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Daniel R Ruthrauff, Ph.D.

Reproductive and migration ecology of shorebirds; shorebird population demography

My career in Alaska began in 1996, working as a seasonal technician on various bird studies. Today, my research broadly investigates the biotic and abiotic factors that affect bird populations. My projects primarily focus on shorebirds as study subjects, but I also have extensive experience studying landbirds and waterfowl. My work focuses on documenting the status and distribution of shorebirds, studying the migration ecology of shorebirds, and assessing the reproductive ecology of Alaska-breeding shorebirds. Because most of Alaska's shorebirds are migratory, I collaborate on international efforts on many of these same topics. My current research focuses on the interactive effects of climate change and rapidly expanding goose populations on shorebirds, landbirds, and their breeding habitats in Arctic Alaska.

Professional Experience

  • 2015 - Present       Research Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center

  • 2002 - 2015           Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center

  • 1999 - 2001           Biological Technician, Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, Bethel, Alaska

  • 1996 - 1999           Biological Technician, U.S. Geological Survey / Alaska Science Center

  • 1995 - 1996           Volunteer Field Assistant, various projects

  • 1995                        Groundfish Observer, National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska

  • 1991 - 1992            Freshwater Fisheries Extension Agent, United States Peace Corps, Togo, West Africa

Education and Certifications

  • Ph.D.  2014   University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands   Animal Ecology

  • M.S.   2002   Humboldt State University Arcata, California  Wildlife Management

  • B.A.   1991     University of Colorado, Boulder Environmental, Population, and Organismic Biology

Affiliations and Memberships*

  • American Ornithological Society

  • Wader Study Group

Science and Products

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close up of Male Bar-tailed Godwit at a breeding site near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska

Tracking Data for Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica)

Available here are tracking data for two subspecies of Bar-tailed Godwits. One of the subspecies, Limosa lapponica baueri, nests in Alaska and spends the nonbreeding season in New Zealand and eastern Australia whereas L.l.menzbieri nests in Siberia and spends the nonbreeding season in western Australia. This study was the first to describe the year-round movements of these extremely long-distance...
By
Alaska Science Center
link

Tracking Data for Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica)

Available here are tracking data for two subspecies of Bar-tailed Godwits. One of the subspecies, Limosa lapponica baueri, nests in Alaska and spends the nonbreeding season in New Zealand and eastern Australia whereas L.l.menzbieri nests in Siberia and spends the nonbreeding season in western Australia. This study was the first to describe the year-round movements of these extremely long-distance...
Learn More
link
A small bird with distinctive orange-brown feathers around its neck and blue feathers on head, sitting on a small shrub

Bird Species Checklists from USGS Alaska Science Center Field Camps

Scientists from the USGS Alaska Science Center regularly work in remote field camps, often for days or weeks at a time. Though not the primary research focus of these camps, many researchers maintain daily checklists of all bird species encountered during field work. These checklists can provide documentation of the presence, distribution, timing of arrival and departure, and breeding chronology...
By
Alaska Science Center
link

Bird Species Checklists from USGS Alaska Science Center Field Camps

Scientists from the USGS Alaska Science Center regularly work in remote field camps, often for days or weeks at a time. Though not the primary research focus of these camps, many researchers maintain daily checklists of all bird species encountered during field work. These checklists can provide documentation of the presence, distribution, timing of arrival and departure, and breeding chronology...
Learn More
link
Whimbrel on the tundra on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska

Tracking Data for Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)

Available here are tracking data for the whimbrel, a striking example of a shorebird with its long and curved bill. The whimbrel is found throughout tundra and boreal habitats of Alaska during the summer and spends the winter along coast lines of the continental U.S., and central and South America. These data were collected to better understand the migratory patterns of this iconic species.
By
Alaska Science Center
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Tracking Data for Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)

Available here are tracking data for the whimbrel, a striking example of a shorebird with its long and curved bill. The whimbrel is found throughout tundra and boreal habitats of Alaska during the summer and spends the winter along coast lines of the continental U.S., and central and South America. These data were collected to better understand the migratory patterns of this iconic species.
Learn More
link
A shorebird walking through the grasses in southwestern 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.
By
Alaska Science Center
link

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.
Learn More
link
A Bar-tailed Godwit with a Z0 tag on it's leg and a satellite transmitter antenna emerging from rear feathers

Shorebird Research

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...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
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Shorebird Research

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...
Learn More
Filter Total Items: 19

Data From the Inventory of Breeding Birds in Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, Alaska, 2008

This data package contains six tables: 1) characteristics of bird survey sites, 2) vegetation classification at survey sites, 3) detections of all birds at survey sites, 4) behaviors of all birds at survey sites, 5) bird taxonomy and indication of conservation status, and 6) habitat information pertaining to survey site photographs. The objectives of the survey were to 1) use targeted field invest
By
Alaska Science Center

USGS Alaska Science Center Adult Shorebird Morphological Measurement Data

This dataset consists of three tables, 1) taxonomy, 2) contributors, and 3) shorebird morphological measurements collected from various species captured from 1977-2021. In addition, photographs of plumage patterns are available for several species. Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey - Alaska Science Center, along with collaborators from many government agencies and research institutions,
By
Alaska Science Center

Juvenile Shorebird Morphological Data Collected in Alaska and Canada

This dataset consists of shorebird chick measurements (wing, primary feather 10, diagonal tarsus, and bill length) and body mass for various shorebird species captured in Alaska and Canada during 1978-2022. Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey - Alaska Science Center, and collaborators from many government agencies and research institutions have studied shorebirds at numerous sites across N
By
Alaska Science Center

Bird Species Checklists from USGS Alaska Science Center Field Camps

These data are daily summary checklists of all bird species observed at U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center (ASC) field camps. Data include species observation details such as observers, dates, location, and number of individuals seen.
By
Alaska Science Center

Aerial surveys of shorebirds at pre-migratory staging sites in western Alaska, 2018-2019

These data are in one table and document the numbers of four species of shorebird counted during aerial surveys of coastal sites in western Alaska. Survey regions encompassed coastline between the mouths of the Kuskokwim and Yukon rivers, and the northern coast of the Alaska Peninsula from the mouths of the Kvichak and Naknek Rivers to Nelson Lagoon. Surveys were flown from 7-9 September 2018 and
By
Alaska Science Center

Arthropod Abundance Data from the Colville River Delta, Alaska

This data release contains information on the seasonal diversity and abundance of arthropods collected at the Colville River Delta, Alaska, 2011-2012 and 2014-2107. Researchers with the US Geological Survey began studying the reproductive ecology of birds at a site on the Colville River near the Beaufort Sea coast in 2011. Researchers concurrently collected arthropods at 3-day intervals to underst
By
Alaska Science Center

Environmental Data from the Colville River Delta, Alaska

This data release contains two tables with information on seasonal values for temperature, wind, and snow cover collected at the Colville River Delta, Alaska, 2011-2018. Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey used an on-site weather station to automatically record the temperature and speed and direction of the wind across the duration of their field season. Researchers also established perman
By
Alaska Science Center

Avian Demographic Data from the Colville River Delta, Alaska

This data release contains multiple tables with information on avian demographics collected at the Colville River Delta, Alaska, 2011-2018. Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey began studying the reproductive ecology of birds at a site on the Colville River near the Beaufort Sea coast in 2011. Researchers monitored the nests of geese, shorebirds, and landbirds at this study site, determinin
By
Alaska Science Center

Body Composition of Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica)

These data are in one table with measures of the external morphology and internal organ and muscle groups collected from Bar-tailed Godwits.
By
Alaska Science Center

Tracking Data for Whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus)

This metadata document describes the data contained in the "processedData" folder of this data package. This data package contains all data collected by the Argos System from 32 satellite transmitters attached to Whimbrels on their breeding range in arctic and western Alaska, 2006-2010. The raw data were processed to accomplish two goals: flag implausible location estimates and decode raw sensor d
By
Alaska Science Center

Goose Mass and Vegetation Data, Colville River Delta, Alaska, 2012-2017

This data release contains three tables of information from the Colville River Delta, Alaska (CDR): offtake of Carex subspathacea (2012-2014), standing crop of C. subspathacea (2012-2014), and snow goose and black brant gosling mass data (2012-2017). Data were collected as part of the USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystems Initiative to understand the response of wildlife to rapid physical changes taking
By
Alaska Science Center

Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Biomass, and Nitrogen Content of Goose Forage, Northern Alaska, 2011-2018

This data set contains four tables of information regarding the sampling of plant biomass, nitrogen, cumulative thaw degree days, precipitation, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for the Colville River Delta and Point Lonely area of northern Alaska.
By
Alaska Science Center
Filter Total Items: 41
White breasted bird with orange feet, black/brown back, short beak link
USGS Alaska Science Center Shorebird Research Program
Scientist holding juvenile bar-tailed godwit with one of its wings spread.
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Wing of juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6"
Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6 walking away in grasses and low shrubs.
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Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" after capture
Juvenile bar-tailed godwit in the hands of a scientist. You can see the alphanumeric leg flag with B6.
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Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6"
Juvenile bar-tailed godwit B4 with a solar-powered satellite tag on its back near Nome, AK.
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Juvenile bar-tailed godwit B4 with transmitter
Scientist holding tracking equipment near Nome, Alaska. Rolling tundra with hummocks and low shrubs with mountains.
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Tracking juvenile bar-tailed godwits
Juvenile bar-tailed godwit in the hands of a scientist. There is a metal leg band on left leg.
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Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" with metal leg band
Habitat of bar-tailed godwit in Alaska. Rolling tundra with hummocks and low shrubs with mountains in the background.
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Bar-tailed godwit habitat on the Seward Peninsula
Arial view of group of walruses on beach between Hook and Cinder lagoons on the Alaska Peninsula.
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Group of walruses on beach, Alaska Peninsula
A shorebird walking along the shore
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Pacific Golden-Plover on the shore near Big Creek near Egegik, Alaska
A small shorebird walking along the mud
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Black-bellied Plover on the mud shore of Big Creek near Egegik, Alaska
A shorebird walking in small rocks on a shore
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Pacific Golden-Plover standing on rocks near Big Creek, Alaska
Shorebird on the tundra on the north slope of Alaska
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Semipalmated Sandpiper on the Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska
A shorebird on a post in Hawaii
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Bristle-thighed Curlew on a fence post on the island of Oahu, Hawaii
A shorebird chick on the tundra of the north slope of Alaska
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Whimbrel chick on the Colville River Delta, Alaska
Female Bar-tailed Godwit at a breeding site along the Colville River, Alaska
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Female Bar-tailed Godwit at a breeding site along the Colville River, Alaska
Scientist holding Whimbrel with a solar-powered satellite transmitter
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Scientist holding Whimbrel with a solar-powered satellite transmitter
close up of Male Bar-tailed Godwit at a breeding site near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska
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Male Bar-tailed Godwit at a breeding site near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska
A nest of shorebird eggs on the tundra of Alaska
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Whimbrel nest in the Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge
A small bird in a tree with a really curved beak
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Black-capped Chickadee with an elongated and decurved maxilla
Bar-tailed Godwits on mudflats near Cape Avinof, Alaska
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Bar-tailed Godwits on mudflats near Cape Avinof, Alaska
Filter Total Items: 40

Disparate data streams together yield novel survival estimates of Alaska-breeding Whimbrels

Survival estimates are critical components of avian ecology. In well-intentioned efforts to maximize the utility of one's research, survival estimates often derive from data that were not originally collected for survival assessments, and such post hoc analyses may include unintentional biases. We estimated the survival of Whimbrels captured and marked at two breeding sites in Alaska using diverge
Authors
Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Christopher M. Harwood, T. Lee Tibbitts, Vijay P. Patil
By
Alaska Science Center

The Pacific as the world’s greatest theater of bird migration: Extreme flights spark questions about physiological capabilities, behavior, and the evolution of migratory pathways

The Pacific Basin, by virtue of its vastness and its complex aeroscape, provides unique opportunities to address questions about the behavioral and physiological capabilities and mechanisms through which birds can complete spectacular flights. No longer is the Pacific seen just as a formidable barrier between terrestrial habitats in the north and the south, but rather as a gateway for specialized
Authors
Theunis Piersma, Robert E. Gill, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Christopher G. Guglielmo, Jesse R. Conklin, Colleen M. Handel
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Life-history attributes of Arctic-breeding birds drive uneven responses to environmental variability across different phases of the reproductive cycle

Animals exhibit varied life-history traits that reflect adaptive responses to their environments. For Arctic-breeding birds, traits related to diet, egg nutrient allocation, clutch size, and chick growth are predicted to be under increasing selection pressure due to rapid climate change and increasing environmental variability across high-latitude regions. We compared four migratory birds (black b
Authors
Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Vijay P. Patil, Jerry W. Hupp, David H. Ward
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica in Alaska: Revisiting population estimates from the staging grounds

Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica baueri breed in Alaska and spend the nonbreeding season primarily in eastern Australia and New Zealand. Long-term declines spurred recent surveys at nonbreeding sites that yielded a revised population estimate of ~126,000 godwits. We conducted aerial surveys for Bar-tailed Godwits in 2018 and 2019 at pre-migratory staging sites in western Alaska. Counts from sim
Authors
Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Zak Pohlen, Heather M. Wilson, James Johnson
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Physiomorphic transformation in extreme endurance migrants: Revisiting the case of bar-tailed godwits preparing for trans-pacific flights

In a 1998 paper entitled “Guts don’t fly: small digestive organs in obese bar-tailed godwits,” Piersma and Gill (1998) showed that the digestive organs were tiny and the fat loads huge in individuals suspected of embarking on a non-stop flight from Alaska to New Zealand. It was suggested that prior to migratory departure, these godwits would shrink the digestive organs used during fuel deposition
Authors
Theunis Piersma, Robert E. Gill, Daniel R. Ruthrauff
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Diverse patterns of migratory timing, site use, and site fidelity by Alaska-breeding Whimbrels

Birds that conduct long-distance migrations exhibit varied patterns of consistency in migratory timing and site use. Understanding variation in these traits among populations can help uncover mechanisms driving migratory behaviors and identify potential population threats. Whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus) are long-distance migratory shorebirds with a Holarctic breeding distribution, and recent studie
Authors
Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Christopher M. Harwood, Lee Tibbitts, Nils Warnock, Robert E. Gill
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Shorebird reproductive response to exceptionally early and late springs varies across sites in Arctic Alaska

While increases in overall temperatures are widely reported in the Arctic, large inter-annual variation in spring weather, with extreme early and late conditions, is also occurring. Using data collected from three sites in Arctic Alaska, we explored how shorebird breeding density, nest initiation, nest synchrony, nest survival, and phenological mismatch varied between two exceptionally early (2015
Authors
Rebecca L McGuire, Richard B. Lanctot, Sarah T. Saalfeld, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Joe Liebezeit
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Shorebird research at the U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center

Shorebirds—which include sandpipers, plovers, and oystercatchers—are perhaps best known by their presence on sandy beaches, running along the water’s edge while they probe for food. But they are probably less recognized for their impressive long-distance migrations. Millions of individuals travel from across the globe to breed throughout Alaska each spring, making these birds a familiar and import
Authors
Dan Ruthrauff, T. Lee Tibbitts, John Pearce
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Through thick and thin: Sexing Bristle-thighed Curlews Numenius tahitiensis using measures of bill depth

Birds often exhibit diagnostic traits that differ among individuals of the same species with regard to factors like sex, age, or breeding status. Shorebirds exhibit a wide diversity of colors, shapes, and sizes of their bills, and these traits are commonly used to determine the sex of individuals. In curlews (genus Numenius), length alone accurately separates the sexes in some species, but the sha
Authors
Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Colleen M. Handel, T. Lee Tibbitts, Robert E. Gill
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Factors 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 old
Authors
T. Lee Tibbitts, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Jared G. Underwood, Vijay P. Patil
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Shorebird 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 subsiste
Authors
Naves. Liliana, Jacqueline Keating, T. Lee Tibbitts, Daniel R. Ruthrauff
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Technical comment on “Global pattern of nest predation is disrupted by climate change in shorebirds”

Kubelka et al. (Report, 9 November 2018, p. 680-683) claim that climate change has disrupted patterns of nest predation in shorebirds. They report that predation rates have increased since the 1950s, especially in the Arctic. We describe methodological problems with their analyses and argue that there is no solid statistical support for their claims.
Authors
Martin Bulla, Jeroen Reneerkens, Emily L. Weiser, Aleksandr Sokolov, Audrey R. Taylor, Benoit Sittler, Brian J McCaffery, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Daniel H. Catlin, David C. Payer, David H. Ward, Diana V Solovyeva, Eduardo SA Santos, Eldar Rakhimberdiev, Erica Nol, Eunbi Kwon, Glen S. Brown, Glenda D Hevia, H. River Gates, James A. Johnson, Jan A. van Gils, Jannik Hansen, Jean-Francois Lamarre, Jennie Rausch, Jesse R. Conklin, Joe Liebezeit, Joel Bety, Johannes Lang, José A. Alves, Juan Fernandez-Elipe, Klaus-Michael Exo, Loic Bollache, Marcelo Bertellotti, Marie-Andree Giroux, Martijn van de Pol, Matthew D. Johnson, Megan L. Boldenow, Mihai Valcu, Mikhail Soloviev, Natalya Sokolova, Nathan R. Senner, Nicholas Lecomte, Nicolas Meyer, Niels Martin Schmidt, Olivier Gilg, Paul A Smith, Paula Machin, Rebecca L McGuire, Ricardo AS Cerboncini, Richard Ottvall, Rob SA van Bemmelen, Rose J Swift, Sara T Saalfeld, Sara E Jamieson, Stephen C. Brown, Theunis Piersma, Tomas Albrecht, Veronica L D'Amico, Richard B. Lanctot, Bart Kempenaers
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Alaska Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center
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Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" Sets World Record

A four-month-old bar-tailed godwit known as B6 set a new world record by completing a non-stop 11-day migration of 8,425 miles from Alaska to Tasmania...

Read Article
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How to hide a godwit - the story of Marbled Godwits in Alaska

Marbled Godwits are common and conspicuous North American shorebirds. So how did such a charismatic species go largely undetected in Alaska until the...

Read Article
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Story Map of the Incredible Migration of Whimbrels

This story map describes the work of researchers from different organizations that document the migration of Whimbrels breeding in North America...

Read Article

Science and Products

  • Science
    link
    close up of Male Bar-tailed Godwit at a breeding site near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska

    Tracking Data for Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica)

    Available here are tracking data for two subspecies of Bar-tailed Godwits. One of the subspecies, Limosa lapponica baueri, nests in Alaska and spends the nonbreeding season in New Zealand and eastern Australia whereas L.l.menzbieri nests in Siberia and spends the nonbreeding season in western Australia. This study was the first to describe the year-round movements of these extremely long-distance...
    By
    Alaska Science Center
    link

    Tracking Data for Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica)

    Available here are tracking data for two subspecies of Bar-tailed Godwits. One of the subspecies, Limosa lapponica baueri, nests in Alaska and spends the nonbreeding season in New Zealand and eastern Australia whereas L.l.menzbieri nests in Siberia and spends the nonbreeding season in western Australia. This study was the first to describe the year-round movements of these extremely long-distance...
    Learn More
    link
    A small bird with distinctive orange-brown feathers around its neck and blue feathers on head, sitting on a small shrub

    Bird Species Checklists from USGS Alaska Science Center Field Camps

    Scientists from the USGS Alaska Science Center regularly work in remote field camps, often for days or weeks at a time. Though not the primary research focus of these camps, many researchers maintain daily checklists of all bird species encountered during field work. These checklists can provide documentation of the presence, distribution, timing of arrival and departure, and breeding chronology...
    By
    Alaska Science Center
    link

    Bird Species Checklists from USGS Alaska Science Center Field Camps

    Scientists from the USGS Alaska Science Center regularly work in remote field camps, often for days or weeks at a time. Though not the primary research focus of these camps, many researchers maintain daily checklists of all bird species encountered during field work. These checklists can provide documentation of the presence, distribution, timing of arrival and departure, and breeding chronology...
    Learn More
    link
    Whimbrel on the tundra on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska

    Tracking Data for Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)

    Available here are tracking data for the whimbrel, a striking example of a shorebird with its long and curved bill. The whimbrel is found throughout tundra and boreal habitats of Alaska during the summer and spends the winter along coast lines of the continental U.S., and central and South America. These data were collected to better understand the migratory patterns of this iconic species.
    By
    Alaska Science Center
    link

    Tracking Data for Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)

    Available here are tracking data for the whimbrel, a striking example of a shorebird with its long and curved bill. The whimbrel is found throughout tundra and boreal habitats of Alaska during the summer and spends the winter along coast lines of the continental U.S., and central and South America. These data were collected to better understand the migratory patterns of this iconic species.
    Learn More
    link
    A shorebird walking through the grasses in southwestern 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.
    By
    Alaska Science Center
    link

    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.
    Learn More
    link
    A Bar-tailed Godwit with a Z0 tag on it's leg and a satellite transmitter antenna emerging from rear feathers

    Shorebird Research

    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...
    By
    Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
    link

    Shorebird Research

    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...
    Learn More
  • Data
    Filter Total Items: 19

    Data From the Inventory of Breeding Birds in Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, Alaska, 2008

    This data package contains six tables: 1) characteristics of bird survey sites, 2) vegetation classification at survey sites, 3) detections of all birds at survey sites, 4) behaviors of all birds at survey sites, 5) bird taxonomy and indication of conservation status, and 6) habitat information pertaining to survey site photographs. The objectives of the survey were to 1) use targeted field invest
    By
    Alaska Science Center

    USGS Alaska Science Center Adult Shorebird Morphological Measurement Data

    This dataset consists of three tables, 1) taxonomy, 2) contributors, and 3) shorebird morphological measurements collected from various species captured from 1977-2021. In addition, photographs of plumage patterns are available for several species. Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey - Alaska Science Center, along with collaborators from many government agencies and research institutions,
    By
    Alaska Science Center

    Juvenile Shorebird Morphological Data Collected in Alaska and Canada

    This dataset consists of shorebird chick measurements (wing, primary feather 10, diagonal tarsus, and bill length) and body mass for various shorebird species captured in Alaska and Canada during 1978-2022. Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey - Alaska Science Center, and collaborators from many government agencies and research institutions have studied shorebirds at numerous sites across N
    By
    Alaska Science Center

    Bird Species Checklists from USGS Alaska Science Center Field Camps

    These data are daily summary checklists of all bird species observed at U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center (ASC) field camps. Data include species observation details such as observers, dates, location, and number of individuals seen.
    By
    Alaska Science Center

    Aerial surveys of shorebirds at pre-migratory staging sites in western Alaska, 2018-2019

    These data are in one table and document the numbers of four species of shorebird counted during aerial surveys of coastal sites in western Alaska. Survey regions encompassed coastline between the mouths of the Kuskokwim and Yukon rivers, and the northern coast of the Alaska Peninsula from the mouths of the Kvichak and Naknek Rivers to Nelson Lagoon. Surveys were flown from 7-9 September 2018 and
    By
    Alaska Science Center

    Arthropod Abundance Data from the Colville River Delta, Alaska

    This data release contains information on the seasonal diversity and abundance of arthropods collected at the Colville River Delta, Alaska, 2011-2012 and 2014-2107. Researchers with the US Geological Survey began studying the reproductive ecology of birds at a site on the Colville River near the Beaufort Sea coast in 2011. Researchers concurrently collected arthropods at 3-day intervals to underst
    By
    Alaska Science Center

    Environmental Data from the Colville River Delta, Alaska

    This data release contains two tables with information on seasonal values for temperature, wind, and snow cover collected at the Colville River Delta, Alaska, 2011-2018. Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey used an on-site weather station to automatically record the temperature and speed and direction of the wind across the duration of their field season. Researchers also established perman
    By
    Alaska Science Center

    Avian Demographic Data from the Colville River Delta, Alaska

    This data release contains multiple tables with information on avian demographics collected at the Colville River Delta, Alaska, 2011-2018. Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey began studying the reproductive ecology of birds at a site on the Colville River near the Beaufort Sea coast in 2011. Researchers monitored the nests of geese, shorebirds, and landbirds at this study site, determinin
    By
    Alaska Science Center

    Body Composition of Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica)

    These data are in one table with measures of the external morphology and internal organ and muscle groups collected from Bar-tailed Godwits.
    By
    Alaska Science Center

    Tracking Data for Whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus)

    This metadata document describes the data contained in the "processedData" folder of this data package. This data package contains all data collected by the Argos System from 32 satellite transmitters attached to Whimbrels on their breeding range in arctic and western Alaska, 2006-2010. The raw data were processed to accomplish two goals: flag implausible location estimates and decode raw sensor d
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    Alaska Science Center

    Goose Mass and Vegetation Data, Colville River Delta, Alaska, 2012-2017

    This data release contains three tables of information from the Colville River Delta, Alaska (CDR): offtake of Carex subspathacea (2012-2014), standing crop of C. subspathacea (2012-2014), and snow goose and black brant gosling mass data (2012-2017). Data were collected as part of the USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystems Initiative to understand the response of wildlife to rapid physical changes taking
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    Alaska Science Center

    Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Biomass, and Nitrogen Content of Goose Forage, Northern Alaska, 2011-2018

    This data set contains four tables of information regarding the sampling of plant biomass, nitrogen, cumulative thaw degree days, precipitation, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for the Colville River Delta and Point Lonely area of northern Alaska.
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    Alaska Science Center
  • Multimedia
    Filter Total Items: 41
    White breasted bird with orange feet, black/brown back, short beak link
    USGS Alaska Science Center Shorebird Research Program
    Scientist holding juvenile bar-tailed godwit with one of its wings spread.
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    Wing of juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6"
    Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6 walking away in grasses and low shrubs.
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    Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" after capture
    Juvenile bar-tailed godwit in the hands of a scientist. You can see the alphanumeric leg flag with B6.
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    Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6"
    Juvenile bar-tailed godwit B4 with a solar-powered satellite tag on its back near Nome, AK.
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    Juvenile bar-tailed godwit B4 with transmitter
    Scientist holding tracking equipment near Nome, Alaska. Rolling tundra with hummocks and low shrubs with mountains.
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    Tracking juvenile bar-tailed godwits
    Juvenile bar-tailed godwit in the hands of a scientist. There is a metal leg band on left leg.
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    Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" with metal leg band
    Habitat of bar-tailed godwit in Alaska. Rolling tundra with hummocks and low shrubs with mountains in the background.
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    Bar-tailed godwit habitat on the Seward Peninsula
    Arial view of group of walruses on beach between Hook and Cinder lagoons on the Alaska Peninsula.
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    Group of walruses on beach, Alaska Peninsula
    A shorebird walking along the shore
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    Pacific Golden-Plover on the shore near Big Creek near Egegik, Alaska
    A small shorebird walking along the mud
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    Black-bellied Plover on the mud shore of Big Creek near Egegik, Alaska
    A shorebird walking in small rocks on a shore
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    Pacific Golden-Plover standing on rocks near Big Creek, Alaska
    Shorebird on the tundra on the north slope of Alaska
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    Semipalmated Sandpiper on the Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska
    A shorebird on a post in Hawaii
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    Bristle-thighed Curlew on a fence post on the island of Oahu, Hawaii
    A shorebird chick on the tundra of the north slope of Alaska
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    Whimbrel chick on the Colville River Delta, Alaska
    Female Bar-tailed Godwit at a breeding site along the Colville River, Alaska
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    Female Bar-tailed Godwit at a breeding site along the Colville River, Alaska
    Scientist holding Whimbrel with a solar-powered satellite transmitter
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    Scientist holding Whimbrel with a solar-powered satellite transmitter
    close up of Male Bar-tailed Godwit at a breeding site near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska
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    Male Bar-tailed Godwit at a breeding site near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska
    A nest of shorebird eggs on the tundra of Alaska
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    Whimbrel nest in the Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge
    A small bird in a tree with a really curved beak
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    Black-capped Chickadee with an elongated and decurved maxilla
    Bar-tailed Godwits on mudflats near Cape Avinof, Alaska
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    Bar-tailed Godwits on mudflats near Cape Avinof, Alaska
  • Publications
    Filter Total Items: 40

    Disparate data streams together yield novel survival estimates of Alaska-breeding Whimbrels

    Survival estimates are critical components of avian ecology. In well-intentioned efforts to maximize the utility of one's research, survival estimates often derive from data that were not originally collected for survival assessments, and such post hoc analyses may include unintentional biases. We estimated the survival of Whimbrels captured and marked at two breeding sites in Alaska using diverge
    Authors
    Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Christopher M. Harwood, T. Lee Tibbitts, Vijay P. Patil
    By
    Alaska Science Center

    The Pacific as the world’s greatest theater of bird migration: Extreme flights spark questions about physiological capabilities, behavior, and the evolution of migratory pathways

    The Pacific Basin, by virtue of its vastness and its complex aeroscape, provides unique opportunities to address questions about the behavioral and physiological capabilities and mechanisms through which birds can complete spectacular flights. No longer is the Pacific seen just as a formidable barrier between terrestrial habitats in the north and the south, but rather as a gateway for specialized
    Authors
    Theunis Piersma, Robert E. Gill, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Christopher G. Guglielmo, Jesse R. Conklin, Colleen M. Handel
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    Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

    Life-history attributes of Arctic-breeding birds drive uneven responses to environmental variability across different phases of the reproductive cycle

    Animals exhibit varied life-history traits that reflect adaptive responses to their environments. For Arctic-breeding birds, traits related to diet, egg nutrient allocation, clutch size, and chick growth are predicted to be under increasing selection pressure due to rapid climate change and increasing environmental variability across high-latitude regions. We compared four migratory birds (black b
    Authors
    Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Vijay P. Patil, Jerry W. Hupp, David H. Ward
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    Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

    Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica in Alaska: Revisiting population estimates from the staging grounds

    Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica baueri breed in Alaska and spend the nonbreeding season primarily in eastern Australia and New Zealand. Long-term declines spurred recent surveys at nonbreeding sites that yielded a revised population estimate of ~126,000 godwits. We conducted aerial surveys for Bar-tailed Godwits in 2018 and 2019 at pre-migratory staging sites in western Alaska. Counts from sim
    Authors
    Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Zak Pohlen, Heather M. Wilson, James Johnson
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    Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

    Physiomorphic transformation in extreme endurance migrants: Revisiting the case of bar-tailed godwits preparing for trans-pacific flights

    In a 1998 paper entitled “Guts don’t fly: small digestive organs in obese bar-tailed godwits,” Piersma and Gill (1998) showed that the digestive organs were tiny and the fat loads huge in individuals suspected of embarking on a non-stop flight from Alaska to New Zealand. It was suggested that prior to migratory departure, these godwits would shrink the digestive organs used during fuel deposition
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    Theunis Piersma, Robert E. Gill, Daniel R. Ruthrauff
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    Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

    Diverse patterns of migratory timing, site use, and site fidelity by Alaska-breeding Whimbrels

    Birds that conduct long-distance migrations exhibit varied patterns of consistency in migratory timing and site use. Understanding variation in these traits among populations can help uncover mechanisms driving migratory behaviors and identify potential population threats. Whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus) are long-distance migratory shorebirds with a Holarctic breeding distribution, and recent studie
    Authors
    Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Christopher M. Harwood, Lee Tibbitts, Nils Warnock, Robert E. Gill
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    Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

    Shorebird reproductive response to exceptionally early and late springs varies across sites in Arctic Alaska

    While increases in overall temperatures are widely reported in the Arctic, large inter-annual variation in spring weather, with extreme early and late conditions, is also occurring. Using data collected from three sites in Arctic Alaska, we explored how shorebird breeding density, nest initiation, nest synchrony, nest survival, and phenological mismatch varied between two exceptionally early (2015
    Authors
    Rebecca L McGuire, Richard B. Lanctot, Sarah T. Saalfeld, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Joe Liebezeit
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    Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

    Shorebird research at the U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center

    Shorebirds—which include sandpipers, plovers, and oystercatchers—are perhaps best known by their presence on sandy beaches, running along the water’s edge while they probe for food. But they are probably less recognized for their impressive long-distance migrations. Millions of individuals travel from across the globe to breed throughout Alaska each spring, making these birds a familiar and import
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    Dan Ruthrauff, T. Lee Tibbitts, John Pearce
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    Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

    Through thick and thin: Sexing Bristle-thighed Curlews Numenius tahitiensis using measures of bill depth

    Birds often exhibit diagnostic traits that differ among individuals of the same species with regard to factors like sex, age, or breeding status. Shorebirds exhibit a wide diversity of colors, shapes, and sizes of their bills, and these traits are commonly used to determine the sex of individuals. In curlews (genus Numenius), length alone accurately separates the sexes in some species, but the sha
    Authors
    Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Colleen M. Handel, T. Lee Tibbitts, Robert E. Gill
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    Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

    Factors 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 old
    Authors
    T. Lee Tibbitts, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Jared G. Underwood, Vijay P. Patil
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    Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

    Shorebird 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 subsiste
    Authors
    Naves. Liliana, Jacqueline Keating, T. Lee Tibbitts, Daniel R. Ruthrauff
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    Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

    Technical comment on “Global pattern of nest predation is disrupted by climate change in shorebirds”

    Kubelka et al. (Report, 9 November 2018, p. 680-683) claim that climate change has disrupted patterns of nest predation in shorebirds. They report that predation rates have increased since the 1950s, especially in the Arctic. We describe methodological problems with their analyses and argue that there is no solid statistical support for their claims.
    Authors
    Martin Bulla, Jeroen Reneerkens, Emily L. Weiser, Aleksandr Sokolov, Audrey R. Taylor, Benoit Sittler, Brian J McCaffery, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Daniel H. Catlin, David C. Payer, David H. Ward, Diana V Solovyeva, Eduardo SA Santos, Eldar Rakhimberdiev, Erica Nol, Eunbi Kwon, Glen S. Brown, Glenda D Hevia, H. River Gates, James A. Johnson, Jan A. van Gils, Jannik Hansen, Jean-Francois Lamarre, Jennie Rausch, Jesse R. Conklin, Joe Liebezeit, Joel Bety, Johannes Lang, José A. Alves, Juan Fernandez-Elipe, Klaus-Michael Exo, Loic Bollache, Marcelo Bertellotti, Marie-Andree Giroux, Martijn van de Pol, Matthew D. Johnson, Megan L. Boldenow, Mihai Valcu, Mikhail Soloviev, Natalya Sokolova, Nathan R. Senner, Nicholas Lecomte, Nicolas Meyer, Niels Martin Schmidt, Olivier Gilg, Paul A Smith, Paula Machin, Rebecca L McGuire, Ricardo AS Cerboncini, Richard Ottvall, Rob SA van Bemmelen, Rose J Swift, Sara T Saalfeld, Sara E Jamieson, Stephen C. Brown, Theunis Piersma, Tomas Albrecht, Veronica L D'Amico, Richard B. Lanctot, Bart Kempenaers
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    Ecosystems Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Alaska Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center
  • News
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    Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" Sets World Record

    A four-month-old bar-tailed godwit known as B6 set a new world record by completing a non-stop 11-day migration of 8,425 miles from Alaska to Tasmania...

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    How to hide a godwit - the story of Marbled Godwits in Alaska

    Marbled Godwits are common and conspicuous North American shorebirds. So how did such a charismatic species go largely undetected in Alaska until the...

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    Story Map of the Incredible Migration of Whimbrels

    This story map describes the work of researchers from different organizations that document the migration of Whimbrels breeding in North America...

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*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government