Waterfowl Research
Science Center Objects
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 lower 48-states and Hawaii.
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The main objectives of the USGS Alaska Science Center waterfowl research program are to:
- Identify and fill gaps in our knowledge about the ecology of waterfowl species in Alaska
- Quantify the drivers of population trends of waterfowl populations in Alaska and throughout their annual cycle
- Provide science information to Department of Interior management agencies and others for decision making regarding waterfowl disease, population delineation, and species of conservation concern
Snow Goose near the Colville River, northern Alaska.(Credit: Ryan Askren, USGS. Public domain.)
Waterfowl Research by Species
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Date published: November 1, 2019Status: ActiveSwan Research
USGS research on swans in Alaska has focused on pathogens, contaminants, and demographic rates in each of the different breeding areas of Alaska. The vastly different migration patterns of swans in Alaska means that there are multiple factors on the wintering grounds and during migration that may influence population size and trends.
Contacts: Craig Ely, Ph.D., John M Pearce, Ph.D.Attribution: Region 11: Alaska, Alaska Science Center -
Date published: June 19, 2019Status: ActiveSpatial and Temporal Maps of Population Change of Waterbirds on Alaska's North Slope
A main objective of the USGS Changing Arctic Research Initiative is to quantify and provide projections of the responses of wildlife species and their habitats to ecosystem change in the Arctic. The following project provides information for Department of Interior agencies, industry, and other stakeholders related to this objective.
Contacts: John M Pearce, Ph.D., Paul Flint, Ph.D.Attribution: Region 11: Alaska, Alaska Science Center -
Date published: August 13, 2018Status: ActiveChanging Arctic Ecosystems
Arctic regions of Alaska are important for cultural and economic sustainability and host a wide variety of wildlife species, many of which are of conservation and management interest to the U.S. Department of the Interior. The USGS and collaborators provide information about Arctic ecosystems that are used by Arctic residents, management agencies, and industry.
Contacts: John M Pearce, Ph.D. -
Date published: July 27, 2017Status: ActiveGoose Research
The USGS Alaska Science Center has had a focus on addressing science questions related to geese in Alaska for decades. Information on these species is critical because all are important resources for subsistence and sport hunters in the state and outside of Alaska where these birds spend the winter. The large majority of goose populations in Alaska breed on national wildlife refuges (managed...
Contacts: Paul Flint, Ph.D., David H WardAttribution: Region 11: Alaska, Alaska Science Center -
Date published: July 27, 2017Status: ActiveDabbling and Diving Duck Research
Dabbling and diving ducks, such as mallards, pintails and scaup, are widespread species throughout North America. Additionally, their migratory flyways pass through Asia and North America overlap in Alaska. Population trends of these species are closely tracked through aerial surveys by management agencies. Results from these and other surveys are then used to formulate management actions...
Contacts: Paul Flint, Ph.D.Attribution: Region 11: Alaska, Alaska Science Center -
Date published: July 27, 2017Status: ActiveSea Duck Research
USGS research on sea ducks is designed to anticipate and address priority information needs of management agencies. Additionally, work is focused on individual species biology, migration and population status and trends because until just recently, very little was known about sea ducks in Alaska.
Contacts: John M Pearce, Ph.D. -
Date published: July 13, 2017Status: ActiveWildlife Disease and Environmental Health in Alaska
Environmental health is defined by connections between the physical environment, ecological health, and human health. Current research within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recognizes the importance of this integrated research philosophy, which includes study of disease and pollutants as they pertain to both wildlife and humans. Due to its key geographic location and significant wildlife...
Contacts: Andy Ramey, Ph.D., Caroline R Van Hemert, Ph.D.
Growth of greater white-fronted goose goslings relates to population dynamics at multiple scales
The abundance of greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons frontalis) on the Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) of northern Alaska, USA, has more than tripled since the late 1990s; however, recent rate of annual population growth has declined as population size increased, which may indicate white-fronted geese on the ACP are approaching carrying...
Fondell, Thomas F; Meixell, Brandt W.; Flint, Paul L. Negligible evidence for detrimental effects of Leucocytozoon infections among Emperor Geese (Anser canagicus) breeding on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska
Emperor Geese (Anser canagicus) are iconic waterfowl endemic to Alaska and adjacent areas of northeastern Russia that are considered to be near threatened by the International Union for Conservation. This species has been identified as harboring diverse viruses and parasites which have, at times, been associated with disease in other...
Ramey, Andrew M.; Bucheit, Raymond; Uher-Koch, Brian D.; Reed, John; Pacheco, M. Andreina; Escalante, Ananias; Schmutz, Joel Temporal variation in genetic structure within the threatened spectacled eider
We examined the genetic structure of the threatened spectacled eider 14–18 years after the initial assessment to evaluate the influence of population recovery on diversity. Concordant with the initial assessment, spectacled eiders were highly structured at mitochondrial (mt) DNA and lacked differentiation at microsatellite loci. The degree and...
Sonsthagen, Sarah A.; Haughey, Christy; Sexson, Matthew G.; Solovyeva, Diana V; Petersen, Margaret R.; Powell, Abby The black brant population is declining based on mark recapture
Annual survival and recruitment in black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) have declined since the 1990s, yet aerial surveys of the global population have been stable or even increasing over the past decade. We used a combination of a Lincoln estimator based on harvest information and band recoveries, and marked‐unmarked ratios in bag checks in 1...
Sedinger, James S.; Riecke, Thomas V.; Leach, Alan G.; Ward, David H. Spatial distribution of band recoveries of black brant
On average, band recovery rates of adult black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) more than doubled between the 2000s and 2010s. However, the spatial distribution of band recoveries of black brant has not been reported. Our objective was to describe the spatial distribution of band recoveries of black brant since 1990. We found that Alaska,...
Leach, Alan G.; Ward, David H.; Sedinger, James S.; Riecke, Thomas V.; Hupp, Jerry W.; Ritchie, Robert J. Non‐linear effect of sea ice: Spectacled Eider survival declines at both extremes of the ice spectrum
Understanding the relationship between environmental factors and vital rates is an important step in predicting a species’ response to environmental change. Species associated with sea ice are of particular concern because sea ice is projected to decrease rapidly in polar environments with continued levels of greenhouse gas emissions. The...
Christie, Katherine S.; Hollmen, Tuula E.; Flint, Paul L.; Douglas, David C. Phenological mismatch in coastal western Alaska may increase summer season greenhouse gas uptake
High latitude ecosystems are prone to phenological mismatches due to climate change- driven advances in the growing season and changing arrival times of migratory herbivores. These changes have the potential to alter biogeochemical cycling and contribute to feedbacks on climate change by altering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of carbon dioxide (...
Kelsey, Katharine C.; Leffler, A. Joshua; Beard, Karen H.; Choi, Ryan T.; Schmutz, Joel A.; Welker, Jeffery M. Long‐term trends in fall age ratios of black brant
Accurate estimates of the age composition of populations can inform past reproductive success and future population trajectories. We examined fall age ratios (juveniles:total birds) of black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans; brant) staging at Izembek National Wildlife Refuge near the tip of the Alaska Peninsula, southwest Alaska, USA, 1963 to 2015...
Ward, David H.; Amundson, Courtney L.; Stehn, Robert A.; Dau, Christian P. Genetic structure among greater white-fronted goose populations of the Pacific Flyway
An understanding of the genetic structure of populations in the wild is essential for long-term conservation and stewardship in the face of environmental change. Knowledge of the present-day distribution of genetic lineages (phylogeography) of a species is especially important for organisms that are exploited or utilize habitats that may be...
Ely, Craig R.; Wilson, Robert E.; Talbot, Sandra L. Biochemical and clinical responses of Common Eiders to implanted satellite transmitters
Implanted biologging devices, such as satellite-linked platform transmitter terminals (PTTs), have been used widely to delineate populations and identify movement patterns of sea ducks. Although in some cases these ecological studies could reveal transmitter effects on behavior and mortality, experiments conducted under controlled conditions can...
Latty, Christopher J.; Hollmen, Tuula E.; Petersen, Margaret R.; Powell, Abby; Andrews, Russel D. Genome sequence of a novel H14N7 subtype influenza A virus isolated from a blue-winged teal (Anas discors) harvested in Texas, USA
We report here the complete genome sequence of a novel H14N7 subtype influenza A virus (IAV) isolated from a blue-winged teal (Anas discors) harvested in Texas, USA. The genomic characteristics of this IAV strain with a previously undetected subtype combination suggest recent viral evolution within the New World wild-bird IAV reservoir. ...
Ramey, Andrew M.; Reeves, Andrew B.; Poulson, Rebecca L.; Carter, Deborah L.; Davis-Fields, Nicholas; Stallknecht, David E. Optimizing surveillance for South American origin influenza A viruses along the United States Gulf Coast through genomic characterization of isolates from blue-winged teal (Anas discors)
Relative to research focused on intercontinental viral exchange between Eurasia and North America, less attention has been directed towards understanding the redistribution of influenza A viruses (IAVs) by wild birds between North America and South America. In this study, we genomically characterized 45 viruses isolated from blue-winged teal (Anas...
Ramey, Andrew M.; Walther, Patrick; Link, Paul Karl; Poulson, Rebecca L.; Wilcox, Benjamin R.; Newsome, George M.; Spackman, Erica; Brown, J.; Stallknecht, David E.-
Date published: October 8, 2021Point Sampling Data for Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and Seaweed Distribution and Abundance in Bays Adjacent to the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska
These data are in seven tables relating to surveys of eelgrass beds in Izembek and Kinzarof Lagoons, Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska. The tables provide environmental conditions, eelgrass abundance, distribution, and measurements used to estimate overall biomass.
Attribution: Alaska Science Center -
Date published: September 13, 2021Goose Migration and Egg Nutrient Allocation, Colville River Delta, Alaska, 2011-2015
These data are in nine tables relating to three species of arctic breeding geese studied on the Colville River Delta, Alaska, 2011-2014.
Attribution: Alaska Science Center -
Date published: August 24, 2021Blood Parasite Infection, Body Mass, and Survival Data from Emperor Geese (Anser canagicus), Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, 2006-2016
This dataset provides two tables of blood parasite infection data collected from Emperor Geese (Anser canagicus) on Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, 2006-2016. Three genera of blood parasites (Leucocytozoon, Haemoproteus, Plasmodium) were detected by molecular sequencing of a 479 bp fragment of the Cytochrome-b gene.
Attribution: Alaska Science Center, Molecular Ecology Laboratory -
Date published: June 29, 2021Capture and Measurement Data of Greater White-Fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) from the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, 2012-2014
This data set provides capture information and body size measurements of adult and gosling Greater White-fronted Geese captured at three study sites on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, 2012-2014.
Attribution: Alaska Science Center -
Date published: June 22, 2021Point Sampling Data for Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and Seaweed Distribution and Abundance in Bays Adjacent to the Alaska Peninsula-Becharof National Wildlife Refuges, Alaska, 2010
These data are in six tables relating to surveys of eelgrass beds in Chignik Lagoon and Mud Bay, Alaska Peninsula-Becharof National Wildlife Refuges. The tables provide environmental conditions, eelgrass abundance, distribution, and measurements used to estimate overall biomass.
Attribution: Alaska Science Center -
Date published: June 22, 2021
Point Sampling Data for Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and Seaweed Distribution and Abundance in Bays Adjacent to the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, 2008-2010
These data are in six tables relating to surveys of eelgrass beds in three bays adjacent to Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, in southwestern Alaska. The tables provide environmental conditions, eelgrass abundance, distribution, and measurements used to estimate overall biomass.
Attribution: Alaska Science Center -
Date published: January 19, 2021
Counts and Abdominal Profile Indices of Wintering Emperor Geese (Anser canagicus) at Three Islands in Alaska, 2003 and 2015-2017
These data are in two tables related to surveys conducted on wintering Emperor Geese in Alaska. Surveys counting the number of wintering Emperor Geese were conducted on Shemya Island in 2003 and 2016, and on Adak Island in 2016-2017.
Attribution: Alaska Science Center -
Date published: January 18, 2021Benthos Sample Data from Izembek and Nelson Lagoons, Alaska, 1998
This data set contains a single table of descriptions of benthic samples collected in 1998 at Nelson and Izembek lagoons, Alaska. This includes: the weight of the sample, the species or species group of benthic animals (also vegetation) and their number, size and weight, and the amount of sand and gravel.
Attribution: Alaska Science Center -
Date published: November 13, 2020Stable Isotope Data from Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) Feathers, Alaska, 2008 and 2010
These data are in a single table that provides date and location information of Tundra Swans (Cygnus columbianus) that were sampled in Alaska for feathers that were subsequently used in a stable isotope analysis. Results of deuterium, nitrogen, and carbon stable isotope analysis of feathers are provided.
Attribution: Alaska Science Center -
Date published: November 12, 2019
Spectacled Eider (Somateria fischeri) Microsatellite and Mitochondrial DNA Data, 2014-2018, Alaska and Russia.
This data set describes nuclear microsatellite genotypes derived from ten autosomal loci (Aph8, Aph16, Cmo7, Cmo9, Hhi5, Sfi10, Smo4, Smo6, Smo8, Smo12) and nucleotide sequence data derived from one mitochondrial DNA locus (control region). A total of 262 Spectacled Eiders were examined for this study. Samples were collected at Indigirka and Chaun River Deltas, Russia%
Attribution: Alaska Science Center, Molecular Ecology Laboratory
Tundra swan on the Colville River Delta, Alaska
Tundra swan on the Colville River Delta, Alaska 2013.
A Male Spectacled Eider in Alaska
A male spectacled eider following implantation of a satellite transmitter in the Colville River delta in June 2009. After breeding numbers of spectacled eiders, a large sea duck, declined by 96 percent at a primary breeding area in Alaska, the species was listed as threatened. Potential risks to eiders include being subjected to increased exposure during storms in winter,
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Snow Goose near the Colville River, northern Alaska
Snow Goose near the Colville River, northern Alaska.
Northern Pintail
The USGS conducts surveillance and research nationwide on wildlife diseases that could be harmful to domestic animals and humans.
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Date published: April 11, 2019BBL Data in Publication: Band Recoveries in Black Brant
A recently published scientific article uses USGS Bird Banding Laboratory records to evaluate hotspots of Black Brant band recoveries.