USGS Alaska Science Center Wildlife Tracking Data Collection
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By Alaska Science Center
July 28, 2025
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 certain behaviors, and identify geographic areas repeatedly used by wildlife that may indicate sites of importance to species and populations.
Return to Ecosystems
About the Collection
Media
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
(Credit: David Douglas, USGS)
Available here are links to the tracking data of various wildlife species studied at the USGS Alaska Science Center. Data sets listed under "Species" follow a standardized data and metadata format developed by the USGS Alaska Science Center in 2019. Data sets listed under "Additional Tracking Data" were released before the 2019 standardized format was developed.
Wildlife Tracking Data Collection Metadata
Suggested Citation: U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 2019, USGS Alaska Science Center wildlife tracking data collection: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9VYSWEH
Birds | |
|---|---|
| Emperor Goose (Anser canagicus) | Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa) |
| Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) | Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis) |
| Black Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) | Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) |
| Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) | Common Murre (Uria aalge) |
| Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) | Thick-billed Murre (Uria lomvia) |
| Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) | Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) |
| Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) | Kittlitz’s Murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris) |
Steller's Eider (Polysticta stelleri) | Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) |
| Spectacled Eider (Somateria fischeri) | Gull Species and Hybrids (Larus spp.) |
| Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) | Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata) |
| Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) | Pacific Loon (Gavia pacifica) |
| Black Scoter (Melanitta americana) | Yellow-billed Loon (Gavia adamsii) |
| Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) | Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) |
| Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) | Red-faced Cormorant (Phalacrocorax urile) |
| Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) | Pelagic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus) |
| Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) | |
Mammals |
|---|
| Pacific Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) |
| Caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) |
| Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) |
Supplemental Reference Information
Argos User Manuals
- Argos Users Manual, online
- Argos Users Manual, 1988
- Argos Users Manual, 2008
- Argos Users Manual, 2011
- Argos Users Manual, 2016
Microwave Telemetry, Inc., PTT Manuals
- MTI Field Manual_PTT-100_Battery
- MTI Field Manual_PTT-100_Solar
- MTI Field Manual_PTT-100_5g Solar
- MTI Field Manual_PTT-100_GPS Solar
Supplemental Information About the Argos System
- Argos Web Site
- USFWS Report 1988_Satellite Tracking Assessment
- USFWS Report 1990_Satellite Tracking Applications
R scripts for reading processed tracking data
- Read processed USGS tracking data from a downloaded USGS data package
- Read processed USGS tracking data directly from a Movebank study
*Disclaimer: The manuals are strictly provided for informational purposes for the data provided. They are not an endorsement of the product.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 17
Tracking Data for Spectacled Eiders (Somateria fischeri)
Available here are tracking data of Spectacled Eider, a sea duck species that breeds only in Alaska and Russia and spends the winter exclusively in the Bering Sea. The Alaska breeding population is listed as threatened under provisions of the Endangered Species Act. These data were collected to better understand the winter distribution in the Bering Sea and locate birds for winter aerial surveys...
Tracking Data for Red-faced Cormorants (Phalacrocorax urile)
Available here are tracking data for the red-faced cormorant, a seabird species that is found only in the North Pacific Ocean, breeding and wintering from southern Alaska and throughout the Aleutian Islands to Far Eastern Russia. These data were collected to better understand the migratory patterns of red-faced cormorants that breed in the Aleutian Islands.
Tracking Data for Three Large-bodied Gull Species and Hybrids (Larus spp.)
Available here are tracking data of large-bodied gull species and hybrids ( Larus species). These data were collected to better understand the migratory movements of these birds and their role in the dispersal of antibiotic resistant bacteria among areas of Alaska and other regions.
Tracking Data for Pacific Loons (Gavia pacifica)
Available here are tracking data of Pacific Loons, a species that breeds throughout much of Alaska and winters throughout the Pacific Ocean basin, along the costs of East Asia and the U.S. These data were collected to better understand timing of spring arrival, fall departure, and habitat use patterns on the North Slope of Alaska.
Tracking Data for Red-throated Loons (Gavia stellata)
Available here are tracking data of Red-throated Loons, a species that breeds in coastal areas throughout Alaska and winters along the Pacific coasts of North America and Eurasia. These data were collected to better understand the patterns of migratory movements and seasonal use of different regions of Alaska.
Tracking Data for Marbled Godwits (Limosa fedoa)
Available here are tracking data of Marbled Godwits, a large-bodied shorebird that, in Alaska, nests in the southwestern portion of the state. These data were collected to better understand the timing and patterns of migratory movements and seasonal use of different coastal areas in the Pacific region.
Tracking Data for Yellow-billed Loons (Gavia adamsii)
Available here are tracking data of Yellow-billed loons, a species that breeds in coastal areas of western and northern Alaska and adjacent regions of Russia and Canada. This species winters along the Pacific coasts of North America and Eurasia. These data were collected to better understand the patterns of migratory movements and seasonal use of different regions of Alaska
Tracking Data for Tufted Puffins (Fratercula cirrhata)
Available here are tracking data for the tufted puffin, a seabird species that is found only in coastal and offshore areas of the North Pacific Ocean. These data were collected to better understand the migratory patterns of tufted puffins that breed in the Aleutian Islands.
Tracking Data for Northern Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis)
Available here are tracking data for the northern fulmar, a seabird species that breeds throughout northern ocean regions and spends the winter at-sea in the northern hemisphere. These data were collected to better understand the migratory patterns of northern fulmars in the Bergin Sea.
Tracking Data for Thick-billed Murres (Uria lomvia)
Available here are tracking data for the thick-billed murre, a seabird species that is found in the Arctic and regions of the North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans. These data were collected to better understand the migratory patterns of this species in the Chukchi Sea.
Tracking Data for Common Murres (Uria aalge)
Available here are tracking data for the common murre, a seabird species that is found in regions of the North Pacific and Atlantic oceans, often in dense breeding colonies on cliffs and in large flocks on the water. These data were collected to better understand the migratory patterns of this species in the North Pacific Ocean and Chukchi Sea.
Tracking Data for Pelagic Cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicus)
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.
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 certain behaviors, and identify geographic areas repeatedly used by wildlife that may indicate sites of importance to species and populations.
Return to Ecosystems
About the Collection
Media
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
(Credit: David Douglas, USGS)
Available here are links to the tracking data of various wildlife species studied at the USGS Alaska Science Center. Data sets listed under "Species" follow a standardized data and metadata format developed by the USGS Alaska Science Center in 2019. Data sets listed under "Additional Tracking Data" were released before the 2019 standardized format was developed.
Wildlife Tracking Data Collection Metadata
Suggested Citation: U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 2019, USGS Alaska Science Center wildlife tracking data collection: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9VYSWEH
Birds | |
|---|---|
| Emperor Goose (Anser canagicus) | Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa) |
| Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) | Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis) |
| Black Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) | Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) |
| Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) | Common Murre (Uria aalge) |
| Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) | Thick-billed Murre (Uria lomvia) |
| Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) | Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) |
| Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) | Kittlitz’s Murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris) |
Steller's Eider (Polysticta stelleri) | Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) |
| Spectacled Eider (Somateria fischeri) | Gull Species and Hybrids (Larus spp.) |
| Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) | Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata) |
| Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) | Pacific Loon (Gavia pacifica) |
| Black Scoter (Melanitta americana) | Yellow-billed Loon (Gavia adamsii) |
| Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) | Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) |
| Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) | Red-faced Cormorant (Phalacrocorax urile) |
| Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) | Pelagic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus) |
| Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) | |
Mammals |
|---|
| Pacific Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) |
| Caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) |
| Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) |
Supplemental Reference Information
Argos User Manuals
- Argos Users Manual, online
- Argos Users Manual, 1988
- Argos Users Manual, 2008
- Argos Users Manual, 2011
- Argos Users Manual, 2016
Microwave Telemetry, Inc., PTT Manuals
- MTI Field Manual_PTT-100_Battery
- MTI Field Manual_PTT-100_Solar
- MTI Field Manual_PTT-100_5g Solar
- MTI Field Manual_PTT-100_GPS Solar
Supplemental Information About the Argos System
- Argos Web Site
- USFWS Report 1988_Satellite Tracking Assessment
- USFWS Report 1990_Satellite Tracking Applications
R scripts for reading processed tracking data
- Read processed USGS tracking data from a downloaded USGS data package
- Read processed USGS tracking data directly from a Movebank study
*Disclaimer: The manuals are strictly provided for informational purposes for the data provided. They are not an endorsement of the product.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 17
Tracking Data for Spectacled Eiders (Somateria fischeri)
Available here are tracking data of Spectacled Eider, a sea duck species that breeds only in Alaska and Russia and spends the winter exclusively in the Bering Sea. The Alaska breeding population is listed as threatened under provisions of the Endangered Species Act. These data were collected to better understand the winter distribution in the Bering Sea and locate birds for winter aerial surveys...
Tracking Data for Red-faced Cormorants (Phalacrocorax urile)
Available here are tracking data for the red-faced cormorant, a seabird species that is found only in the North Pacific Ocean, breeding and wintering from southern Alaska and throughout the Aleutian Islands to Far Eastern Russia. These data were collected to better understand the migratory patterns of red-faced cormorants that breed in the Aleutian Islands.
Tracking Data for Three Large-bodied Gull Species and Hybrids (Larus spp.)
Available here are tracking data of large-bodied gull species and hybrids ( Larus species). These data were collected to better understand the migratory movements of these birds and their role in the dispersal of antibiotic resistant bacteria among areas of Alaska and other regions.
Tracking Data for Pacific Loons (Gavia pacifica)
Available here are tracking data of Pacific Loons, a species that breeds throughout much of Alaska and winters throughout the Pacific Ocean basin, along the costs of East Asia and the U.S. These data were collected to better understand timing of spring arrival, fall departure, and habitat use patterns on the North Slope of Alaska.
Tracking Data for Red-throated Loons (Gavia stellata)
Available here are tracking data of Red-throated Loons, a species that breeds in coastal areas throughout Alaska and winters along the Pacific coasts of North America and Eurasia. These data were collected to better understand the patterns of migratory movements and seasonal use of different regions of Alaska.
Tracking Data for Marbled Godwits (Limosa fedoa)
Available here are tracking data of Marbled Godwits, a large-bodied shorebird that, in Alaska, nests in the southwestern portion of the state. These data were collected to better understand the timing and patterns of migratory movements and seasonal use of different coastal areas in the Pacific region.
Tracking Data for Yellow-billed Loons (Gavia adamsii)
Available here are tracking data of Yellow-billed loons, a species that breeds in coastal areas of western and northern Alaska and adjacent regions of Russia and Canada. This species winters along the Pacific coasts of North America and Eurasia. These data were collected to better understand the patterns of migratory movements and seasonal use of different regions of Alaska
Tracking Data for Tufted Puffins (Fratercula cirrhata)
Available here are tracking data for the tufted puffin, a seabird species that is found only in coastal and offshore areas of the North Pacific Ocean. These data were collected to better understand the migratory patterns of tufted puffins that breed in the Aleutian Islands.
Tracking Data for Northern Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis)
Available here are tracking data for the northern fulmar, a seabird species that breeds throughout northern ocean regions and spends the winter at-sea in the northern hemisphere. These data were collected to better understand the migratory patterns of northern fulmars in the Bergin Sea.
Tracking Data for Thick-billed Murres (Uria lomvia)
Available here are tracking data for the thick-billed murre, a seabird species that is found in the Arctic and regions of the North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans. These data were collected to better understand the migratory patterns of this species in the Chukchi Sea.
Tracking Data for Common Murres (Uria aalge)
Available here are tracking data for the common murre, a seabird species that is found in regions of the North Pacific and Atlantic oceans, often in dense breeding colonies on cliffs and in large flocks on the water. These data were collected to better understand the migratory patterns of this species in the North Pacific Ocean and Chukchi Sea.
Tracking Data for Pelagic Cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicus)
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.