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Between September and November each year, nearly the entire world population of Pacific black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) stages at Izembek Lagoon and surrounding estuaries (hereafter: Izembek Complex). The Izembek Complex is a unique area of protected brackish waters, supporting one of the world’s largest eelgrass beds and a diverse array of wildlife. The Alaska Fall Brant Survey has been conducted annually since 1976 in late-September through October, to provide an index of abundance for the entire post-breeding Pacific black brant population (Branta bernicla nigricans), while secondarily, providing annual fall population indices for cackling geese (Branta hutchinsii), emperor geese (Anser canagicus), and...
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The Alaska Trumpeter Swan Survey was an aerial survey conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Bird Management, Alaska Region (MBM-AK) and partners to monitor the status of trumpeter swans (Cygnus buccinator) in Alaska. It was first conducted in 1968 and then repeated at five-year intervals from 1975 through 2015. The objectives of the survey were to estimate the abundance, distribution (1968–2005 only), and productivity of trumpeter swans in late summer, when the swans were dispersed on breeding territories and cygnets were large enough to be easily counted from the air. Estimates were obtained for the abundance of white swans (swans >1 year old), cygnets, and total swans, as well...
The Waterfowl Breeding Population & Habitat Survey (WBPHS) has been conducted annually since 1955 (1957 in Alaska) by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and Canadian Wildlife Service to estimate the spring abundance of targeted waterfowl species in their principal breeding areas of North America. The survey results are used to establish annual hunting regulations in the United States and Canada, monitor population trends, and inform various conservation and management decisions at the state, flyway, and continental levels.The Waterfowl Program in the FWS Division of Migratory Bird Management-Alaska Region (MBM-Alaska) is responsible for surveying strata 1–12 of the WBPHS during May to June of each year (i.e.,...
Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES, ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES, ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES, ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES, ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES, All tags...
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The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (YKD) Aerial Breeding Pair Survey provides data on the spring abundance of targeted waterfowl species nesting on the YKD coastal zone in western Alaska. This region supports millions of waterbirds that comprise one of the largest and most important waterfowl breeding grounds in North America, including species of concern such as the red-throated loon (Gavia stellata), emperor goose (Chen canagica), Pacific black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans), common eider (Somateria mollissima), black scoter (Melanitta nigra), long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis), and the threatened spectacled eider (Somateria fischeri). The YKD goose, swan, and crane survey was first implemented in 1985 to monitor...
Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES, ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES, ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES, ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES, ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES, All tags...
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More than 90% of the Pacific population of Steller’s eider (Polysticta stelleri) spends a portion of the fall in Alaska during fall wing molt and staging period, mostly along the Alaska Peninsula. The long-term Steller’s eiders counts from fall emperor goose surveys have shown declines at Izembek Lagoon and Port Heiden and approximate stability at Seal Islands and Nelson Lagoon (1992-2015, USFWS unpubl. data). Spring surveys for Steller’s eiders have been conducted along the north side of the Alaska Peninsula by USFWS since 1992; fall oblique photographic surveys covering the same area began in 2012.Systematic transect-based “overhead” photography is a method proposed for the fall survey and will be used to generate...
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From 1995 to 1999, a subset of nest plots were searched twice by field crews to estimate nest detection probability by mark-recapture methods. Over the five years, 30 plots were searched twice and over 2700 unique nests were found. From these data, nest detection probability is estimated using a Huggins-type mark recapture model where individual-level covariate effects of nest and observer attributes were estimated. These estimates are then used to predict nest detection rates in other years based on covariates of nests and observers. Nest detection rates are then applied to annual plot search to estimate nest populations for each species in the sampled area.
Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES, ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES, ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES, ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES, ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES, All tags...
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Broad scale banding of midcontinent greater white-fronted geese (MCWFG) is motivated by the Flyway Management Plan objective to maintain optimum harvest opportunity throughout the population range (Central, Mississippi, and Pacific Flyway Councils, 2023). This objective is accomplished by implementing a harvest strategy whereby changes to bag limits and season dates are dependent upon thresholds of abundance and harvest rate. Such estimates are calculated through Lincoln estimation (Lincoln 1930, Alisauskas et al. 2009, Dooley 2023) that requires annual banding. In addition, banding provides a means to identify changes in harvest distribution. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Migratory Bird Management...
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This project aims to estimate spatial and temporal trends of waterfowl and waterbirds on the Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) of Alaska from 2007 to present. The main approach is motivated by Amundson et al. (2019) using space-time generalized additive models (GAMs, Wood 2017) but with some improvements to handle observer effects and to associate sampling effort to specific spatial locations along a sampled transect similar to Miller et al. (2013). As part of this effort, a major data quality control process was begun in March 2022 that led to the correction of many data errors and re-formatting of the original 2007 to 2023 data to make it more accessible and usable to outside partners (original raw data available here)....
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In 2019 a pilot study was conducted to determine the feasibility of using distance sampling to estimate density and population size of goose and eider nests on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (YKD). Distance sampling (Buckland et al. 2001) is a common and well-understood method to estimate wildlife population size or density, especially for sparse and hard-to-detect populations. A main advantage of distance sampling is that it accounts for imperfect detection and gives precise estimates for a given level of effort relative to other methods. The objectives for the pilot project in 2019 was to (1) determine if distance sampling is feasible on the YKD, (2) determine what aspects of the field protocol need to be changed or...
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Duck banding data is integral to the Adaptive Harvest Management (AHM) process that uses both band recovery data and aerial breeding population survey data to establish hunting regulatory packages each year. Mallard banding in Alaska is one component of the process to set hunting regulations for ducks in the Pacific Flyway by providing harvest rate estimates for the Western Mallard AHM model (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2021). Harvest rate is used in coordination with breeding population size estimates from the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey to determine the optimal regulatory strategy (liberal, moderate, restrictive, or closed) for dabbling ducks in the Pacific Flyway. Each regulatory alternative...
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We have gathered information on all known recaptures and resightings of marked Dunlin throughout the East-Asian Australasian flyway, as well as opportunistically at other locations. The objectives of this study were to (1) identify regional connectivity patterns within and among subspecies of Dunlin migrating and wintering along the EAAF, (2) examine the regional connectivity patterns of Dunlin of unknown subspecies captured and marked at sites on the nonbreeding grounds, (3) examine recovery patterns of arcticola Dunlin initially captured on the NW and NE portions of their Alaska breeding range, (4) examine recovery patterns of arcticola males and females, (5) examine recovery patterns of arcticola Dunlin of different...
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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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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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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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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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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...
    map background search result map search result map Alaska Arctic Coastal Plain Breeding Waterbird Aerial Survey 2007-Present Alaska Goose, Swan, and Crane Population Indices Alaska Midcontinent Greater White-Fronted Goose Banding, Innoko National Wildlife Refuge Alaska Mallard Banding, Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge Alaska Izembek Brant Winter Aerial Survey 1981-present Alaska Izembek Fall Brant Aerial Survey 1976-Present Southeast Alaska Nearshore Waterbird Survey 1997-2002 Fall Steller's Eider Overhead Survey at Nelson Lagoon, Alaska, 2020 Alaska Trumpeter Swan Survey 1986-2015 Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey Alaska-Yukon Teshekpuk Lake Molting Goose Survey Arctic Coastal Plain Waterfowl and Waterbird Spatial and Temporal Trends Automated Sea Duck Counts from Aerial Imagery Alaska Yukon Delta Nest Distance Sampling Pilot Project Alaska Yukon Delta Double Observer Nest Plot Detection Alaska Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Aerial Breeding Pair Survey Alaska Red Knot Breeding Ecology Study 2010-Present Dunlin resightings and recaptures along the East-Asian Australasian flyway Fall Steller's Eider Overhead Survey at Nelson Lagoon, Alaska, 2020 Alaska Izembek Fall Brant Aerial Survey 1976-Present Alaska Izembek Brant Winter Aerial Survey 1981-present Alaska Yukon Delta Nest Distance Sampling Pilot Project Teshekpuk Lake Molting Goose Survey Alaska Red Knot Breeding Ecology Study 2010-Present Alaska Yukon Delta Double Observer Nest Plot Detection Alaska Midcontinent Greater White-Fronted Goose Banding, Innoko National Wildlife Refuge Alaska Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Aerial Breeding Pair Survey Alaska Arctic Coastal Plain Breeding Waterbird Aerial Survey 2007-Present Southeast Alaska Nearshore Waterbird Survey 1997-2002 Arctic Coastal Plain Waterfowl and Waterbird Spatial and Temporal Trends Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey Alaska-Yukon Alaska Trumpeter Swan Survey 1986-2015 Automated Sea Duck Counts from Aerial Imagery Alaska Goose, Swan, and Crane Population Indices Dunlin resightings and recaptures along the East-Asian Australasian flyway