Type: report

Article abstract: Effective management of coastal populations of the Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus) is considered one of the great challenges in bird conservation for southern California. Loss and fragmentation of habitat due to development, agricultural displacement, and high frequency wildfire, have led to major declines in this species throughout large portions of the region. Even on protected conservation lands populations are vulnerable to local extinction, and the need for active management of this species is becoming increasingly obvious. In a single field season, we captured, color-banded, and relocated 10 cactus wrens in order to study the biological and behavioral response of adult and juvenile wrens to translocation (Figure 1). In this study, we report on the first completed phase of postrelease monitoring and use the collected information to evaluate whether translocation might be an effective tool for management of isolated populations of cactus wrens in coastal southern California.