Alaska Migratory Birds Office

Beginning in 2003, the Shorebird Section of Migratory Bird Management began studying the breeding ecology of shorebirds at Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow), Alaska to identify threats throughout their annual cycle. Each year, 7-8 volunteers and students spend over two months in Utqiaġvik finding on average 300 shorebird nests, banding on average 300 adults and 250 chicks, and collecting data on...

Using the Utqiaġvik site as a stepping stone, the Shorebird Section of Migratory Bird Management co-created the Arctic Shorebird Demographics Network (ASDN) with Dr. Stephen Brown of Manomet, Inc. and Dr. Brett Sandercock of Kansas State University in 2010. The ASDN included collaborations by 33 principal investigators and >10 graduate students from 21 institutions across 16 field...

Understanding potential threats facing shorebirds requires knowledge of where they are throughout their annual cycle. Taking advantage of state-of-the art tracking devices, the Shorebird Section of Migratory Bird Management has tracked the migration patterns of six different shorebird species (>500 individuals, including American Golden-plover, Semipalmated Plover, Dunlin, Pectoral...

Working together with Manomet, Inc., the Shorebird Section of Migratory Bird Management has conducted extensive ground-based surveys on the Arctic North Slope (2002 – 2008) and the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta National Wildlife Refuge (2015, 2016). These surveys provide information on species distribution and abundance for large tracts of land previously not surveyed. Repeat surveys on the Arctic...

Virtually the entire Pacific Flyway population of black brant use Izembek National Wildlife Refuge as a stopover during the fall migration, allowing for an opportunity to collect data on the current year’s productivity and population size. We've been conducting productivity surveys of black brant at Izembek since 1963 when the first refuge manager initiated this effort. This is currently the...

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Aerial Breeding Pair Survey provides data on the abundance and distribution of geese and eiders nesting on the YKD coastal zone in western Alaska. Wetland habitat in this region supports millions of waterbirds and is one of the most important waterfowl breeding grounds in North America. The survey was first implemented in 1985 to monitor populations of minima cackling...

Banding and recovery of Alaska banded mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) is one component of an Adaptive Harvest Management (AHM) process used in the Pacific Flyway by providing harvest rate estimates. Harvest rate is used in coordination with breeding population size estimates from the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey (WBPHS) to determine the optimal regulatory strategy (liberal,...

The mid-continent population of greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons frontalis) breeds in tundra habitats from the eastern shore of Hudson Bay to the west coast of northern Alaska, south into boreal forests and taiga habitat in interior and northwest Alaska. The winter range extends through Central and Mississippi Flyway states and into portions of Mexico.  Throughout its range,...

The Waterfowl Breeding Population and 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 dabbling ducks and other waterfowl of management concern in their principal breeding areas of North America.  The survey is continental in scope requiring numerous...

Dusky Canada geese (Branta canadensis occidentalis) comprise one of the smallest populations of geese in North America and their breeding range is limited to Prince William Sound, primarily the Copper River Delta, and Middleton Island, Alaska. Our Alaska Migratory Birds Office initiated an aerial breeding pair survey on the Copper River Delta in 1986 after reported declines in the abundance of...

The Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) is a vast area of Arctic lowland tundra in far northern Alaska that serves as an important region for many species of breeding birds, especially waterbirds.  Importantly, it is the only regularly used breeding area in North America for threatened Steller’s eiders (Polysticta stelleri), and one of only three breeding areas for the threatened Spectacled eider...

Marine bird surveys are conducted in the northern Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas to provide better understanding of the distribution, abundance, and habitat requirements of marine birds. This information provides the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the North Pacific Research Board, and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management with current data and improved knowledge for current and proposed...

The Aleutian tern, a USFWS and ADF&G “Species of Conservation Concern/Species of Conservation Need”, is Alaska's most imperiled seabird, having undergone apparent population declines at known colonies of more than 95% in recent decades. A 2015 analysis highlighted the apparent rapid decline and suggested the Alaska breeding population to be only ~5000 birds. The analysis identified several...

The conservation of migratory birds requires identifying how events across their annual cycle (often occurring across vast areas) influence their survival and reproduction. It is thought that most golden eagles in Alaska are migratory and move south during autumn to over-winter in the western contiguous U.S. Thus, factors that may affect the golden eagle population in Alaska (e.g., energy...

Sea ducks are a large group of waterfowl that, relative to other waterfowl, we know little about. The Sea Duck Joint Venture (SDJV) was formed to learn more about sea ducks, make information available to stakeholders, and ensure sustainable populations over the long term.

The vision of the SDJV is to maintain sustainable populations of North...

Since 2005, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has partnered with the National Park Service to conduct surveys for yellow-billed loons in the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve and Cape Krusenstern National Monument located in the northwest Arctic of Alaska. Yellow-billed loons are a species of conservation concern due to their small global population and habitat limitations, and are...

The Alaska Landbird Monitoring Survey (ALMS) is a collaborative survey developed by the U.S. Geological Survey and implemented by various federal, state, and non-governmental organizations throughout the state of Alaska. This program, established in 2003 and continuing today, contributes to analyses of population trends at regional and continental levels and models changes in bird distribution...

This video series was created and produced by young professionals and focuses on the rare, yellow-billed loon and the collaborative research that is helping scientists understand and conserve this iconic species in the face of environmental change. How will loons adapt? What can you do to help? We welcome you to watch these videos to find out more.  

Yellow...