Shorebird Research Active
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)
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)
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.
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Tracking the migration of Pacific Golden-Plovers from nonbreeding grounds at Moorea, French Polynesia, using Pinpoint GPS-Argos tags
Factors promoting the recolonization of Oahu, Hawaii, by Bristle-thighed Curlews
Filling knowledge gaps in a threatened shorebird flyway through satellite tracking
Shorebird subsistence harvest and indigenous knowledge in Alaska: Informing harvest assessment and management, and engaging users in shorebird conservation
Alaska Shorebird Conservation Plan, Version III
Flexible timing of annual movements across consistently used sites by Marbled Godwits breeding in Alaska
Survival of Bristle-thighed Curlews equipped with externally mounted transmitters
Inventory of lowland-breeding birds on the Alaska Peninsula
Fuelling conditions at staging sites can mitigate Arctic warming effects in a migratory bird
Trends and traditions: Overview and synthesis
Unusual foraging observations associated with seabird die-offs in Alaska
Shorebirds adjust spring arrival schedules with variable environmental conditions: Four decades of assessment on the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska
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)
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)
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)
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.
- Data
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
- Multimedia
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 37Tracking the migration of Pacific Golden-Plovers from nonbreeding grounds at Moorea, French Polynesia, using Pinpoint GPS-Argos tags
We used Pinpoint GPS-Argos tags to track migration of Pacific Golden-Plovers Pluvialis fulva in 2017 and 2018 from Moorea Island, at the extreme southeastern edge of the species’ winter range. Of 20 tagged birds, 13 uploaded locations during all or part of their northward migration. The birds departed in mid-April traveling a long (8,250–10,200 km) northwestward track. Ten individuals signaled froAuthorsOscar W. Johnson, T. Lee Tibbitts, Michael F. Weber, David R. Bybee, Roger H. Goodwill, Andrea Bruner, Errika J. Smith, Emmalee L. Buss, Trinity Q.A. Waddell, Daxton Brooks, Carolyn Smith, Jean-Yves MeyerFactors promoting the recolonization of Oahu, Hawaii, by Bristle-thighed Curlews
Suitable habitat for Arctic-breeding migratory shorebirds is decreasing at their traditional wintering islands and atolls in the Central Pacific Flyway (i.e., Oceania) due to habitat degradation, reclamation, and sea-level rise. To maintain the size and resiliency of their populations, migratory shorebirds will need to expand their winter ranges by either colonizing new sites or recolonizing oldAuthorsT. Lee Tibbitts, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Jared G. Underwood, Vijay P. PatilFilling knowledge gaps in a threatened shorebird flyway through satellite tracking
Satellite‐based technologies that track individual animal movements enable the mapping of their spatial and temporal patterns of occurrence. This is particularly useful in poorly studied or remote regions where there is a need for the rapid gathering of relevant ecological knowledge to inform management actions. One such region is East Asia, where many intertidal habitats are being degraded at unpAuthorsYin-Chi Chan, T. Lee Tibbitts, Tamar Lok, Chris Hassell, He-Bo Peng, Zhijun Ma, Zhengwang Zhang, Theunis PiersmaShorebird subsistence harvest and indigenous knowledge in Alaska: Informing harvest assessment and management, and engaging users in shorebird conservation
Limited data on harvest and population parameters are major impediments to assess shorebird harvest sustainability. Because of sharp declines in shorebird populations, timely conservation efforts require approaches that account for uncertainty in harvest sustainability. We combined harvest assessment and ethnographic research to better understand shorebird conservation concerns related to subsisteAuthorsNaves. Liliana, Jacqueline Keating, T. Lee Tibbitts, Daniel R. RuthrauffAlaska Shorebird Conservation Plan, Version III
In recognition of declines among perhaps half of Alaska’s breeding shorebirds, ongoing or emerging threats to shorebirds and their habitats, and considerable knowledge of Alaska’s shorebirds acquired over the past decade, the Alaska Shorebird Group decided that the Alaska Shorebird Conservation Plan was due for updates. Similar to Version II (2008), we structured the plan in two parts: Part I idenAuthorsDaniel R. RuthrauffFlexible timing of annual movements across consistently used sites by Marbled Godwits breeding in Alaska
The study of avian movement has detailed a spectrum of strategies for the timing and use of sites throughout the annual cycle, from near randomness to complete consistency. New tracking devices now permit the repeated tracking of individual animals throughout the annual cycle, detailing previously unappreciated levels of variation within migratory systems. Godwits (genus Limosa) have featured promAuthorsDaniel R. Ruthrauff, T. Lee Tibbitts, Robert E. GillSurvival of Bristle-thighed Curlews equipped with externally mounted transmitters
Telemetry devices are widely used in avian research, but the degree to which the deployment of such devices affects the survival of study subjects is often not addressed. It is generally assumed that such effects are less pronounced in large-bodied species that conduct relatively short migrations and carry relatively light telemetry devices. We studied Bristle-thighed Curlews Numenius tahitiensisAuthorsDaniel R. Ruthrauff, T. Lee Tibbitts, Vijay P. PatilInventory of lowland-breeding birds on the Alaska Peninsula
We conducted the first systematic inventory of birds in the lowlands (areas ≤100 m above sea level) of the Alaska Peninsula during summers of 2004–2007 to determine their breeding distributions and habitat associations in this remote region. Using a stratified random survey design, we allocated sample plots by elevation and land cover with a preference for wetland cover types used by shorebirds, aAuthorsSusan E. Savage, T. Lee Tibbitts, Kristin Sesser, Robb S.A. KalerFuelling conditions at staging sites can mitigate Arctic warming effects in a migratory bird
Under climate warming, migratory birds should align reproduction dates with advancing plant and arthropod phenology. To arrive on the breeding grounds earlier, migrants may speed up spring migration by curtailing the time spent en route, possibly at the cost of decreased survival rates. Based on a decades-long series of observations along an entire flyway, we show that when refuelling time is limiAuthorsEldar Rakhimberdiev, Sjoerd Duijns, Julia Karagicheva, Cornelis J. Camphuysen, Anne Dekinga, Rob Dekker, Anatoly Gavrilov, Job ten Horn, Joop Jukema, Anatoly Saveliev, Mikhail Soloviev, T. Lee Tibbitts, Jan A. van Gils, Theunis Piersma, VRS CastricumTrends and traditions: Overview and synthesis
This paper provides an overview by the editors of a collection of 25 papers for the Studies of Western Birds, to be published in a single volume by Western Field Ornithologists. The title of the volume is: "Trends and traditions: Avifaunal change in western North America."AuthorsW David Shuford, Robert E. Gill, Colleen M. HandelUnusual foraging observations associated with seabird die-offs in Alaska
We report the first documentation of off-water foraging by the Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma furcata and Short-tailed Shearwater Ardenna tenuirostris, a behavior not previously documented in any member of the families Hydrobatidae or Procellariidae. Over a two-week period in September 2016, we regularly observed individuals of these species over land on an extensive intertidal zone on the BAuthorsBryce Robinson, Lucas H. DeCicco, James A. Johnson, Daniel R. RuthrauffShorebirds adjust spring arrival schedules with variable environmental conditions: Four decades of assessment on the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska
Arctic summers are brief, and there has been strong selection for migratory birds to arrive in Arctic nesting areas as early as possible to time breeding with peak food availability and complete reproduction. The timing of emergence of nesting habitat in spring is, however, extremely variable in the Arctic, and few long-term studies have examined the ability of avian migrants to track spring condiAuthorsCraig R. Ely, Brian McCaffery, Robert E. Gill - Web Tools
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Below are news stories associated with this project.
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