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. Shorebird research at the USGS Alaska Science Center improves our knowledge of shorebirds and addresses key questions for management agencies about the distribution and abundance of these species.
Return to Ecosystems >> Terrestrial Ecosystems
View video about our shorebird research program.
Population Status and Ecology of North Pacific Shorebirds
Research on the population status and ecology of shorebirds in Alaska focuses on identifying critical phases of the annual cycle for these species. Because ninety percent of the migratory shorebird species in the Western Hemisphere have breeding populations in Alaska, our current research necessarily incorporates work that describes migratory routes and connections between Alaska and sites around the globe where these species stopover or spend the nonbreeding season. Such studies require large-scale, collaborative efforts that employ a variety of techniques to gain perspectives appropriate to the scale and range of these highly migratory species. Information from these studies is guiding conservation efforts and helping scientists and conservation groups to better understand the effects of global-scale threats to shorebirds, including habitat modification and degradation, climate change, and the spread of infectious diseases.
Species scientists are working with include:
Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)
There are four species of godwits distributed around the world, three of which breed in Alaska: Bar-tailed, Hudsonian, and Marbled Godwits. Bar-tailed Godwits are considered a Bird of Conservation Concern by the US Fish and Wildlife Service due to their small population size, threats to their non-breeding grounds (especially at migratory stopover sites in the Yellow Sea), and their relatively restricted breeding distribution within the United States.
Additional articles, podcast and video:
- Podcast: From Alaska to New Zealand, the bar-tailed godwit, interviewed by Ned Rozell, 1/3/2022
- Blown back to Alaska, bird perseveres, by Ned Rozell, 11/11/2021
- Shorebirds depend on wee slivers of Alaska, by Ned Rozell, 11/4/2021
- Video: Tracking Alaska’s Godwits, by Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2012
- The bar-tailed godwit's nonstop to New Zealand, by Ned Rozell, 3/17/2005
Bristle-thighed Curlew (Numenius tahitiensis)
(Credit: Rachel M. Richardson, USGS. Public domain.)
The Bristle-thighed Curlew breeds only at two disjunct locations in western Alaska, and has a broad, low-density distribution across atolls and islands in the Pacific Basin during the nonbreeding season. Its adult population numbers about 7,000 individuals, making it the rarest of the New World curlews and godwits. Due to their small population and threats to their nonbreeding grounds related primarily to sea-level rise and invasive species, the Bristle-thighed Curlew is a listed as a Bird of Conservation Concern by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Additional podcast:
- Podcast: Bristle-thighed Curlews, interviewed by Mary Colwell, 4/2021
Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus)
The Long-billed Curlew is the largest shorebird in North America. The species is considered a Bird of Conservation Concern by the US Fish and Wildlife Service due to the species' small population size, recent population declines, and threats to the species' breeding and non-breeding grounds.
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)
(Credit: Rachel Richardson, USGS. Public domain.)
Whimbrels closely resemble Bristle-thighed Curlews. Whimbrels are widely distributed at high-latitude breeding sites around the world, but Alaska-breeding Whimbrels are restricted to sites within the Pacific Flyway. These long-distance migrants are distributed at wintering sites from California to southern Chile.
Additional story:
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Story Map: Whimbrels on the Wing, produced by Manomet, Inc., 2018
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Changing Arctic Ecosystems
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Data From the Inventory of Breeding Birds in Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, Alaska, 2008
Juvenile Shorebird Morphological Data Collected in Alaska and Canada
Inventory Data of Lowland-Breeding Birds and Associated Vegetation Types on the Alaska Peninsula, 2004-2007
Aerial surveys of shorebirds at pre-migratory staging sites in western Alaska, 2018-2019
Measurements of Surfbirds (Calidris virgata), Southcentral Alaska 1997-1999
Information from Bird Nests Monitored on the Colville River Delta, Alaska, 2011-2018
Nesting Habitat and Nest Survival Data for American (Pluvialis dominica) and Pacific (P. fulva) Golden-Plovers on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska, 2012-2013
Bristle-Thighed Curlew (Numenius tahitiensis) Mark-Resight Encounter History from the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge and Surrounding Area, Oahu, Hawaii, 2012-2017
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Disparate data streams together yield novel survival estimates of Alaska-breeding Whimbrels
Hidden in plain sight: Migration routes of the elusive Anadyr bar-tailed godwit revealed by satellite tracking
Mismatch-induced growth reductions in a clade of Arctic-breeding shorebirds are rarely mitigated by increasing temperatures
Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica in Alaska: Revisiting population estimates from the staging grounds
Central-West Siberian-breeding Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica) segregate in two morphologically distinct flyway populations
Physiomorphic transformation in extreme endurance migrants: Revisiting the case of bar-tailed godwits preparing for trans-pacific flights
Diverse patterns of migratory timing, site use, and site fidelity by Alaska-breeding Whimbrels
When a typical jumper skips: Itineraries and staging habitats used by Red Knots (Calidris canutus piersmai) migrating between northwest Australia and the New Siberian Islands
Shorebird reproductive response to exceptionally early and late springs varies across sites in Arctic Alaska
Shorebird research at the U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center
Annual adult survival drives trends in Arctic-breeding shorebirds but knowledge gaps in other vital rates remain
A red knot as a black swan: How a single bird shows navigational abilities during repeat crossings of the Greenland Icecap
Below are news stories associated with this project.
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
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. Shorebird research at the USGS Alaska Science Center improves our knowledge of shorebirds and addresses key questions for management agencies about the distribution and abundance of these species.
Return to Ecosystems >> Terrestrial Ecosystems
View video about our shorebird research program.
Population Status and Ecology of North Pacific Shorebirds
Research on the population status and ecology of shorebirds in Alaska focuses on identifying critical phases of the annual cycle for these species. Because ninety percent of the migratory shorebird species in the Western Hemisphere have breeding populations in Alaska, our current research necessarily incorporates work that describes migratory routes and connections between Alaska and sites around the globe where these species stopover or spend the nonbreeding season. Such studies require large-scale, collaborative efforts that employ a variety of techniques to gain perspectives appropriate to the scale and range of these highly migratory species. Information from these studies is guiding conservation efforts and helping scientists and conservation groups to better understand the effects of global-scale threats to shorebirds, including habitat modification and degradation, climate change, and the spread of infectious diseases.
Species scientists are working with include:
Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)
Male Bar-tailed Godwit at a breeding site near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. There are four species of godwits distributed around the world, three of which breed in Alaska: Bar-tailed, Hudsonian, and Marbled Godwits. Bar-tailed Godwits are considered a Bird of Conservation Concern by the US Fish and Wildlife Service due to their small population size, threats to their non-breeding grounds (especially at migratory stopover sites in the Yellow Sea), and their relatively restricted breeding distribution within the United States.
Additional articles, podcast and video:
- Podcast: From Alaska to New Zealand, the bar-tailed godwit, interviewed by Ned Rozell, 1/3/2022
- Blown back to Alaska, bird perseveres, by Ned Rozell, 11/11/2021
- Shorebirds depend on wee slivers of Alaska, by Ned Rozell, 11/4/2021
- Video: Tracking Alaska’s Godwits, by Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2012
- The bar-tailed godwit's nonstop to New Zealand, by Ned Rozell, 3/17/2005
Bristle-thighed Curlew (Numenius tahitiensis)
Bristle-thighed Curlew.
(Credit: Rachel M. Richardson, USGS. Public domain.)The Bristle-thighed Curlew breeds only at two disjunct locations in western Alaska, and has a broad, low-density distribution across atolls and islands in the Pacific Basin during the nonbreeding season. Its adult population numbers about 7,000 individuals, making it the rarest of the New World curlews and godwits. Due to their small population and threats to their nonbreeding grounds related primarily to sea-level rise and invasive species, the Bristle-thighed Curlew is a listed as a Bird of Conservation Concern by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Additional podcast:
- Podcast: Bristle-thighed Curlews, interviewed by Mary Colwell, 4/2021
Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus)
The Long-billed Curlew is the largest North American shorebird and is characterized by its long and decurved bill. The Long-billed Curlew is the largest shorebird in North America. The species is considered a Bird of Conservation Concern by the US Fish and Wildlife Service due to the species' small population size, recent population declines, and threats to the species' breeding and non-breeding grounds.
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)
Whimbrel on the tundra on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska.
(Credit: Rachel Richardson, USGS. Public domain.)Whimbrels closely resemble Bristle-thighed Curlews. Whimbrels are widely distributed at high-latitude breeding sites around the world, but Alaska-breeding Whimbrels are restricted to sites within the Pacific Flyway. These long-distance migrants are distributed at wintering sites from California to southern Chile.
Additional story:
-
Story Map: Whimbrels on the Wing, produced by Manomet, Inc., 2018
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Changing Arctic Ecosystems
Arctic regions of Alaska are important for cultural and economic sustainability and host a wide variety of wildlife species, many of which are of conservation and management interest to the U.S. Department of the Interior. The USGS and collaborators provide information about Arctic ecosystems that are used by Arctic residents, management agencies, and industry. - Data
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Data From the Inventory of Breeding Birds in Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, Alaska, 2008
This data package contains six tables: 1) characteristics of bird survey sites, 2) vegetation classification at survey sites, 3) detections of all birds at survey sites, 4) behaviors of all birds at survey sites, 5) bird taxonomy and indication of conservation status, and 6) habitat information pertaining to survey site photographs. The objectives of the survey were to 1) use targeted field investJuvenile Shorebird Morphological Data Collected in Alaska and Canada
This dataset consists of shorebird chick measurements (wing, primary feather 10, diagonal tarsus, and bill length) and body mass for various shorebird species captured in Alaska and Canada during 1978-2022. Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey - Alaska Science Center, and collaborators from many government agencies and research institutions have studied shorebirds at numerous sites across NInventory Data of Lowland-Breeding Birds and Associated Vegetation Types on the Alaska Peninsula, 2004-2007
These are data from a stratified random survey to inventory the birds breeding in lowlands (elevation below 100m) of the Alaska Peninsula, during summers 2004-2007. Data were collected at 792 points on 52 5-km x 5-km plots. The data are in six tables: 1) geographic coordinates of the bounding corners of each of the 52 plots, 2) geographic coordinates of each of the 792 bird count points, 3) countsAerial surveys of shorebirds at pre-migratory staging sites in western Alaska, 2018-2019
These data are in one table and document the numbers of four species of shorebird counted during aerial surveys of coastal sites in western Alaska. Survey regions encompassed coastline between the mouths of the Kuskokwim and Yukon rivers, and the northern coast of the Alaska Peninsula from the mouths of the Kvichak and Naknek Rivers to Nelson Lagoon. Surveys were flown from 7-9 September 2018 andMeasurements of Surfbirds (Calidris virgata), Southcentral Alaska 1997-1999
These morphometric data are in two tables from surfbirds (adults and chicks) captured at two locations in southcentral Alaska, 1997-1999.Information from Bird Nests Monitored on the Colville River Delta, Alaska, 2011-2018
This dataset contains nesting information for birds breeding at a site on the Colville River, Alaska, 2011-2018. Nests were located during area searches conducted by biologists, and standardized information on each nest was collected following protocols of the Arctic Shorebird Demographic Network (Brown et al. 2014).Nesting Habitat and Nest Survival Data for American (Pluvialis dominica) and Pacific (P. fulva) Golden-Plovers on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska, 2012-2013
This data set contains information (in two tables) on nesting habitat and nest survival for American (Pluvialis dominica) and Pacific (P. fulva) Golden-Plovers monitored at seven study sites across an elevational gradient (28-416 m) on the Seward Peninsula in northwestern Alaska during the summers of 2012 and 2013. We used principal components analysis to reduce habitat measurements into two compoBristle-Thighed Curlew (Numenius tahitiensis) Mark-Resight Encounter History from the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge and Surrounding Area, Oahu, Hawaii, 2012-2017
This data set contains one table with mark-resight observations of Bristle-thighed Curlews marked on Oahu, Hawaii, with plastic color leg flags, 2012-2017. - Multimedia
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 37Disparate data streams together yield novel survival estimates of Alaska-breeding Whimbrels
Survival estimates are critical components of avian ecology. In well-intentioned efforts to maximize the utility of one's research, survival estimates often derive from data that were not originally collected for survival assessments, and such post hoc analyses may include unintentional biases. We estimated the survival of Whimbrels captured and marked at two breeding sites in Alaska using divergeAuthorsDaniel R. Ruthrauff, Christopher M. Harwood, T. Lee Tibbitts, Vijay P. PatilHidden in plain sight: Migration routes of the elusive Anadyr bar-tailed godwit revealed by satellite tracking
Satellite and GPS tracking technology continues to reveal new migration patterns of birds which enables comparative studies of migration strategies and distributional information useful in conservation. Bar-tailed godwits in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway Limosa lapponica baueri and L. l. menzbieri are known for their long non-stop flights, however these populations are in steep decline. A thiAuthorsYing-Chi Chan, T. Lee Tibbitts, Dmitry Dorofeev, Chris J. Hassell, Theunis PiersmaMismatch-induced growth reductions in a clade of Arctic-breeding shorebirds are rarely mitigated by increasing temperatures
In seasonal environments subject to climate change, organisms typically show phenological changes. As these changes are usually stronger in organisms at lower trophic levels than those at higher trophic levels, mismatches between consumers and their prey may occur during the consumers’ reproduction period. While in some species a trophic mismatch induces reductions in offspring growth, this is notAuthorsThomas Lameris, Pavel S. Tomkovich, James A. Johnson, R.I. Guy Morrison, Lucas Decicco, Maksim N. Dementyev, Ingrid Tulp, Simeon Lisovski, Robert E. Gill, Job ten Horn, Theunis Piersma, Z. Pohlen, Hans Schekkerman, Mikhail Soloviev, E. Syroechkovsky, Mikhail Zhemchuzhnikov, Jan A. van GilsBar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica in Alaska: Revisiting population estimates from the staging grounds
Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica baueri breed in Alaska and spend the nonbreeding season primarily in eastern Australia and New Zealand. Long-term declines spurred recent surveys at nonbreeding sites that yielded a revised population estimate of ~126,000 godwits. We conducted aerial surveys for Bar-tailed Godwits in 2018 and 2019 at pre-migratory staging sites in western Alaska. Counts from simAuthorsDaniel R. Ruthrauff, Zak Pohlen, Heather M. Wilson, James JohnsonCentral-West Siberian-breeding Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica) segregate in two morphologically distinct flyway populations
Long-distance migratory species often include multiple breeding populations, with distinct migration routes, wintering areas and annual-cycle timing. Detailed knowledge on population structure and migratory connectivity provides the basis for studies on the evolution of migration strategies and for species conservation. Currently, five subspecies of Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica have been deAuthorsRoeland A. Bom, Jesse R. Conklin, Yvonne I. Verkuil, José A. Alves, Jimmy De Fouw, Anne Dekinga, Chris J. Hassell, Raymond H. G. Klaassen, Eldar Rakhimberdiev, Andy Y. Kwarteng, Afonso Rocha, Job ten Horn, T. Lee Tibbitts, Pavel S. Tomkovich, Reginald Victor, Theunis PiersmaPhysiomorphic transformation in extreme endurance migrants: Revisiting the case of bar-tailed godwits preparing for trans-pacific flights
In a 1998 paper entitled “Guts don’t fly: small digestive organs in obese bar-tailed godwits,” Piersma and Gill (1998) showed that the digestive organs were tiny and the fat loads huge in individuals suspected of embarking on a non-stop flight from Alaska to New Zealand. It was suggested that prior to migratory departure, these godwits would shrink the digestive organs used during fuel depositionAuthorsTheunis Piersma, Robert E. Gill, Daniel R. RuthrauffDiverse patterns of migratory timing, site use, and site fidelity by Alaska-breeding Whimbrels
Birds that conduct long-distance migrations exhibit varied patterns of consistency in migratory timing and site use. Understanding variation in these traits among populations can help uncover mechanisms driving migratory behaviors and identify potential population threats. Whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus) are long-distance migratory shorebirds with a Holarctic breeding distribution, and recent studieAuthorsDaniel R. Ruthrauff, Christopher M. Harwood, Lee Tibbitts, Nils Warnock, Robert E. GillWhen a typical jumper skips: Itineraries and staging habitats used by Red Knots (Calidris canutus piersmai) migrating between northwest Australia and the New Siberian Islands
The ecological reasons for variation in avian migration, with some populations migrating across thousands of kilometres between breeding and non-breeding areas with one or few refuelling stops, in contrast to others that stop more often, remain to be pinned down. Red Knots Calidris canutus are a textbook example of a shorebird species that makes long migrations with only a few stops. Recognizing tAuthorsTheunis Piersma, Eva Kok, Chris J. Hassell, Yvonne I. Verkuil, Guangchun Lei, He-Bo Peng, Eldar Rakhimberdiev, Paul Howey, Ying-Chi Chan, Lee Tibbitts, Julia KaragichevaShorebird reproductive response to exceptionally early and late springs varies across sites in Arctic Alaska
While increases in overall temperatures are widely reported in the Arctic, large inter-annual variation in spring weather, with extreme early and late conditions, is also occurring. Using data collected from three sites in Arctic Alaska, we explored how shorebird breeding density, nest initiation, nest synchrony, nest survival, and phenological mismatch varied between two exceptionally early (2015AuthorsRebecca L McGuire, Richard B. Lanctot, Sarah T. Saalfeld, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Joe LiebezeitShorebird research at the U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center
Shorebirds—which include sandpipers, plovers, and oystercatchers—are perhaps best known by their presence on sandy beaches, running along the water’s edge while they probe for food. But they are probably less recognized for their impressive long-distance migrations. Millions of individuals travel from across the globe to breed throughout Alaska each spring, making these birds a familiar and importAuthorsDan Ruthrauff, T. Lee Tibbitts, John PearceAnnual adult survival drives trends in Arctic-breeding shorebirds but knowledge gaps in other vital rates remain
Conservation status and management priorities are often informed by population trends. Trend estimates can be derived from population surveys or models, but both methods are associated with sources of uncertainty. Many Arctic-breeding shorebirds are thought to be declining based on migration and/or overwintering population surveys, but data are lacking to estimate the trends of some shorebird specAuthorsEmily L. Weiser, Richard B. Lanctot, Stephen C. Brown, H. River Gates, Joel Bety, Megan L. Boldenow, Rodney W. Brook, Glen S. Brown, Willow B. English, Scott A. Flemming, Samantha E. Franks, H. Grant Gilchrist, Marie-Andree Giroux, Andrew C. Johnson, Steve Kendall, Lisa V. Kennedy, Laura Koloski, Eunbi Kwon, Jean-Francois Lamarre, David B. Lank, Christopher J. Latty, Nicolas Lecomte, Joseph R. Liebezeit, Rebecca L McGuire, Laura McKinnon, Erica Nol, David C. Payer, Johanna Perz, Jennie Rausch, Martin D. Robards, Sarah T. Saalfeld, Nathan R. Senner, Paul A. Smith, Mikhail Soloviev, Diana V Solovyeva, David H. Ward, Paul F. Woodard, Brett K. SandercockA red knot as a black swan: How a single bird shows navigational abilities during repeat crossings of the Greenland Icecap
Despite the wealth of studies on seasonal movements of birds between southern nonbreeding locations and High Arctic breeding locations, the key mechanisms of navigation during these migrations remain elusive. A flight along the shortest possible route between pairs of points on a sphere (‘orthodrome’) requires a bird to be able to assess its current location in relation to its migration goal and tAuthorsEva Kok, T. Lee Tibbitts, David C. Douglas, Paul Howey, Anne Dekinga, Benjamin Gnep, Theunis Piersma - News
Below are news stories associated with this project.
- Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.