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Tracking Data for Northern Pintails (Anas acuta)

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By Alaska Science Center September 5, 2019

Available here are tracking data of Northern Pintails, a duck species that, in Alaska, nests throughout the state and in adjacent regions of Russia and Canada. These data were collected to better understand the timing and patterns of migratory movements of Northern Pintails from wintering grounds in Japan as part of a project on the possible spread of Eurasian forms of avian influenza to North America.

Return to Ecosystems >> Wildlife Tracking Data Collection

USGS Alaska Science Center scientists collect data from wildlife tracking devices to: determine locations of animals throughout their annual cycles, understand patterns of habitat use, quantify time spent on various behaviors, and identify geographic areas repeatedly used by wildlife that may indicate sites of importance to species and populations. Tracking data from other wildlife species can be found at:  https://doi.org/10.5066/P9VYSWEH

Argos Wildlife Tracking of Northern Pintails
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Argos Wildlife Tracking of Northern Pintails
(Credit: David Douglas, USGS)

Tracking Maps

Northern Pintail Tracking Maps

These webpages contain five different types of browse maps and other visualizations of the tracking data.

  • Maps (Animated, Static, Interactive, and Google Earth)
  • Summary graphs of the data: where, when, duration
  • Waterfowl Tagged Animal Movement Explorer interactive visualization tool
  • Note: These maps serve only as a depiction of the geographic content of the specific data provided and may be inappropriate for inferences and interpretation outside the intent of the original study. For example, maps may portray only certain ages, sexes, limited numbers of animals or variable tracking duration and start times that may limit inference for other questions. Users are advised to read the publication(s) and data set metadata associated with these maps to understand appropriate use and data limitations.

Data Packages

Argos Satellite Telemetry Data

These data packages contain the data collected from satellite transmitters attached to free-ranging animals. The packages include both raw and processed location and sensor data. The raw data includes data as originally retrieved from the Argos System. The processed data have been filtered for location plausibility, and sensor data have been decoded into standard measurement units. For most users, the processed data will be preferred.

NOTE: Processed data contains both plausible (DAF_Filter=0) and implausible (DAF_Filter=1) locations as indicated by the column “Location_DAF_filter”. Before using these data, we recommend excluding locations flagged as implausible or apply an alternative filtering method of your choice.

Suggested Citation

Hupp, J.W., Tibbitts, T.L., Douglas, D.C., 2019, Tracking data for Northern Pintails (Anas acuta) (ver 1.0, September 2019): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P90A6HW3.

 

Below are other science projects associated with this project.

link
Spectacled eider male and female flying near the Colville River in 2013.

Waterfowl Research

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...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
link

Waterfowl Research

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...
Learn More
link
A shorebird walking through the grasses in southwestern Alaska

USGS Alaska Science Center Wildlife Tracking Data Collection

Understanding the short- and long-distance movements of wildlife is critical for a wide variety of ecological research questions and management decisions. Since the mid-1980s, the USGS Alaska Science Center has used information from telemetry devices on wildlife species to determine locations of animals throughout their annual cycles, understand patterns of habitat use, quantify time spent on...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
link

USGS Alaska Science Center Wildlife Tracking Data Collection

Understanding the short- and long-distance movements of wildlife is critical for a wide variety of ecological research questions and management decisions. Since the mid-1980s, the USGS Alaska Science Center has used information from telemetry devices on wildlife species to determine locations of animals throughout their annual cycles, understand patterns of habitat use, quantify time spent on...
Learn More
link
Northern Pintail pair on water, Copper River Delta, Alaska

Avian Influenza Research

Since 2006, the USGS Alaska Science Center has been part of the State and Federal interagency team for the detection and response to highly pathogenic (HPAI) viruses in North America. Avian influenza or "bird flu" is a viral disease that primarily infects domestic poultry and wild birds. Avian influenza viruses are naturally occurring in wild birds such as ducks, geese, swans, and gulls. These...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
link

Avian Influenza Research

Since 2006, the USGS Alaska Science Center has been part of the State and Federal interagency team for the detection and response to highly pathogenic (HPAI) viruses in North America. Avian influenza or "bird flu" is a viral disease that primarily infects domestic poultry and wild birds. Avian influenza viruses are naturally occurring in wild birds such as ducks, geese, swans, and gulls. These...
Learn More

Below are data or web applications associated with this project.

USGS Alaska Science Center Wildlife Tracking Data Collection

Understanding the short- and long-distance movements of wildlife is critical for a wide variety of ecological research studies and management decisions. Since the mid-1980s, the USGS Alaska Science Center has collected data from wildlife tracking devices to: determine locations of animals throughout their annual cycles, understand patterns of habitat use, quantify time spent on various behaviors,
By
Alaska Science Center

Influenza A Virus Data from Migratory Birds, Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska

Data set containing avian influenza sampling information for late summer and early autumn waterfowl and gulls within and around the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Alaska, 2011-2016. Data contains species, age, sex, collection data and location of sampled migratory birds. Laboratory specific data used to identify presence and absence of influenza A viruses (IAVs) from collected samples are
By
Alaska Science Center

Below are publications associated with this project.

Evidence that dorsally mounted satellite transmitters affect migration chronology of Northern Pintails

We compared migration movements and chronology between Northern Pintails (Anas acuta) marked with dorsally mounted satellite transmitters and pintails marked only with tarsus rings. During weekly intervals of spring and autumn migration between their wintering area in Japan and nesting areas in Russia, the mean distance that ringed pintails had migrated was up to 1000 km farther than the mean dist
Authors
Jerry W. Hupp, Sergei Kharitonov, Noriyuki M. Yamaguchi, K. Ozaki, Paul L. Flint, John M. Pearce, Ken-ichi Tokita, Tetsuo Shimada, Hiroyoshi Higuchi
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Dispersal of H9N2 influenza A viruses between East Asia and North America by wild birds

Samples were collected from wild birds in western Alaska to assess dispersal of influenza A viruses between East Asia and North America. Two isolates shared nearly identical nucleotide identity at eight genomic segments with H9N2 viruses isolated from China and South Korea providing evidence for intercontinental dispersal by migratory birds.
Authors
Andrew M. Ramey, Andrew B. Reeves, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Joshua L. Teslaa, Sean W. Nashold, Tyrone F. Donnelly, Bruce Casler, Jeffrey S. Hall
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center

Genomic analysis of avian influenza viruses from waterfowl in Western Alaska, USA

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (Y-K Delta) in western Alaska is an immense and important breeding ground for waterfowl. Migratory birds from the Pacific Americas, Central Pacific, and East Asian-Australasian flyways converge in this region, providing opportunities for intermixing of North American- and Eurasian-origin hosts and infectious agents, such as avian influenza virus (AIV). We characterized th
Authors
Andrew B. Reeves, John M. Pearce, Andrew M. Ramey, Craig R. Ely, Joel A. Schmutz, Paul L. Flint, Dirk V. Derksen, Hon S. Ip, Kimberly A. Trust
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center

Habitat use and movement patterns of Northern Pintails during spring in northern Japan: the importance of agricultural lands

From 2006 to 2009, we marked 198 Northern Pintails (Anas acuta) with satellite transmitters on their wintering areas in Japan to study their migration routes and habitat use in spring staging areas. We hypothesized that the distribution of pintails during spring staging was influenced by patterns of land use and expected that the most frequently used areas would have more agricultural habitat than
Authors
Noriyuki M. Yamaguchi, Jerry W. Hupp, Paul L. Flint, John M. Pearce, Yusuke Shigeta, Tetsuo Shimada, Emiko N. Hiraoka, Hiroyoshi Higuchi
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Variation in spring migration routes and breeding distribution of northern pintails Anas acuta that winter in Japan

In North America, spring migration routes and breeding distribution of northern pintails Anas acuta vary because some individuals opportunistically nest at mid-latitudes in years when ephemeral prairie wetlands are available, whereas others regularly nest in arctic and sub-arctic regions where wetland abundance is more constant. Less was known about migration routes and breeding distribution of pi
Authors
Jerry W. Hupp, Noriyuki Yamaguchi, Paul L. Flint, John M. Pearce, Ken-ichi Tokita, Tetsuo Shimada, Andrew M. Ramey, Sergei Kharitonov, Hiroyoshi Higuchi
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Satellite‐tracking of Northern Pintail Anas acuta during outbreaks of the H5N1 virus in Japan: Implications for virus spread

We fitted Northern Pintail Anas acuta in Japan with satellite transmitters and monitored their spring migration movements relative to locations where the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus was detected in Whooper Swans Cygnus cygnus in 2008. Pintails were assumed not to be infected with the H5N1 virus at the time they were marked because capture occurred between 2 and 5 months before rep
Authors
Noriyuki Yamaguchi, Jerry W. Hupp, Hiroyoshi Higuchi, Paul L. Flint, John M. Pearce
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Available here are tracking data of Northern Pintails, a duck species that, in Alaska, nests throughout the state and in adjacent regions of Russia and Canada. These data were collected to better understand the timing and patterns of migratory movements of Northern Pintails from wintering grounds in Japan as part of a project on the possible spread of Eurasian forms of avian influenza to North America.

Return to Ecosystems >> Wildlife Tracking Data Collection

USGS Alaska Science Center scientists collect data from wildlife tracking devices to: determine locations of animals throughout their annual cycles, understand patterns of habitat use, quantify time spent on various behaviors, and identify geographic areas repeatedly used by wildlife that may indicate sites of importance to species and populations. Tracking data from other wildlife species can be found at:  https://doi.org/10.5066/P9VYSWEH

Argos Wildlife Tracking of Northern Pintails
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Argos Wildlife Tracking of Northern Pintails
(Credit: David Douglas, USGS)

Tracking Maps

Northern Pintail Tracking Maps

These webpages contain five different types of browse maps and other visualizations of the tracking data.

  • Maps (Animated, Static, Interactive, and Google Earth)
  • Summary graphs of the data: where, when, duration
  • Waterfowl Tagged Animal Movement Explorer interactive visualization tool
  • Note: These maps serve only as a depiction of the geographic content of the specific data provided and may be inappropriate for inferences and interpretation outside the intent of the original study. For example, maps may portray only certain ages, sexes, limited numbers of animals or variable tracking duration and start times that may limit inference for other questions. Users are advised to read the publication(s) and data set metadata associated with these maps to understand appropriate use and data limitations.

Data Packages

Argos Satellite Telemetry Data

These data packages contain the data collected from satellite transmitters attached to free-ranging animals. The packages include both raw and processed location and sensor data. The raw data includes data as originally retrieved from the Argos System. The processed data have been filtered for location plausibility, and sensor data have been decoded into standard measurement units. For most users, the processed data will be preferred.

NOTE: Processed data contains both plausible (DAF_Filter=0) and implausible (DAF_Filter=1) locations as indicated by the column “Location_DAF_filter”. Before using these data, we recommend excluding locations flagged as implausible or apply an alternative filtering method of your choice.

Suggested Citation

Hupp, J.W., Tibbitts, T.L., Douglas, D.C., 2019, Tracking data for Northern Pintails (Anas acuta) (ver 1.0, September 2019): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P90A6HW3.

 

Below are other science projects associated with this project.

link
Spectacled eider male and female flying near the Colville River in 2013.

Waterfowl Research

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...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
link

Waterfowl Research

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...
Learn More
link
A shorebird walking through the grasses in southwestern Alaska

USGS Alaska Science Center Wildlife Tracking Data Collection

Understanding the short- and long-distance movements of wildlife is critical for a wide variety of ecological research questions and management decisions. Since the mid-1980s, the USGS Alaska Science Center has used information from telemetry devices on wildlife species to determine locations of animals throughout their annual cycles, understand patterns of habitat use, quantify time spent on...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
link

USGS Alaska Science Center Wildlife Tracking Data Collection

Understanding the short- and long-distance movements of wildlife is critical for a wide variety of ecological research questions and management decisions. Since the mid-1980s, the USGS Alaska Science Center has used information from telemetry devices on wildlife species to determine locations of animals throughout their annual cycles, understand patterns of habitat use, quantify time spent on...
Learn More
link
Northern Pintail pair on water, Copper River Delta, Alaska

Avian Influenza Research

Since 2006, the USGS Alaska Science Center has been part of the State and Federal interagency team for the detection and response to highly pathogenic (HPAI) viruses in North America. Avian influenza or "bird flu" is a viral disease that primarily infects domestic poultry and wild birds. Avian influenza viruses are naturally occurring in wild birds such as ducks, geese, swans, and gulls. These...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
link

Avian Influenza Research

Since 2006, the USGS Alaska Science Center has been part of the State and Federal interagency team for the detection and response to highly pathogenic (HPAI) viruses in North America. Avian influenza or "bird flu" is a viral disease that primarily infects domestic poultry and wild birds. Avian influenza viruses are naturally occurring in wild birds such as ducks, geese, swans, and gulls. These...
Learn More

Below are data or web applications associated with this project.

USGS Alaska Science Center Wildlife Tracking Data Collection

Understanding the short- and long-distance movements of wildlife is critical for a wide variety of ecological research studies and management decisions. Since the mid-1980s, the USGS Alaska Science Center has collected data from wildlife tracking devices to: determine locations of animals throughout their annual cycles, understand patterns of habitat use, quantify time spent on various behaviors,
By
Alaska Science Center

Influenza A Virus Data from Migratory Birds, Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska

Data set containing avian influenza sampling information for late summer and early autumn waterfowl and gulls within and around the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Alaska, 2011-2016. Data contains species, age, sex, collection data and location of sampled migratory birds. Laboratory specific data used to identify presence and absence of influenza A viruses (IAVs) from collected samples are
By
Alaska Science Center

Below are publications associated with this project.

Evidence that dorsally mounted satellite transmitters affect migration chronology of Northern Pintails

We compared migration movements and chronology between Northern Pintails (Anas acuta) marked with dorsally mounted satellite transmitters and pintails marked only with tarsus rings. During weekly intervals of spring and autumn migration between their wintering area in Japan and nesting areas in Russia, the mean distance that ringed pintails had migrated was up to 1000 km farther than the mean dist
Authors
Jerry W. Hupp, Sergei Kharitonov, Noriyuki M. Yamaguchi, K. Ozaki, Paul L. Flint, John M. Pearce, Ken-ichi Tokita, Tetsuo Shimada, Hiroyoshi Higuchi
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Dispersal of H9N2 influenza A viruses between East Asia and North America by wild birds

Samples were collected from wild birds in western Alaska to assess dispersal of influenza A viruses between East Asia and North America. Two isolates shared nearly identical nucleotide identity at eight genomic segments with H9N2 viruses isolated from China and South Korea providing evidence for intercontinental dispersal by migratory birds.
Authors
Andrew M. Ramey, Andrew B. Reeves, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Joshua L. Teslaa, Sean W. Nashold, Tyrone F. Donnelly, Bruce Casler, Jeffrey S. Hall
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center

Genomic analysis of avian influenza viruses from waterfowl in Western Alaska, USA

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (Y-K Delta) in western Alaska is an immense and important breeding ground for waterfowl. Migratory birds from the Pacific Americas, Central Pacific, and East Asian-Australasian flyways converge in this region, providing opportunities for intermixing of North American- and Eurasian-origin hosts and infectious agents, such as avian influenza virus (AIV). We characterized th
Authors
Andrew B. Reeves, John M. Pearce, Andrew M. Ramey, Craig R. Ely, Joel A. Schmutz, Paul L. Flint, Dirk V. Derksen, Hon S. Ip, Kimberly A. Trust
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center

Habitat use and movement patterns of Northern Pintails during spring in northern Japan: the importance of agricultural lands

From 2006 to 2009, we marked 198 Northern Pintails (Anas acuta) with satellite transmitters on their wintering areas in Japan to study their migration routes and habitat use in spring staging areas. We hypothesized that the distribution of pintails during spring staging was influenced by patterns of land use and expected that the most frequently used areas would have more agricultural habitat than
Authors
Noriyuki M. Yamaguchi, Jerry W. Hupp, Paul L. Flint, John M. Pearce, Yusuke Shigeta, Tetsuo Shimada, Emiko N. Hiraoka, Hiroyoshi Higuchi
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Variation in spring migration routes and breeding distribution of northern pintails Anas acuta that winter in Japan

In North America, spring migration routes and breeding distribution of northern pintails Anas acuta vary because some individuals opportunistically nest at mid-latitudes in years when ephemeral prairie wetlands are available, whereas others regularly nest in arctic and sub-arctic regions where wetland abundance is more constant. Less was known about migration routes and breeding distribution of pi
Authors
Jerry W. Hupp, Noriyuki Yamaguchi, Paul L. Flint, John M. Pearce, Ken-ichi Tokita, Tetsuo Shimada, Andrew M. Ramey, Sergei Kharitonov, Hiroyoshi Higuchi
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Satellite‐tracking of Northern Pintail Anas acuta during outbreaks of the H5N1 virus in Japan: Implications for virus spread

We fitted Northern Pintail Anas acuta in Japan with satellite transmitters and monitored their spring migration movements relative to locations where the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus was detected in Whooper Swans Cygnus cygnus in 2008. Pintails were assumed not to be infected with the H5N1 virus at the time they were marked because capture occurred between 2 and 5 months before rep
Authors
Noriyuki Yamaguchi, Jerry W. Hupp, Hiroyoshi Higuchi, Paul L. Flint, John M. Pearce
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center
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