at work, you can find her birding and looking for critters, horseback riding, or rock climbing. Contact Heather at [email protected]. 40 people Live Photo: Black Rail by David Seibel