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In 2008 and 2009, we investigated the survival of chicks from initial and experimentally-induced replacement nests of arcticola Dunlin (Calidris alpina) breeding near Utqiaġvik, Alaska. We monitored survival of 66 broods from 41 initial and 25 replacement nests. See Saalfeld, S.T., B.L. Hill, C.M. Hunter, C.J. Frost, and R.B. Lanctot. 2021. Warming Arctic summers unlikely to increase productivity of shorebirds through renesting. Nature Scientific Reports 11-15277 for more detailed methods and data analysis.Information for the Dunlin brood survival project were obtained concurrently with information obtained for the Utqiagvik shorebird project and information on chicks and nests included in these files may also be...
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The Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Eurynorhynchus pygmeus) is a critically endangered species (Bird Life International 2011) with a population estimated at 661-678 individuals (but only 210-228 breeding pairs, Clark et al. 2016). Although it principally breeds in Russia and has not officially been documented breeding in Alaska, observations of Spoon-billed Sandpipers have been recorded in Alaska during the breeding season (Kessel and Gibson 1978), and a recently developed habitat suitability model indicated that suitable nesting habitat occurs in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea region (RSBP 2012). However, no systematic survey of potential breeding habitat had been conducted in this region during the spring and summer when this species...
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Feathers have been collected from shorebirds from 2006-2019 across Alaska and Canada. To determine the impact of feather pulling on subsequent feather growth, we identified and scanned feathers that were collected in subsequent years. In this case, we restricted our dataset to samples in which the same feathers were pulled in subsequent years and for those collected only after their initial pulling (i.e., year x and x+1). These scans will then be used to look at size and shape in comparison to original feathers to determine if pulling of feathers has any impact on growth of feathers in the following year.The data providers have invested considerable effort in QA/QC, but it is possible that undetected errors remain....
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Principal to the management of migratory landbird resources is an understanding of their occurrence within the landscape. Baseline information on bird distribution is a primary need “to preserve a natural diversity and abundance of fauna and flora on refuge lands” (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [USFWS] 1993a). Documenting the occurrence and distribution of all migratory bird species is a priority of the USFWS’s action plan for developing a nongame bird inventory and monitoring strategy for National Wildlife Refuge system lands (USFWS 1993b ). Distribution and abundance information previously collected on National Wildlife Refuges has contributed to the description of distributional patterns of birds in Alaska....
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Many of North America’s most rapidly declining avifauna breed in the boreal and alpine ecosystems of Alaska. Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) located in Anchorage, Alaska, provides critical nesting habitat for five avian Species of Special Concern (SOSC): Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria, Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes, Olive-sided Flycatcher Contopus cooperi, Rusty Blackbird Euphagus carolinus and Blackpoll Warbler Setophaga striata. Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson derived the Species of Special Concern list from the Birds of Conservation Concern (USFWS 2008) and the Department of Defense Mission-Sensitive Priority Bird Species (DoD PIF 2015) lists. Department of Defense Partners in Flight recognizes...
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This project is an annual communicating memo explicitly designed to inform the Pacific Flyway Representative of waterfowl survey results for incorporation of the data into harvest management reports and regulatory processes. This memorandum is additionally shared widely with partners outside the USFWS. The major products are an annual reporting memo–automatically generated from an R Quarto document, and 19 species-specific comma delimited table files that appear in the memo, and the generating qmp code. Subsequent child items include the annual products.
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In 1957, Henry (Hank) Hansen and Jim King identified important habitat for molting geese in an area now referred to as the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area (TLSA) in northern Alaska. Located within the larger National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-AK), the importance of this habitat was reaffirmed by the Secretary of Interior in 1977 with the designation of the TLSA. In 1976, the Waterfowl Department of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Migratory Bird Management-Alaska (MBM-AK) began conducting aerial goose surveys within an area of the TLSA that they designated as the Traditional Survey Area. These surveys continued through 1978, after which there was a three-year hiatus. Surveys began again in 1982 and continued...
Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: ALPINE/TUNDRA, ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES, ARCTIC TUNDRA, BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION, BIOLOGICAL RECORDS, All tags...
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Many North American shorebird species are experiencing significant population declines, but we have incomplete information about the population sizes and trends for most species. Conservation efforts are underway throughout the Hemisphere to reverse these declines, but we cannot measure the success of those efforts until we have an accurate assessment of population sizes and trends. The Program for Regional and International Shorebird Monitoring (PRISM) is a broad-scale, multi-national effort to monitor both the sizes and trends of shorebird populations (https://www.shorebirdplan.org/science/program-for-regional-and-international-shorebird-monitoring/). PRISM also strives to describe the distribution and habitat...
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The roselaari subspecies of Red Knot is one of the rarest shorebird populations breeding in North America, based on a the current population size estimate of 17,000 individuals (Carmona et al 2013). As a result of suspected declines,the roselaari subspecies has been designated as threatened by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada and was petitioned for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to not conduct a full status review for listing was based on the lack of substantial information identifying threats and population trends (USFWS 2011). The apparent low population size coupled with the scarcity of information on many demographic and...
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Indirect interactions between different prey species modulated by shared predators (e.g. Arctic fox) are believed to have important impacts on the structure and/or dynamics of some communities. Yet, our understanding of these types of interactions are still fragmentary. To fill this information gap, the joint circumpolar project on indirect trophic interactions was established in 2016. This project built upon ongoing projects exploring related questions in Canada (Marie-Andrée Giroux, Nicolas Lecomte, Joel Bety) and Greenland (Olivier Gilg, Niels M. Schmidt), while taking advantage of existing networks (ASDN in North America and “Interactions” program in Greenland and Eurasia). The aim of this project was to promote...
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The 25,000 km of shoreline in southeast Alaska was surveyed for waterbirds, seals, sea lions, and sea otters by fixed-wing aircraft in summer and winter during the period 1997 to 2002. All shoreline was surveyed, including rocks and small islets. The transect width was 400 meters. Exceptions were made for scoters and sea otters, which were recorded if they were within visual sight of the plane regardless of their distance from shore. A ground/boat survey double-sampled 20% of the summer habitat and 5% of the winter habitat to adjust and enhance the air survey. Complete shoreline coverage provided precise estimates for the abundant waterbird species. Meaningful population values could be generated for very specific...
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Reproductive success is a key demographic parameter that can have profound impacts on a species’ population trend; however, broad-scale nest survival data are unavailable for all Arctic-breeding shorebird species. Accordingly, we set out to 1) measure current nest survival rates across a large area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and 2) identify predators of nests, so as to help elucidate the potential role reproductive failure plays in current shorebird population declines. This information is also relevant for assessing the indirect effects of land management decisions such as oil and gas development on a species’ reproductive success. In 2019 and 2022, we monitored 129 shorebird nests of 9 species using...
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The Pacific Flyway Winter Brant Survey (WBS) has been conducted annually since 1981 as part of a cooperative effort by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Canadian Wildlife Service, Mexico, and the Pacific U.S. states, to estimate the abundance of the Pacific black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) in their principal wintering areas along the Pacific Coast (in Baja, Mexico, California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska). The survey is conducted each winter in January-February by a composite of ground and aerial crews, with the Alaska portion being conducted by the Alaska Region of USFWS Migratory Bird Management. The primary objective of the Alaska survey component is to provide an annual index of...
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Annual assessment of nesting populations of geese on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (YKD) provides information for biologists, participants in cooperative goose management plans, and Pacific Flyway technical committees. A ground-based sampling procedure has been used since 1986 to estimate the number of total nests, active nests, and eggs for cackling geese, emperor geese, greater white-fronted geese, and spectacled eiders. Annual information on the size of the nesting population and potential number of young produced contributes long term data needed to understand goose and eider population ecology and better manage these species. The survey has been the primary method of measuring recovery status for the western population...
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This project developed an artificial intelligence system based on a convoluted neural network capable of detecting and counting sea duck individuals in aerial photos and classifying individuals to species and sex when possible, to reduce time and cost commitments associated with processing imagery from aerial surveys. We used a dataset consisting of 810 aerial images containing sea ducks and other birds in offshore and coastal environments. Images were collected from fixed wing aircraft at varying flight heights and image resolution. A biologist reviewed each image identifying and annotating the position of objects of interest (birds) in the image by drawing a bounding box surrounding each object, and assigned species...
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The Arctic Coastal Plain Aerial Breeding Pair Survey provides data on distribution, abundance, and trend of 33 bird species that nest in northern Alaska. The survey has been conducted in its current form annually since 2007. Methods follow the standard operating procedures for the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey. Primary uses of the survey data are to evaluate recovery status of Spectacled Eider (Somateria fischeri) and Steller’s Eider (Polysticta stelleri), as well as monitor species of conservation concern including Lesser Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens caerulescens), Yellow-billed Loon (Gavia adamsii), Red-throated Loon (G. stellata), and Black Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans). Survey data are...
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The roselaari subspecies of Red Knot is one of the rarest shorebird populations breeding in North America, based on a the current population size estimate of 17,000 individuals (Carmona et al 2013). As a result of suspected declines,the roselaari subspecies has been designated as threatened by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada and was petitioned for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to not conduct a full status review for listing was based on the lack of substantial information identifying threats and population trends (USFWS 2011). The apparent low population size coupled with the scarcity of information on many demographic and...
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Shorebirds are a group of predominantly migratory birds that are declining at an alarming rate; many of them have declined by more than 50% since 1970 and 13 are of federal conservation concern. With staggeringly long, trans-hemispheric migrations along each of North America’s migratory flyways — distinct corridors that divide North America longitudinally — shorebirds breeding in the Arctic and sub-Arctic and wintering in Central and South America encounter a multitude of threats during their annual cycles. This study aims to track the fall migration of a suite of species from their breeding sites across Alaska to the southern extent of their respective ranges and address how differences in migratory connectivity...
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Multiple lines of evidence suggest that the Gray-headed Chickadee (Poecile cinctus lathami), a population endemic to Alaska and northwestern Canada, has declined and/or been extirpated from locations where they were considered historically common. In contrast, the Boreal Chickadee, a native congener, has recently colonized locations where Gray-headed Chickadees once occurred. This project focuses on whether hybridization (and subsequent transfer of genetic material from one species into another with continued breeding events overtime) between these two closely related chickadee species may be responsible for Gray-headed Chickadee declines. Specifically, our objectives are to: 1) Conduct call-playback surveys to...
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Eareckson Air Station (AS) on Shemya Island is strategically located on the far eastern end of Alaska’s Aleutian archipelago. The frequent use of aircraft at this installation poses unique conflicts between the natural resources of the island and maintaining mission readiness and human/aircraft safety. Sikes Act Section 101(a) (16 U.S. Code 670a(a)) requires that Department of Defense (DoD) installations prepare Integrated Natural Resources Management Plans (INRMP) to conserve and rehabilitate natural resources on military installations and ensure that activities on the installations are integrated and consistent with environmental stewardship, laws and regulations, and the military mission. Accordingly, the DoD...
map background search result map search result map Alaska Yukon Delta Nest Plot Survey Alaska Arctic Coastal Plain Breeding Waterbird Aerial Survey 2007-Present Alaska Goose, Swan, and Crane Population Indices Alaska Izembek Brant Winter Aerial Survey 1981-present Southeast Alaska Nearshore Waterbird Survey 1997-2002 Teshekpuk Lake Molting Goose Survey Automated Sea Duck Counts from Aerial Imagery Alaska Red Knot Breeding Ecology Study 2010-Present Shorebird Nest survival on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Alaska Arctic National Wildlife Refuge PRISM surveys Utqiagvik Alaska Joint Circumpolar Project on Indirect Trophic Interactions Utqiagvik Alaska Dunlin Brood Survival Impact of Feather Pulling on Shorebirds in Alaska Spoon-billed Sandpiper (SBSP) Surveys Near Kotzebue Alaska 2018 Alaska Department of Defense Shorebird Migratory Phenologies and Strategies Study 2022-Present Alaska National Wildlife Refuge Avian Checklist Project 1991-2000 Alaska Grey-headed Chickadee and Boreal Chickadee Hybridization Study Alaska Red Knot Migration Study 2015-Present Alaska Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Installation Avian Study 2007-Present Alaska Eareckson Air Station Avian Study 2020-Present Alaska Eareckson Air Station Avian Study 2020-Present Utqiagvik Alaska Joint Circumpolar Project on Indirect Trophic Interactions Utqiagvik Alaska Dunlin Brood Survival Alaska Red Knot Migration Study 2015-Present Shorebird Nest survival on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Alaska Alaska Izembek Brant Winter Aerial Survey 1981-present Alaska Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Installation Avian Study 2007-Present Arctic National Wildlife Refuge PRISM surveys Teshekpuk Lake Molting Goose Survey Alaska Red Knot Breeding Ecology Study 2010-Present Alaska Yukon Delta Nest Plot Survey Spoon-billed Sandpiper (SBSP) Surveys Near Kotzebue Alaska 2018 Alaska Arctic Coastal Plain Breeding Waterbird Aerial Survey 2007-Present Southeast Alaska Nearshore Waterbird Survey 1997-2002 Alaska Grey-headed Chickadee and Boreal Chickadee Hybridization Study Alaska National Wildlife Refuge Avian Checklist Project 1991-2000 Alaska Department of Defense Shorebird Migratory Phenologies and Strategies Study 2022-Present Impact of Feather Pulling on Shorebirds in Alaska Automated Sea Duck Counts from Aerial Imagery Alaska Goose, Swan, and Crane Population Indices