Bird Movement and Migration Active
Migration is an amazing annual event. Every year billions of animals – birds, mammals, insects, and fish – make long-distance journeys from breeding grounds to wintering grounds. Most northern hemisphere birds migrate southward, but there are many other ways that birds move seasonally. If we want to protect birds that take these long distance journeys, we need to understand why they move, why they stay, how they move, and why they go where they go.
Our team studies the behaviors, drivers, and migration endpoints of individual birds throughout North America and world-wide. Most of this work is done using tracking devices, such as Global Positioning System (GPS) telemetry or light-level geolocators. Bird movement data can then be linked to other datasets, such as habitat or topographic maps that tell us details about sites birds spend time in or fly by. Our approach reveals the details of the movements of these remarkable birds and how they use different landscapes across continents.
Using GPS Telemetry to Track Golden Eagles
We are tracking migratory movements of golden eagles with GPS-telemetry systems. GPS data can tell us the altitude at which eagles are flying and relate their position to the landform directly below them. For example, we’ve learned that migrating eagles fly at lower altitudes over steeper terrain and at higher altitudes over flat terrain. This fundamental insight into eagle flight strategy helps us better understand the ways that eagles use updrafts to subsidize their flight and identifies reasons that eagles may be at risk from wind turbines constructed along their migration pathway (see “Interaction between Energy Development and Raptors”).
We also evaluate conditions under which eagles choose to migrate by linking GPS telemetry data to large-scale modeled weather data. Eagles respond to weather conditions while flying, while on the ground, or both. Understanding how weather patterns and eagle migration behavior are linked provides important insight into how changes in climate and weather could affect eagle ecology.
Raptor Migration in Asia
Our team also studies migration of eagles and falcons in central Asia. Central Asia is politically important and has some of the largest remaining intact grassland ecosystems anywhere in the world. We use GPS-telemetry systems to track movements of imperial eagles and white-tailed sea eagles from Kazakhstan to wintering grounds in the Middle-East, and light-level geolocators to track movements of red-footed falcons from Kazakhstan to southern Africa and back.
Learn about other projects led by Dr. Todd Katzner.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Video about Dr. Katzner's research.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Shared functional traits explain synchronous changes in long‐term count trends of migratory raptors
Ecological insights from three decades of animal movement tracking across a changing Arctic
Diurnal timing of nonmigratory movement by birds: The importance of foraging spatial scales
GIS-Modeling of island hopping through the Philippines demonstrates trade-offs migrant grey-faced buzzards during oceanic crossings
Movements and habitat use of loons for assessment of conservation buffer zones in the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska
Relevance of individual and environmental drivers of movement of Golden Eagles
Topographic drivers of flight altitude over large spatial and temporal scales
Post-fledging movements and habitat associations of White-tailed Sea Eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) in Central Asia
Movements and landscape use of Eastern Imperial Eagles Aquila heliaca in Central Asia
Improving estimation of flight altitude in wildlife telemetry studies
Summer and winter space use and home range characteristics of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in eastern North America
Patterns of spatial distribution of golden eagles across North America: How do they fit into existing landscape-scale mapping systems?
- Overview
Migration is an amazing annual event. Every year billions of animals – birds, mammals, insects, and fish – make long-distance journeys from breeding grounds to wintering grounds. Most northern hemisphere birds migrate southward, but there are many other ways that birds move seasonally. If we want to protect birds that take these long distance journeys, we need to understand why they move, why they stay, how they move, and why they go where they go.
Our team studies the behaviors, drivers, and migration endpoints of individual birds throughout North America and world-wide. Most of this work is done using tracking devices, such as Global Positioning System (GPS) telemetry or light-level geolocators. Bird movement data can then be linked to other datasets, such as habitat or topographic maps that tell us details about sites birds spend time in or fly by. Our approach reveals the details of the movements of these remarkable birds and how they use different landscapes across continents.
Using GPS Telemetry to Track Golden Eagles
We are tracking migratory movements of golden eagles with GPS-telemetry systems. GPS data can tell us the altitude at which eagles are flying and relate their position to the landform directly below them. For example, we’ve learned that migrating eagles fly at lower altitudes over steeper terrain and at higher altitudes over flat terrain. This fundamental insight into eagle flight strategy helps us better understand the ways that eagles use updrafts to subsidize their flight and identifies reasons that eagles may be at risk from wind turbines constructed along their migration pathway (see “Interaction between Energy Development and Raptors”).We also evaluate conditions under which eagles choose to migrate by linking GPS telemetry data to large-scale modeled weather data. Eagles respond to weather conditions while flying, while on the ground, or both. Understanding how weather patterns and eagle migration behavior are linked provides important insight into how changes in climate and weather could affect eagle ecology.
Raptor Migration in Asia
Our team also studies migration of eagles and falcons in central Asia. Central Asia is politically important and has some of the largest remaining intact grassland ecosystems anywhere in the world. We use GPS-telemetry systems to track movements of imperial eagles and white-tailed sea eagles from Kazakhstan to wintering grounds in the Middle-East, and light-level geolocators to track movements of red-footed falcons from Kazakhstan to southern Africa and back. - Science
Learn about other projects led by Dr. Todd Katzner.
- Data
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
- Multimedia
Video about Dr. Katzner's research.
- Publications
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Filter Total Items: 35Shared functional traits explain synchronous changes in long‐term count trends of migratory raptors
AimAssessing long‐term shifts in faunal assemblages is important to understand the consequences of ongoing global environmental change. One approach to assess drivers of assemblage changes is to identify the traits associated with synchronous shifts in count trends among species. Our research identified traits influencing trends in 73 years of count data on migrating raptors recorded in the north‐AuthorsPatricia Kaye T. Dumandan, Keith L. Bildstein, Laurie J. Goodrich, Andrii Zaiats, Trevor Caughlin, Todd E. KatznerEcological insights from three decades of animal movement tracking across a changing Arctic
The Arctic is entering a new ecological state, with alarming consequences for humanity. Animal-borne sensors offer a window into these changes. Although substantial animal tracking data from the Arctic and subarctic exist, most are difficult to discover and access. Here, we present the new Arctic Animal Movement Archive (AAMA), a growing collection of more than 200 standardized terrestrial and marAuthorsSarah C Davidson, Gil Bohrer, Eliezer Gurarie, Scott LaPoint, Peter J Mahoney, Natalie Boelman, Jan UH Eitel, Laura R. Prugh, Lee A. Vierling, Jyoti Jennewein, Emma Grier, Ophélie Couriot, Allicia P Kelly, Arjan JH Meddens, Ruth Y Oliver, Roland Kays, Martin Wikelski, Tomas Aarvak, Josh T. Ackerman, Mónica Almeida e Silva, José A. Alves, Erin Bayne, Bryan Bedrosian, Jerrold L. Belant, Andrew M Berdahl, Alicia Berlin, Dominique Berteaux, Joël Bêty, Dmitrij Boiko, Travis L. Booms, Bridget L Borg, Stan Boutin, W. Sean Boyd, Kane Brides, Stephen C. Brown, Victor N. Bulyuk, Kurt K Burnham, David Cabot, Michael L. Casazza, Katherine S. Christie, Erica H. Craig, Shanti E. Davis, Tracy Davison, Dominic Demma, Christopher R. DeSorbo, Andrew E. Dixon, Robert Domenech, Götz Eichhorn, Kyle Elliott, Joseph R. Evenson, Klaus-Michael Exo, Steven Ferguson, Wolfgang Fiedler, Aaron T. Fisk, J. Fort, Alastair Franke, Mark R. Fuller, Stefan Garthe, Gilles Gauthier, Grant Gilchrist, Petr Glazov, Carrie E. Gray, David Grémillet, Larry Griffin, Mike Hallworth, Autumn-Lynn Harrison, Holly Hennin, J Mark Hipfner, James Hodson, James A. Johnson, Kyle Joly, Kimberly Jones, Todd E. Katzner, Jeff W Kidd, Elly Knight, Michael N. Kochert, Andrea Kölzsch, Helmut Kruckenberg, Benjamin J Lagassé, Sandra Lai, Jean-François Lamarre, Richard B. Lanctot, Nicholas C Larter, A David Latham, Christopher J. Latty, James P. Lawler, Don-Jean Léandri-Breton, Hansoo Lee, Stephen B. Lewis, Oliver P. Love, Jesper Madsen, Mark Maftei, Mark L. Mallory, Buck Mangipane, Mikhail Y. Markovets, Peter P. Marra, Rebecca L McGuire, Carol McIntyre, Emily A McKinnon, Tricia A. Miller, Sander Moonen, Tong Mu, Gerhard JDM Müskens, Janet Ng, Kerry L Nicholson, Ingar Jostein Øien, Cory T. Overton, Patricia A Owen, Allison G. L. Patterson, Aevar Petersen, Ivan Pokrovsky, Luke L. Powell, Rui Prieto, Petra Quillfeldt, Jennie Rausch, Kelsey Russell, Sarah T. Saalfeld, Hans Schekkerman, Joel A. Schmutz, Philipp Schwemmer, Dale R. Seip, Adam Shreading, Mónica A. Silva, Brian W. Smith, Fletcher Smith, Jeff P. Smith, Katherine RS Snell, Aleksandr Sokolov, Vasiliy Sokolov, Diana V Solovyeva, Mathew S Sorum, Grigori Tertitski, J. F. Therrien, Kasper Thorup, Lee Tibbitts, Ingrid Tulp, Brian D. Uher-Koch, Rob SA van Bemmelen, Steve Van Wilgenburg, Andrew L. Von Duyke, Jesse Watson, Bryan D Watts, Judy A Williams, Matthew Wilson, Jay Wright, Michael A Yates, David Yurkowski, Ramūnas Žydelis, Mark HebblewhiteDiurnal timing of nonmigratory movement by birds: The importance of foraging spatial scales
Timing of activity can reveal an organism's efforts to optimize foraging either by minimizing energy loss through passive movement or by maximizing energetic gain through foraging. Here, we assess whether signals of either of these strategies are detectable in the timing of activity of daily, local movements by birds. We compare the similarities of timing of movement activity among species using sAuthorsJulie M. Mallon, Marlee A. Tucker, Annalea Beard, Richard O Bierregaard Jr., Keith L. Bildstein, Katrin Böhning-Gaese, John N. Brzorad, Evan R. Buechley, Javier Bustamante, Carlos Carrapato, José Alfredo Castillo‐Guerrero, Elizabeth Clingham, Mark Desholm, Christopher R. DeSorbo, Robert Domenech, Hayley Douglas, Olivier Duriez, Peter Enggist, Nina Farwig, Wolfgang Fiedler, Anna Gagliardo, Clara García‐Ripollés, José Antonio Gil Gallús, Morgan E. Gilmour, Roi Harel, Autumn-Lynn Harrison, Leeann Henry, Todd E. Katzner, Roland Kays, Erik Kleyheeg, Rubén Limiñana, Pascual López-López, Giuseppe Lucia, Alan Maccarone, Egidio Mallia, Ugo Mellone, E.K. Mojica, Ran Nathan, Scott H. Newman, Steffen Oppel, Yotam Orchan, Diann J. Prosser, Hannah Riley, Sascha Rösner, Dana G. Schabo, Holger Schulz, Scott A. Shaffer, Adam Shreading, João Paulo Silva, Jolene Sim, Henrik Skov, Orr Spiegel, Matthew J. Stuber, John Y. Takekawa, Vicente Urios, Javier Vidal‐Mateo, Kevin Warner, Bryan D. Watts, Nicola Weber, Sam Weber, Martin Wikelski, Ramunas Zydelis, Thomas Mueller, William F. FaganGIS-Modeling of island hopping through the Philippines demonstrates trade-offs migrant grey-faced buzzards during oceanic crossings
Migration can be costly with consequences that can influence population trajectories. These costs and consequences are especially heightened during over-water travels, which can be high-risk events for birds. We created spatial models to evaluate potential migratory responses of “oceanic”, island-hopping grey-faced buzzards that encounter variation in landscape parameters and weather as they moveAuthorsCamille B. Concepcion, Keith L. Bildstein, Todd E. KatznerMovements and habitat use of loons for assessment of conservation buffer zones in the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska
Oil and gas development in the Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska, may pose threats to wildlife. Management guidelines within the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska dictate buffer zones for coastal wildlife habitat and for breeding and foraging sites of yellow-billed loons (YBLOs; Gavia adamsii), a species of conservation concern. However, few data exist to assess the value of these buffer zones for YBAuthorsSharon Poessel, Brian D. Uher-Koch, John M. Pearce, Joel A. Schmutz, Todd E. Katzner, David C. Douglas, Vanessa R. von Biela, Autumn-Lynne HarrisonRelevance of individual and environmental drivers of movement of Golden Eagles
An animal's movement is expected to be governed by an interplay between goals determined by its internal state and energetic costs associated with navigating through the external environment. Understanding this ecological process is challenging when an animal moves in two dimensions and even more difficult for birds that move in a third dimension. To understand the dynamic interaction between theAuthorsMaitreyi Sur, Adam E. Duerr, Doug A. Bell, Robert N. Fisher, Jeff A. Tracey, Peter H. Bloom, Trish Miller, Todd E. KatznerTopographic drivers of flight altitude over large spatial and temporal scales
Bird movements vary spatially and temporally, but the primary drivers that explain such variation can be difficult to identify. For example, it is well known that the availability of updraft influences soaring flight and that topography interacts with weather to produce these updrafts. However, the influences of topography on flight are not well understood. We determined how topographic characteriAuthorsAdam E. Duerr, Tricia A. Miller, Leah Dunn, Douglas A. Bell, Peter H. Bloom, Robert N. Fisher, Jeff A. Tracey, Todd E. KatznerPost-fledging movements and habitat associations of White-tailed Sea Eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) in Central Asia
Behavior of young birds can have important consequences for population dynamics. We investigated the autumnal post-fledging movements of 3 White-tailed Sea Eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) hatched in Kazakhstan. All 3 eagles traveled south, flying on average 25–108 km/d. Movement was nonrandom, with eagles generally traveling near mosaics of forest, open areas, and water, and rarely using areas withAuthorsEvgeny A. Bragin, Sharon Poessel, Michael J. Lanzone, Todd E. KatznerMovements and landscape use of Eastern Imperial Eagles Aquila heliaca in Central Asia
Capsule: We describe ecological factors associated with movements of a globally declining raptor species, the Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca.Aims: To describe the movements, habitat associations and resource selection of Eastern Imperial Eagles marked in Central Asia.Methods: We used global positioning system (GPS) data sent via satellite telemetry devices deployed on Eastern Imperial EagleAuthorsSharon Poessel, Evgeny A. Bragin, Peter B. Sharpe, David K. Garcelon, Kordian Bartoszuk, Todd E. KatznerImproving estimation of flight altitude in wildlife telemetry studies
Altitude measurements from wildlife tracking devices, combined with elevation data, are commonly used to estimate the flight altitude of volant animals. However, these data often include measurement error. Understanding this error may improve estimation of flight altitude and benefit applied ecology.There are a number of different approaches that have been used to address this measurement error. TAuthorsSharon Poessel, Adam E. Duerr, Jonathan C. Hall, Melissa A. Braham, Todd E. KatznerSummer and winter space use and home range characteristics of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in eastern North America
Movement behavior and its relationship to habitat provide critical information toward understanding the effects of changing environments on birds. The eastern North American population of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) is a genetically distinct and small population of conservation concern. To evaluate the potential responses of this population to changing landscapes, we calculated the home rangAuthorsTricia A. Miller, Robert P. Brooks, Michael J. Lanzone, Jeff Cooper, Kieran O'Malley, David Brandes, Adam E. Duerr, Todd E. KatznerPatterns of spatial distribution of golden eagles across North America: How do they fit into existing landscape-scale mapping systems?
Conserving wide-ranging animals requires knowledge about their year-round movements and resource use. Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) exhibit a wide range of movement patterns across North America. We combined tracking data from 571 Golden Eagles from multiple independent satellite-telemetry projects from North America to provide a comprehensive look at the magnitude and extent of these movementAuthorsJessi L. Brown, Bryan Bedrosian, Douglas A. Bell, Melissa A. Braham, Jeff Cooper, Ross H. Crandall, Joe DiDonato, Robert Domenech, Adam E. Duerr, Todd E. Katzner, Michael J. Lanzone, David W. LaPlante, Carol L. McIntyre, Tricia A. Miller, Robert K. Murphy, Adam Shreading, Steven J. Slater, Jeff P. Smith, Brian W. Smith, James W. Watson, Brian Woodbridge - News