The wetlands of the Colorado River Delta are important breeding areas for the Yuma Ridgeway rail (Rallus obsoletus yumanensis). Through the ecological monitoring Pronatura Noroeste performs, the Ciénega de Santa Clara has been identified as a site that supports 75% of the global  population of the species. Even so, although this amounts to 6,000 individuals, the endemic rails in the lower basin of the Colorado River are threatened due to water management, prolonged drought, and habitat destruction, which could drastically reduce the number of individuals in the area.

Recent studies conducted by the University of Idaho Department of Fish and Wildlife document the dispersion and migration of the Ridgway, which was thought to be a largely sedentary species. The research demonstrated the species had significant movements; through a telemetry system, a record was taken of two individuals moving from the United States to Mexico, as well as their return flight.

To learn more about the dispersal patterns of the Yuma Ridgway rail in the Mexican territory and identify whether they also have migratory movements or remain in the delta, Pronatura Noroeste supports the research, for which it installed 10 radio transmitters on specimens in Mexico.

The readings of the first data from these specimens indicate five of them presented movements between 155 and 415 km to the southeast, toward the estuaries in the Gulf of California, on the Coast of Sonora.

Thanks to support from the Audubon Society, the second stage of this project is underway. With this support, an additional 10 radio transmitters were funded. Six of them were placed during the repair of the Wellton-Mohawk canal, with the aim to identify to what extent the reduction in the water level could affect this population. The four remaining transmitters will be placed when field work, which is currently suspended due to the health emergency, is able to resume.

The information obtained with these telemetry systems is necessary for the management, restoration efforts, and conservation of critical sites for the Yuma Ridgway rail in the Colorado River Delta, and also helps direct conservation efforts and provide feedback for the adaptive management plans for natural areas.

If you would like to support the continuation of these conservation and research projects, donate here.