Translocate herons, storks and ibises

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

44%
Certainty

3%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Study locations

Key messages

A before-and-after study in the USA found that a colony of black-crowned night herons Nycticorax nycticorax was successfully moved, with the new colony producing chicks the year after translocation.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A before-and-after trial at a coastal site in Long Beach, California, USA (Crouch et al. 2002), found that 423 pairs of black-crowned night herons Nycticorax nycticorax successfully fledged 1,128 chicks in 2000, following the translocation of the colony beginning in 1999. The former colony was threatened by port development, so 50 mature trees were relocated 2 km away near approximately 70 existing trees. In addition, vocalisations of the original colony were played, decoys placed in the trees and public access stopped. Before the translocation, the old colony held up to 500 pairs of herons.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Crouch S., Paquette C. & Vilas D. (2002) Relocation of a large black-crowned night heron colony in southern California. Waterbirds, 25, 474-478.

Please cite as:

Williams, D.R., Child, M.F., Dicks, L.V., Ockendon, N., Pople, R.G., Showler, D.A., Walsh, J.C., zu Ermgassen, E.K.H.J. & Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Bird Conservation. Pages 137-281 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Bird Conservation

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Translocate individuals Action Link	Beneficial	1	Synopsis Link
Alter habitat to encourage birds to leave an area Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	1	Synopsis Link
Ensure translocated birds are familiar with each other before release Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	2	Synopsis Link