Birds

Scientists at the USGS Alaska Science Center have conducted research on waterfowl species (ducks, geese, and swans) in Alaska since the 1970s. Because Alaska is an international crossroads of migratory bird flyways, with millions of birds from Asia and North America breeding in Alaska each summer, USGS research has also taken place in adjacent countries (Russia, Japan, Canada, Mexico) and in the...

Elevated ocean temperatures are linked to the development of harmful algal blooms (HABs). Toxins from these blooms may pose health threats to marine organisms, including seabirds. Since 2015, the USGS has worked with a variety of stakeholders to develop testing methods and research projects to better understand the geographic extent, timing and impacts of algal toxins in Alaska marine ecosystems...

Alaska's coastal and offshore waters provide foraging habitat for an estimated 100 million birds comprising more than 90 different species; from loons and seaducks that nest inland, to petrels and puffins that breed on islands off shore. All these birds depend on the sea to provide a wide variety of food types— from clams, crabs and urchins nearshore— to krill, forage fish, and squid offshore. The...

Available here are tracking data for the Emperor Goose, an endemic waterfowl species to the Bering Sea region that breeds primarily in western Alaska on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and spends the winter in southwestern Alaska and throughout the Aleutian Islands. These data were collected to better understand the migratory patterns, winter habitat use, and annual survival of emperor geese.

The North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD) contains survey transect data designed and conducted by numerous partners primarily to census seabirds at sea. The NPPSD includes more than 486,000 transect segments and includes observations of over 20 million birds of 258 species collected over the span of 50 years (from 1973 to 2022).

On this page, learn about USGS work with the Alaska Landbird Monitoring Survey (ALMS), Beak Deformities in Landbirds, and Boreal Partners in Flight (BPIF).

With its vast size and geographic position at the northern end of several migration pathways, Alaska is a critically important site for the world’s shorebirds. Thirty-seven shorebird species regularly breed in Alaska. Most of these species conduct epically long migrations to take advantage of Alaska’s abundant food resources and breeding habitat, making Alaska a global resource for shorebirds...

Welcome to the Alaska Landbird Resource Information System, the official web page for Boreal Partners in Flight! Thanks for taking the time to learn more about the Boreal Partners in Flight program and our efforts to understand and conserve northern populations of landbirds.

Pacific brant are an Arctic-breeding sea goose that stage and feed on seagrasses during the non-breeding season in coastal areas of Alaska. Brant are an important subsistence and sport harvest species and the focus of several population surveys by state and federal agencies. Each fall the entire population stages during migration in Izembek Lagoon, Alaska, presenting a unique opportunity to survey...

Available here are tracking data for the largest shorebird in North America, the long-billed curlew. This species nests in deserts and grasslands of central and western North America and spends the nonbreeding season in agriculture fields and pastures or along coastlines in California, Texas, and Mexico. These data were collected to better understand the migratory patterns of this unmistakable and...

Available here are tracking data of buff-breasted sandpiper, a shorebird species that breeds only in Arctic Alaska and Canada, spending the winter in the grasslands of Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina after a lengthy migration. These data were collected to determine range-wide migratory routes, migratory timing, and stopover habitats of this species.

Available here are tracking data of long-tailed duck, a species of seaduck that breeds throughout the circumpolar Arctic and spends the winter in coastal areas of northern and mid latitudes. These data were collected to determine range-wide migratory routes, migratory timing, and stopover habitats of this species.