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Filters: Tags: {"type":"Status"} (X) > Categories: Project (X) > Types: Map Service (X) > partyWithName: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Region (X)

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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...
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Shorebirds are among the most rapidly declining species in North America (Rosenberg et al. 2019), with many long-distance migrants experiencing the greatest declines (Environment Canada 2020). Nonetheless, not all shorebirds are declining and there may be differences among species and populations using different migratory routes. For instance, previous meta-analyses have suggested that shorebirds using the Mid-Continental Flyway are experiencing more rapid declines than those using the Pacific or Atlantic flyways (Thomas et al. 2006). At the same time, within a species, more northerly breeding populations are experiencing greater phenological mismatches and lower reproductive success than southerly ones (Kwon et...
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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The primary objective of this project was to monitor the growth of shorebird chicks by recapturing them from hatch to fledgling in relation to food abundance and weather conditions. In 2014 and 2015, we attempted to estimate the impacts of trophic mismatch by experimentally creating late hatched broods by refrigerating eggs to delay hatch. Transmitters were then attached to adults and chicks to follow and recapture chick in order to estimate growth rates and survival (see annual protocol documents for further information).Information for the Utqiagvik chick monitoring study were obtained concurrently with information obtained for the Utqiagvik shorebird project and information on chicks and nests included in these...
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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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Boreal wetland birds are among the continent’s most rapidly declining avifauna. However, many of these declining species still breed commonly on military lands in Alaska. We propose to survey these species, as well as, additional boreal wetland obligates at breeding sites on Eielson Air Force Base (AFB) and then track migratory movements throughout the annual cycle. Our surveys aim to identify important wetland features for conservation and levels of fragmentation that may reduce bird breeding numbers. Our tracking of birds during migration will identify habitats for conservation at key stopover and wintering areas, and therefore allow conservation on military lands in Alaska to be directly linked to conservation...
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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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Upland Sandpiper is one of many declining shorebird species (-4.6%/year in Alaska; Ziolkowski et al. 2023) which breed on military and adjacent lands in Alaska. Western and eastern populations are small and unstable, and the species is endangered at the state level in several eastern U.S. states (Houston et al. 2023). Though there has been considerable work with Upland Sandpipers in their core, central U.S. breeding areas, this is the first dedicated study of Upland Sandpipers in Alaska. The objectives are to resight, band, and track Upland Sandpiper at breeding sites in Delta Junction, AK and Donnelly Training Area (TA 501 & TA 511) to estimate vial rates, determine migratory connectivity, and determine important...
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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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Beginning in 2003, we have conducted a long-term shorebird breeding ecology study at Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow), Alaska. The objectives of this study are to (1) collect baseline data on temporal and spatial variability of shorebird diversity and abundance, (2) collect information on nest initiation and effort, replacement clutch laying, clutch and egg size, nest and chick survival, and other demographic traits of Arctic-breeding shorebirds, (3) establish a marked population of as many shorebird species as possible that will allow us to estimate adult survival, mate and site fidelity, and natal philopatry, and (4) relate weather, food availability, and predator and prey abundances to shorebird productivity and survival....
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Information on abundance, distribution, chronology, and habitat associations of birds at U.S. Air Force Long Range Radar Sites (USAF LRRS) and U.S. Navy lands is either outdated or lacking. In other situations, existing information has been obtained using a variety of incompatible methods thereby complicating the ability to discern changes to bird communities or the habitats they rely upon. Up-to-date information on the use of military lands by all bird species is important for both the Department of Defense (DOD) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Furthermore, updating avian inventories and implementing a standardized monitoring program across military lands helps USFWS-MBM by improving avian trend...
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These datasets describe the inventory of feather and blood samples collected from shorebirds that were captured primarily in northern Alaska but also in other parts of the world where studies were conducted on migratory species that breed in Alaska. These samples are maintained by USFWS and the feather samples in particular are part of the AviSample Network metadata repository (see Brlik et al. 2022. The reuse of avian samples: opportunities, pitfalls, and a solution. Ibis 164:343-349).Additional information for samples collected at Utqiagvik and in association with the tracking project can be found in the Utqiagvik shorebird project (file://ifw7ro-file.fws.doi.net/datamgt/mbm/mbmsh_009_Utqiagvik_shorebird_project)...
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The degradation of critical wintering and migratory stop-over sites is known to have direct consequences on the survival and reproductive condition of migratory shorebirds. However, little is known about migratory movements and connectivity of shorebird populations. By identifying migratory stop-over and wintering areas, we can begin to identify sites that should be conserved and evaluate the relative risks of development and climate change scenarios. Beginning in 2017, we initiated a project to track the migration movements of shorebird species using Argos, GPS, and Pinpoint tags. The primary objective of this study is to collect baseline information on movement patterns of shorebirds during the post-breeding period...
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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...
map background search result map search result map Alaska Midcontinent Greater White-Fronted Goose Banding, Innoko National Wildlife Refuge Alaska Mallard Banding, Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge Alaska Izembek Fall Brant Aerial Survey 1976-Present 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 Arctic Coastal Plain Waterfowl and Waterbird Spatial and Temporal Trends Alaska Yukon Delta Nest Distance Sampling Pilot Project Alaska Yukon Delta Double Observer Nest Plot Detection Alaska Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Aerial Breeding Pair Survey Dunlin resightings and recaptures along the East-Asian Australasian flyway Alaska Shorebird Sample Inventory Alaska Shorebird Migration Tracking Study Utqiaģvik Alaska Shorebird Breeding Ecology Study Spoon-billed Sandpiper (SBSP) Surveys Near Kotzebue Alaska 2018 Alaska Department of Defense Shorebird Migration Project 2021-Present Utqiagvik Alaska Shorebird Chick Monitoring Study Alaska Department of Defense Migratory Movements Upland Sandpiper Study 2021-Present Avian Species Inventory and Monitoring at U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy lands near Point Barrow Alaska Alaska Eielson Air Force Base Avian Study 2019-Present Avian Species Inventory and Monitoring at U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy lands near Point Barrow Alaska Alaska Eielson Air Force Base Avian Study 2019-Present Fall Steller's Eider Overhead Survey at Nelson Lagoon, Alaska, 2020 Utqiaģvik Alaska Shorebird Breeding Ecology Study Utqiagvik Alaska Shorebird Chick Monitoring Study Alaska Izembek Fall Brant Aerial Survey 1976-Present Alaska Yukon Delta Nest Distance Sampling Pilot Project Alaska Yukon Delta Double Observer Nest Plot Detection Spoon-billed Sandpiper (SBSP) Surveys Near Kotzebue Alaska 2018 Alaska Midcontinent Greater White-Fronted Goose Banding, Innoko National Wildlife Refuge Alaska Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Aerial Breeding Pair Survey Arctic Coastal Plain Waterfowl and Waterbird Spatial and Temporal Trends Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey Alaska-Yukon Alaska Trumpeter Swan Survey 1986-2015 Alaska Department of Defense Shorebird Migration Project 2021-Present Alaska Department of Defense Migratory Movements Upland Sandpiper Study 2021-Present Alaska Shorebird Migration Tracking Study Dunlin resightings and recaptures along the East-Asian Australasian flyway Alaska Shorebird Sample Inventory