Black Rail Protection Status

 

 

The black rail is not federally listed as endangered or threatened despite its extremely low population levels that appear to be declining dramatically. Black rails are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 1.

 

Black rails are only provided special legislative protection in 6 of 11 states where it breeds along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts by inclusion on state threatened/endangered lists (Figure 2 and Table 2).

 

 

Figure 2 - State-level Protection Status of the Black Rail along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts

 

 

Table 2 - Population and Protection Status of the Black Rail within the breeding range of the Atlantic and Gulf coastal states - Table will be updated as more information becomes summarized.

State (North to South)	# of Breeding Locations	Breeding Population Trend	State Protection Status
Connecticut	0	Likely Extirpated	Endangered
New York	1	Possibly Extirpated	Endangered
Delaware	< 5	Declining	Endangered
Pennsylvania	Unknown	Unknown	None
New Jersey	< 10	Declining	Threatened
Maryland	< 20	Declining	Endangered
Virginia	< 20	Declining	None
North Carolina	< 20	Declining	Special Concern
South Carolina	< 5	Unknown	None
Georgia	< 5	Unknown	None
Florida	< 20	Declining	None
Texas	< 20	Possibly Declining	None

 

 

[Footnote]

1 The Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibits, unless permitted by regulations, to "pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill, attempt to take, capture or kill, possess, offer for sale, sell, offer to purchase, purchase, deliver for shipment, ship, cause to be shipped, deliver for transportation, transport, cause to be transported, carry, or cause to be carried by any means whatever, receive for shipment, transportation or carriage, or export, at any time, or in any manner, any migratory bird, included in the terms of this Convention . . . for the protection of migratory birds . . . or any part, nest, or egg of any such bird." (16 U.S.C. 703)   [Click to return to text.]