Control predators not on islands for rails

Overall effectiveness category Awaiting assessment
Number of studies: 1
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Key messages

A single study from the USA found more California clapper rails Rallus longirostris obsoletus on sites with higher numbers of foxes removed.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

An analysis of data from 24 sites in south San Francisco Bay, USA, between 1991 and 1996 (Harding et al. 2001) found that the number of California clapper rails Rallus longirostris obsoletus surveyed each winter was positively correlated with the capture rate of red foxes Vulpes vulpes the previous year. At one site, the rail population increased from 40 in 1989 to 104 in 1994. Over the study period, the number of foxes trapped remained relatively constant (66-94/year) despite increased trapping effort, suggesting population decline. However, the authors suggest that fox immigration into the area meant that predator control would only be effective in the short term.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Harding E.K., Doak D. & Albertson J.D. (2001) Evaluating the effectiveness of predator control: the non-native red fox as a case study. Conservation Biology, 15, 1114-1122.

Please cite as:

Williams, D.R., Child, M.F., Dicks, L.V., Ockendon, N., Pople, R.G., Showler, D.A., Walsh, J.C., zu Ermgassen, E.K.H.J. & Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Bird Conservation. Pages 137-281 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

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This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Bird Conservation

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