History of the Spotted Rail (Pardirallus maculatus) in Jamaica with first photographic documentation of breeding
Main Article Content
Abstract: The Spotted Rail (Pardirallus maculatus) was presumed extinct in Jamaica for most of the period between its discovery by W.T. March in 1863 and its rediscovery in 1977 in the Upper Morass of the Black River system, St. Elizabeth Parish. An individual salvaged in 1987 in Mandeville, Manchester Parish, is the sole modern specimen from Jamaica and the only recent record away from the Black River. Populations of unknown size occur in both the Upper (~1,760 ha) and Lower Morasses (~6,075 ha) of the Black River. Evidence of breeding was reported from the Upper Morass in 2012 and photographic documentation of juvenile rails was obtained in 2014.
Keywords: Black River Morass, Jamaica, Pardirallus maculatus, St. Elizabeth Parish, Spotted Rail, West Indies, W.T. March
Resumen: Pardirallus maculatus estaba considerada extinta en Jamaica en la mayor parte del período entre su descubrimiento por W.T. March, en 1863, y su redescubrimiento en 1977 en Upper Morass, en el sistema del Black River, distrito de St. Elizabeth. El único espécimen moderno de Jamaica es un individuo rescatado en 1987 en Mandeville, en el distrito Manchester y es el único registro lejos del sistema del Black River. Existen poblaciones de tamaño desconocido tanto en el Upper (~1 760 ha) como en el Lower Morasses (~6 075 ha) del Black River. Se ha registrado evidencia de cría en el 2012 en el Upper Morass y se ha obtenido evidencia fotográfica de juveniles de esta especie en el 2014.
Palabras clave: Black River Morass, Caribe Insular, Jamaica, Pardirallus maculatus, St. Elizabeth Parish, W.T. March
Résumé: Le Râle tacheté (Pardirallus maculatus) a été considéré comme éteint en Jamaïque pendant la majeure partie de la période comprise entre sa découverte par W.T. March en 1863 et sa redécouverte en 1977 dans les marais d’Upper Morass du système de la Black River, St. Elizabeth Parish. Un individu trouvé en 1987 à Mandeville, Manchester Parish, est le seul spécimen récent de la Jamaïque et la seule mention récente à distance de la Black River. Des populations de taille inconnue sont présentes dans les marais de l'Upper Morass (~1 760 ha) et du Lower Morass (~6 075 ha) de la Black River. Une preuve de nidification a été signalée dans l’Upper Morass en 2012 et des photographies d’individus juvéniles ont été prises en 2014.
Mots clés: Antilles, Black River Morass, Jamaïque, Pardirallus maculatus, Râle tacheté, St. Elizabeth Parish, W.T. March
References
Birds. 7th edn. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, DC.
Azan, S., and D. Webber. 2007. The characterization and classification of the Black River Upper Morass, Jamaica, using the three-parameter test of vegetation, soils and hydrology. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 17:5–23.
Bangs, O. 1913. New birds from Cuba and the Isle of Pines. Proceedings of the New England Zoological Club 4:89–92.
Bangs, O., and F.H. Kennard. 1920. A list of the birds of Jamaica. Government Printing Office, Kingston, Jamaica.
Bangs, O., and M.E. Peck. 1908. On some rare and new birds from British Honduras. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 21:43–46.
Barbour, T. 1923. The birds of Cuba. Memoirs of the Nuttall Ornithological Club 6:1–141.
Bond, J. 1936. Birds of the West Indies. Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia.
Bond, J. 1956. Check-list of Birds of the West Indies. 4th edn. Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia.
Browne, P. 1756. The Civil and Natural History of Jamaica. Printed for the author, and sold by T. Osborne and J. Shipton, London.
Cory, C.B. 1888. The birds of the West Indies, including the Bahama Islands, the Greater and Lesser Antilles, excepting the islands of Tobago and Trinidad (continued). Auk 5:48–82.
Danforth, S.T. 1928. Birds observed in Jamaica during the summer of 1926. Auk 45:480–491.
Dickerman, R.W., and F. Haverschmidt. 1971. Further notes on the juvenal plumage of the Spotted Rail (Rallus maculatus). Wilson Bulletin 83:444–446.
Dickerman, R.W., and K.C. Parkes. 1969. Juvenal plumage of the Spotted Rail (Rallus maculatus). Wilson Bulletin 81:207–209.
Dod, A.S. 1980. First records of the Spotted Rail (Pardirallus maculatus) on the island of Hispaniola. Auk 97:407.
Downer, A. 1987. Spotted Rail. Gosse Bird Club Broadsheet 49:12.
Downer, A., R. Sutton, and A. Sutton. 1994. Spotted Rail. Gosse Bird Club Broadsheet 62:20.
Field, G.W. 1894. Notes on the birds of Port Henderson, Jamaica, West Indies. Auk 11:117–127.
Garrido, O.H., and A. Kirkconnell. 2000. Field Guide to the Birds of Cuba. Comstock Publishing Associates, New York.
Gosse, P.H. 1847. The Birds of Jamaica. Bentley, Wilson, and Fley, London.
Keith, A. 1979. Birding itinerary for trip to Jamaica, April 8 to 17, 1977. Gosse Bird Club Broadsheet 33:2–3.
Keith, A.R., J.W. Wiley, S.C. Latta, and J.A. Ottenwalder. 2003. The Birds of Hispaniola: Haiti and the Dominican Republic. British Ornithologists' Union Checklist Series 21.
Lack, D. 1976. Island Biology, Illustrated by the Land Birds of Jamaica. University of California, Berkeley, CA.
Levy, C. 1994. The Spotted Rail Pardirallus maculatus in Jamaica. El Pitirre 7(3):2–3.
March, W.T., and S.F. Baird. 1864. Notes on the birds of Jamaica. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 16:62–72.
Maynard, C.J. 1898. A Catalogue of the Birds of the West Indies. C. J. Maynard, Newtonville, MA.
Newton, A., and E. Newton. 1881. List of the birds of Jamaica. Pp. 103–117 in The Handbook of Jamaica for 1881. Government Printing Establishment, Kingston, Jamaica.
Ridgway, R., and H. Friedmann. 1941. The Birds of North and Middle America. Part 9. U.S. National Museum Bulletin 50.
Scott, W.E.D. 1892. Observations on the birds of Jamaica, West Indies. II. A list of the birds recorded from the island, with annotations. Auk 9:9–15.
Sharpe, R.B. 1894. Catalogue of the Fulicariae (Rallidae and Heliornithidae) and Alectorides (Aramidae, Eurypygidae, Mesitidae, Rhinochetidae, Gruidae, Psophiidae, and Otididae) in the Collection of the British Museum. Trustees of the British Museum, London.
Sladen, F. 1997. Spotted Rail. Gosse Bird Club Broadsheet 68:28.
Sloane, H. 1725. A Voyage to the Islands of Madera, Barbadoes, Nieves, St. Christophers, and Jamaica; with the Natural History of the Herbs and Trees, Four-Footed Beasts, Fishes, Birds, Insects, Reptiles, & c. of the Last of Those Islands. Vol. 2. Printed by B.M. for the author, London.
Smith, D. 1994. Spotted Rail. Gosse Bird Club Broadsheet 62:20.
Turland, C., and V. Turland. 2012. Spotted Rail Pardirallus maculatus. Birdlife Jamaica Broadsheet 96:25.
Turland, C., and V. Turland. 2013. Spotted Rail Pardirallus maculatus. Birdlife Jamaica Broadsheet 97:20.
Turland, V. 2012. Spotted Rail Pardirallus maculatus. Birdlife Jamaica Broadsheet 95:22.
Watson, G.E. 1962. Notes on the Spotted Rail in Cuba. Wilson Bulletin 74:349–356.
