Pair of Pelagic Cormorant (Urile pelagicus) nest along the sea cliffs of a grotto on St. Matthew Island. The island is home to over 1.6 million nesting seabirds, including murres, kittiwakes, puffins and auklets.
Tracking Data for Pelagic Cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicus)
Active
By Alaska Science Center
July 25, 2025
Available here are tracking data for the pelagic cormorant, a seabird species that breeds throughout the northern Pacific Ocean and spends the winter in East Asia and throughout costal portions of western North America. These data were collected to better understand the migratory patterns of Pelagic cormorants that breed in southeast Alaska.
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
Tracking Maps
Media
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
(Credit: David Douglas, USGS)
Pelagic Cormorant 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
- Seabirds 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.
- Processed Data [Metadata] [Data Download]
- Raw Data [Metadata] [Data Download]
- View ScienceBase Data Release
Suggested Citation
Hatch, S.A., Gill, V.A., Mulcahy, D.M., Douglas, D.C., 2020, Tracking data for Pelagic cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicus) (ver 1.0, August 2020): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9Y5PQY3
Below are other science products associated with Pelagic Cormorant.
Seabirds and Forage Fish Ecology
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...
Below are multimedia items associated with Pelagic Cormorant.
Pelagic Cormorants of the St. Matthew Grotto
Pair of Pelagic Cormorant (Urile pelagicus) nest along the sea cliffs of a grotto on St. Matthew Island. The island is home to over 1.6 million nesting seabirds, including murres, kittiwakes, puffins and auklets.
Pelagic cormorant, Gull Island, Kachemak Bay Alaska
Pelagic cormorant, Gull Island, Kachemak Bay AlaskaPelagic cormorant, sitting on a cliff on Gull Island, which is located at Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
Pelagic cormorant, Gull Island, Kachemak Bay Alaska
Pelagic cormorant, Gull Island, Kachemak Bay AlaskaPelagic cormorant, sitting on a cliff on Gull Island, which is located at Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
Available here are tracking data for the pelagic cormorant, a seabird species that breeds throughout the northern Pacific Ocean and spends the winter in East Asia and throughout costal portions of western North America. These data were collected to better understand the migratory patterns of Pelagic cormorants that breed in southeast Alaska.
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
Tracking Maps
Media
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
(Credit: David Douglas, USGS)
Pelagic Cormorant 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
- Seabirds 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.
- Processed Data [Metadata] [Data Download]
- Raw Data [Metadata] [Data Download]
- View ScienceBase Data Release
Suggested Citation
Hatch, S.A., Gill, V.A., Mulcahy, D.M., Douglas, D.C., 2020, Tracking data for Pelagic cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicus) (ver 1.0, August 2020): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9Y5PQY3
Below are other science products associated with Pelagic Cormorant.
Seabirds and Forage Fish Ecology
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...
Below are multimedia items associated with Pelagic Cormorant.
Pelagic Cormorants of the St. Matthew Grotto
Pair of Pelagic Cormorant (Urile pelagicus) nest along the sea cliffs of a grotto on St. Matthew Island. The island is home to over 1.6 million nesting seabirds, including murres, kittiwakes, puffins and auklets.
Pair of Pelagic Cormorant (Urile pelagicus) nest along the sea cliffs of a grotto on St. Matthew Island. The island is home to over 1.6 million nesting seabirds, including murres, kittiwakes, puffins and auklets.
Pelagic cormorant, Gull Island, Kachemak Bay Alaska
Pelagic cormorant, Gull Island, Kachemak Bay AlaskaPelagic cormorant, sitting on a cliff on Gull Island, which is located at Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
Pelagic cormorant, Gull Island, Kachemak Bay Alaska
Pelagic cormorant, Gull Island, Kachemak Bay AlaskaPelagic cormorant, sitting on a cliff on Gull Island, which is located at Kachemak Bay, Alaska.