Secretive Marsh Birds in the Big City Stephanie Beilke, Audubon Great Lakes and Anastasia Rahlin, Illinois Natural History Survey A regional marsh bird study explores how secretive marsh birds are impacted by urbanization in the Chicago area.
Cook County's Swamp Chicken… AKA the King Rail Chuck Rizzo, Forest Preserves of Cook County The King Rail, once a common bird, has experienced a drop in its population. Our understanding of its biology and habitat needs is poor, prompting us to initiate a field study. Because the King Rail spends its life in marshes, this species is difficult to study. In 2013 we located one adult bird. In 2014 we banded 3 chicks. The information from these birds helped us improve habitat for this species.