Yellow Rails Wintering in Oklahoma

Abstract Yellow Rails (Coturnicops noveboracensis) were recently discovered to migrate through southeastern Oklahoma in small numbers during fall with a few records into December and a single record in January. We made seven trips (3 in Nov 2008 and 1/month from Dec 2008 through Mar 2009) to Red Slough Wildlife Management Area in McCurtain County (Oklahoma) to catch and band Yellow Rails. Twenty-five Yellow Rails were banded and birds were observed during each month. Rails were encountered in areas dominated by Sporobolus spp. averaging 44 cm in height in areas with 4 cm or less of standing water. Yellow Rails appear to overwinter in small numbers in McCurtain County, Oklahoma ∼300 km north of the Gulf Coast.