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Tracking Data for Red-faced Cormorants (Phalacrocorax urile)

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By Alaska Science Center January 12, 2026

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.

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
Argos Wildlife Tracking Red-faced Cormorants - animation
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Argos Wildlife Tracking of Red-faced Cormorants
(Credit: David Douglas, USGS)

Red-faced 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: Only two red-faced cormorants were marked in this study and neither moved very far from the original marking location. 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

Hatch, S.A., Gill, V.A., Mulcahy, D.M., Douglas, D.C., 2020, Tracking data for Red-faced cormorants (Phalacrocorax urile) (ver 1.0, August 2020): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P902U2RO

Below are other science projects associated with Red-faced Cormorant.

A Tufted Puffin swimming in the sea in Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska

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...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
Seabirds and Forage Fish Ecology

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...
Learn More

Below are data or web applications associated with the Red-faced Cormorant tracking project.

USGS Alaska Science Center Wildlife Tracking Data Collection 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...
By
Alaska Science Center

Below are multimedia items associated with Red-faced Cormorant.

Red-faced Cormorant on the Aleutian Islands
Red-faced Cormorant on the Aleutian Islands
Red-faced Cormorant on the Aleutian Islands
Red-faced Cormorant on the Aleutian Islands

Red-faced Cormorant on the Aleutian Islands

Red-faced Cormorant on the Aleutian Islands

Red-faced Cormorant flying over the Aleutian Islands in 2013.

By
Alaska Science Center
Red-faced Cormorant on the Aleutian Islands

Red-faced Cormorant on the Aleutian Islands

Red-faced Cormorant on the Aleutian Islands

Red-faced Cormorant flying over the Aleutian Islands in 2013.

By
Alaska Science Center

Below are publications associated with the Red-faced Cormorant tracking project.

User’s guide to the North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database 2.0 User’s guide to the North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database 2.0

The North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD) was created in 2005 to consolidate data on the oceanic distribution of marine bird species in the North Pacific. Most of these data were collected on surveys by counting species within defined areas and at known locations (that is, on strip transects). The NPPSD also contains observations of other bird species and marine mammals. The...
Authors
Gary S. Drew, John F. Piatt, Martin Renner
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Migration and wintering sites of Pelagic Cormorants determined by satellite telemetry Migration and wintering sites of Pelagic Cormorants determined by satellite telemetry

Factors affecting winter survival may be key determinants of status and population trends of seabirds, but connections between breeding sites and wintering areas of most populations are poorly known. Pelagic Cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicus; N= 6) surgically implanted with satellite transmitters migrated from a breeding colony on Middleton Island, northern Gulf of Alaska, to wintering...
Authors
Scott A. Hatch, V.A. Gill, D.M. Mulcahy
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

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.

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
Argos Wildlife Tracking Red-faced Cormorants - animation
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Argos Wildlife Tracking of Red-faced Cormorants
(Credit: David Douglas, USGS)

Red-faced 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: Only two red-faced cormorants were marked in this study and neither moved very far from the original marking location. 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

Hatch, S.A., Gill, V.A., Mulcahy, D.M., Douglas, D.C., 2020, Tracking data for Red-faced cormorants (Phalacrocorax urile) (ver 1.0, August 2020): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P902U2RO

Below are other science projects associated with Red-faced Cormorant.

A Tufted Puffin swimming in the sea in Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska

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...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
Seabirds and Forage Fish Ecology

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...
Learn More

Below are data or web applications associated with the Red-faced Cormorant tracking project.

USGS Alaska Science Center Wildlife Tracking Data Collection 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...
By
Alaska Science Center

Below are multimedia items associated with Red-faced Cormorant.

Red-faced Cormorant on the Aleutian Islands
Red-faced Cormorant on the Aleutian Islands
Red-faced Cormorant on the Aleutian Islands
Red-faced Cormorant on the Aleutian Islands

Red-faced Cormorant on the Aleutian Islands

Red-faced Cormorant on the Aleutian Islands

Red-faced Cormorant flying over the Aleutian Islands in 2013.

By
Alaska Science Center
Red-faced Cormorant on the Aleutian Islands

Red-faced Cormorant on the Aleutian Islands

Red-faced Cormorant on the Aleutian Islands

Red-faced Cormorant flying over the Aleutian Islands in 2013.

By
Alaska Science Center

Below are publications associated with the Red-faced Cormorant tracking project.

User’s guide to the North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database 2.0 User’s guide to the North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database 2.0

The North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD) was created in 2005 to consolidate data on the oceanic distribution of marine bird species in the North Pacific. Most of these data were collected on surveys by counting species within defined areas and at known locations (that is, on strip transects). The NPPSD also contains observations of other bird species and marine mammals. The...
Authors
Gary S. Drew, John F. Piatt, Martin Renner
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Migration and wintering sites of Pelagic Cormorants determined by satellite telemetry Migration and wintering sites of Pelagic Cormorants determined by satellite telemetry

Factors affecting winter survival may be key determinants of status and population trends of seabirds, but connections between breeding sites and wintering areas of most populations are poorly known. Pelagic Cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicus; N= 6) surgically implanted with satellite transmitters migrated from a breeding colony on Middleton Island, northern Gulf of Alaska, to wintering...
Authors
Scott A. Hatch, V.A. Gill, D.M. Mulcahy
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center
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