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James Hines

Jim Hines is a computer scientist, working with USGS and non-agency biologists developing methods and computer software for estimation of ecological parameters.  He also maintains a web-server used to communicate results of the North American Breeding Bird Survey as well as software written by current and former EESC scientists. 

Jim Hines started with the USFWS in 1977 as a part-time computer clerk.  After obtaining a BS in Math, he became a full-time computer programmer, then computer specialist and computer scientist. He is co-author on 2 books,

Professional Experience

  • 1977-present USFWS, NBS, USGS  - Computer clerk, programmer, specialist, scientist.

Education and Certifications

  • Hon Dsc. University of Florda, 2023 

  • B.S. University of Maryland,  Mathematics, 1979.

Honors and Awards

  • 2016 - Biometrics Working Group Special Recognition Award

  • 2015 - U.S. Geological Survey Distinguished Service Award

  • 2012 - U.S. Geological Survey Meritorious Service Award

  • 2012 - The Wildlife Society's Wildlife Publication Award for Book

  • 1991 - The Wildlife Society's Wildlife Publication Award for Monograph 

Science and Products

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Staging HY ROSTs still need parental care

Evaluation of Potential Offshore Wind Projects in the Northeastern U.S. on Endangered Roseate Terns: Who is at Risk and When?

The Challenge: Terns in coastal areas of the Northeastern US likely will be impacted by construction and operation of offshore wind turbines. The “Cape Cod & Islands” (CCMA) area of Massachusetts is a particularly important area for the endangered Northwest Atlantic Roseate Tern (ROST) population as most ROSTs from throughout the breeding range (Nova Scotia to Long Island, New York) congregate...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Evaluation of Potential Offshore Wind Projects in the Northeastern U.S. on Endangered Roseate Terns: Who is at Risk and When?

The Challenge: Terns in coastal areas of the Northeastern US likely will be impacted by construction and operation of offshore wind turbines. The “Cape Cod & Islands” (CCMA) area of Massachusetts is a particularly important area for the endangered Northwest Atlantic Roseate Tern (ROST) population as most ROSTs from throughout the breeding range (Nova Scotia to Long Island, New York) congregate...
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USGS-PWRC population modeling software web-page

Development of Computer Software for the Analysis of Animal Population Parameters

Biologists at USGS Patuxent, as well as cooperating agencies are constantly looking for new ways of answering questions about the status of animal populations and how animal populations change over time. To address these questions, data are collected on captures and or sightings of animals which can be used to estimate parameters which affect the population using legacy software. Over time, new...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Development of Computer Software for the Analysis of Animal Population Parameters

Biologists at USGS Patuxent, as well as cooperating agencies are constantly looking for new ways of answering questions about the status of animal populations and how animal populations change over time. To address these questions, data are collected on captures and or sightings of animals which can be used to estimate parameters which affect the population using legacy software. Over time, new...
Learn More

The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Analysis Results 1966 - 2022

This data product consists of a database of population change and abundance estimates for North American birds, estimated from North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data. Data are presented for 548 species of birds in 4 spreadsheets containing trend estimates and annual indices for 2 time periods. Estimates are derived for each species using the 1 of 4 alternative models, and a cross-validatio
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Analysis Results 1966 - 2021

This data product consists of a database of population change and abundance estimates for North American birds, estimated from North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data. Data are presented for 548 species of birds in 4 spreadsheets containing trend estimates and annual indices for 2 time periods. Estimates are derived for each species using the 1 of 4 alternative models, and a cross-validatio
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Analysis Results 1966 - 2018

This data product consists of a database of population change and abundance estimates for North American birds, estimated from North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data. Data are presented for 548 species of birds in 4 spreadsheets containing trend estimates and annual indices for 2 time periods. Estimates are derived for each species using the 1 of 4 alternative models, and a cross-validatio
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Analysis Results 1966 - 2017

This data product consists of a database of population change and relative abundance estimates for North American birds, estimated from North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data. Data are presented in 6 separate spreadsheets for 2 methods of trend summary and 3 time periods for 548 species of birds. Metadata for the BBS data used to produce these estimates is available from a USGS ftp site (f
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Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Filter Total Items: 222

Estimating northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) pair detection probabilities based on call-back surveys associated with long-term mark-recapture studies, 1993–2018

The northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina; hereinafter NSO) was listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act in 1990 and population declines have continued since that listing. Given the species’ protected status, any proposed activities on Federal lands that might impact NSO require consultation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and part of that consultation often includes
Authors
Katie M. Dugger, Alan B. Franklin, Damon B. Lesmeister, Raymond J. Davis, J. David Wiens, Gary C. White, James D. Nichols, James E. Hines, Charles B. Yackulic, Carl J. Schwarz, Steven H. Ackers, L. Steven Andrews, Larissa L. Bailey, Robin Bown, Jesse Burgher, Kenneth P. Burnham, Peter C. Carlson, Tara Chestnut, Mary M Conner, Krista E. Dilione, Eric D. Forsman, Scott A. Gremel, Keith A. Hamm, Dale R. Herter, J. Mark Higley, Rob B. Horn, Julianna M Jenkins, William L. Kendall, David W Lamphear, Christopher McCafferty, Trent L. McDonald, Janice A Reid, Jeremy T. Rockweit, David C. Simon, Stan G Sovern, James K. Swingle, Heather Wise
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center

Does coat colour influence survival? A test in a cyclic population of snowshoe hares

Some mammal species inhabiting high-latitude biomes have evolved a seasonal moulting pattern that improves camouflage via white coats in winter and brown coats in summer. In many high-latitude and high-altitude areas, the duration and depth of snow cover has been substantially reduced in the last five decades. This reduction in depth and duration of snow cover may create a mismatch between coat co
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Madan K. Oli, Alice J Kenny, Rudy Boonstra, Stan Boutin, Dennis L. Murray, Michael J.L. Peers, B. Scott Gilbert, Thomas S. Jung, Vratika Chaudhary, James E. Hines, Charles J Krebs
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Range-wide sources of variation in reproductive rates of northern spotted owls

We conducted a range-wide investigation of the dynamics of site level reproductive rate of northern spotted owls using survey data from 11 study areas across the sub-species geographic range collected during 1993–2018. Our analytical approach accounted for imperfect detection of owl pairs and misclassification of successful reproduction (i.e., at least one young fledged) and contributed further in
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Jeremy T. Rockweit, Julianna M Jenkins, James E. Hines, James D. Nichols, Catherine M. Dugger, Alan B. Franklin, Peter C. Carlson, William L. Kendall, Damon B. Lesmeister, Christopher McCafferty, Steven H. Ackers, L. Steven Andrews, Larissa Bailey, Jesse Burgher, Kenneth P. Burnham, Tara E. Chestnut, Mary M Conner, Raymond J. Davis, Krista E. Dilione, Eric D. Forsman, Elizabeth M. Glenn, Scott A. Gremel, Keith A. Hamm, Dale R. Herter, J. Mark Higley, Rob B. Horn, David W Lamphear, Trent L. McDonald, Janice A Reid, Carl J. Schwarz, David C. Simon, Stan G Sovern, James K. Swingle, David Wiens, Heather Wise, Charles B. Yackulic
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Estimating abundance, temporary emigration and the pattern of density dependence in a cyclic snowshoe hare population in Yukon, Canada

Estimates of demographic parameters based on capture-mark-recapture (CMR) methods may be biased when some individuals in the population are temporarily unavailable for capture (temporary emigration). We estimated snowshoe hare abundance, apparent survival, and probability of temporary emigration in a population of snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus Erxleben 1777) in the Yukon using Pollock’s robust
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Madan K. Oli, Alice J Kenny, Rudy Boonstra, Stan Boutin, Vratika Chaudhary, James E. Hines, Charles J Krebs
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Multiple coping strategies maintain stability of a small mammal population in a resource-restricted environment

In semi-arid environments, aperiodic rainfall pulses determine plant production and resource availability for higher trophic levels, creating strong bottom-up regulation. The influence of climatic factors on population vital rates often shapes the dynamics of small mammal populations in such resource-restricted environments. Using a 21-year biannual capture–recapture dataset (1993 to 2014), we exa
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Anne Y Polyakov, William D Tietje, Arjun Srivathsa, Virginie Rolland, James E. Hines, Madan K. Oli
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Invader removal triggers competitive release in a threatened avian predator

Invasive species can cause extinctions of native species and widespread biodiversity loss. Invader removal is a common management response, but the use of long-term field experiments to characterize effectiveness of removals in benefitting impacted native species is rare. We used a large-scale removal experiment to investigate the demographic response of a threatened native species, the northern s
Authors
David Wiens, Catherine M. Dugger, J. Mark Higley, Damon B. Lesmeister, Alan B. Franklin, Keith A. Hamm, Gary C. White, Krista E. Dilione, David C. Simon, Robin R. Bown, Peter C. Carlson, Charles Yackulic, James D. Nichols, James E. Hines, Raymond J. Davis, David W. Lamphear, Christopher McCafferty, Trent L. McDonald, Stan G. Sovern
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center

What is the effect of poaching activity on wildlife species?

Poaching is a pervasive threat to wildlife, yet quantifying the direct effect of poaching on wildlife is rarely possible because both wildlife and threat data are infrequently collected concurrently. In this study, we used poaching data collected through the Management Information System (MIST) and wildlife camera trap data collected by the Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring (TEAM) network
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Jennifer F. Moore, Eustrate Uzabaho, Abel Musana, Prosper Uwingell, James E. Hines, James D. Nichols
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Range-wide declines of northern spotted owl populations in the Pacific Northwest: A meta-analysis

The northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) inhabits older coniferous forests in the Pacific Northwest and has been at the center of forest management issues in this region. The immediate threats to this federally listed species include habitat loss and competition with barred owls (Strix varia), which invaded from eastern North America. We conducted a prospective meta-analysis to assess
Authors
Alan B. Franklin, Katie M. Dugger, Damon B. Lesmeister, Raymond J. Davis, J. David Wiens, Gary C. White, James D. Nichols, James E. Hines, Charles B. Yackulic, Carl J. Schwarz, Steven H. Ackers, Andrew L. Stevens, Larissa L. Bailey, Robin G. Brown, Jesse Burgher, Kenneth P. Burnham, Peter C. Carlson, Tara Chestnut, Mary M Conner, Krista E. Dilione, Eric D. Forsman, Elizabeth M. Glenn, Scott A. Gremel, Keith A. Hamm, Dale R. Herter, J. Mark Higley, Rob B. Horn, Julianna M. Jenkins, William L. Kendall, David W Lamphear, Christopher McCafferty, Trent L. McDonald, Janice A Reid, Jeremy T. Rockweit, David C. Simon, Stan G. Sovern, James Swingle, Heather Wise
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center

Moose habitat selection and fitness consequences during two critical winter tick life stages in Vermont, United States

The moose (Alces alces) is a charismatic species in decline across much of their southern distribution in North America. In the northeastern United States, much of the reduction has been attributed to winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus) infestations. Winter ticks are fairly immobile throughout all life stages, and therefore their distribution patterns at any given time are shaped largely by the o
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Joshua Blouin, Jacob Debow, Elias Rosenblatt, James E. Hines, Cedric Alexander, Katherina Gieder, Nicholas Fortin, James Murdoch, Therese M. Donovan
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Cooperative Research Units

Spatiotemporal pattern of interactions between an apex predator and sympatric species

Increases in apex predator abundance can influence the behavior of sympatric species, particularly when the available habitat and/or resources are limited. We assessed the temporal and spatiotemporal interactions between Florida panthers (Puma concolor coryi) and six focal sympatric species in South Florida, where Florida panther abundance has increased by more than 6-fold since the 1990’s. Using
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Marta P Guitart, David P Onorato, James E. Hines, Madan K. Oli
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Habitat use by tiger prey in Thailand’s Western Forest Complex: What will it take to fill a half-full tiger landscape?

Tiger populations are declining globally, and depletion of major ungulate prey is an important contributing factor. To better understand factors affecting prey distribution in Thailand’s Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM), we conducted sign surveys for gaur (Bos gaurus), banteng (Bos javanicus), and sambar (Rusa unicolor) along 3517 1-km transects and used occupancy models to identify important covar
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Pornkamol Jornburom, Somphot Duangchantrasiri, Sitthichai Jinamoy, Anak Pattanavibool, James E. Hines, Todd W. Arnold, John Fieberg, James L D Smith
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

A multi-state occupancy modelling framework for robust estimation of disease prevalence in multi-tissue disease systems

Given the public health, economic and conservation implications of zoonotic diseases, their effective surveillance is of paramount importance. The traditional approach to estimating pathogen prevalence as the proportion of infected individuals in the population is biased because it fails to account for imperfect detection. A statistically robust way to reduce bias in prevalence estimates is to obt
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Vratika Chaudhary, Samantha M Wisely, Felipe A Hernandez, James E. Hines, James D. Nichols, Madan K. Oli
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center

North American Breeding Bird Survey Results and Analysis

This website provides visualizations of population change for North American birds using data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). The BBS is analyzed for a "core" area (contiguous United States and southern Canada, results available from 1966-present), and for an "expanded" survey area (including portions of Alaska and northern Canada with results from 1993-present).

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Eastern Ecological Science Center
Filter Total Items: 35

occupancyTuts: A package for learning occupancy modeling with RPresence

Understanding how species are distributed in both space and time is a central question in ecology. Seemingly simple questions such as “How many individuals live in a particular patch?”, “Is a patch occupied by a target species?”, “How many species are there?”, and “what factors shape these pattern?” are questions routinely asked by ecologists. The tutorials in occupancyTuts will illustrate methods
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Cooperative Research Units

fatalityCMR

Capture-recapture software to correct raw counts of wildlife fatalities using trial experiments for carcass detecition probability and persistence time.

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Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

PRESENCE

Estimates patch occupancy rates and related parameters.

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Eastern Ecological Science Center

SPECRICH2

Estimates the total number of species from species presence-absence data on multiple sample sites or occasions using model M(h) from program CAPTURE.

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Eastern Ecological Science Center

RDSURVIV

Computes estimates of survival and capture probability using capture-recapture data with "robust-design" models and recoveries.

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Eastern Ecological Science Center

BROWNIE

Computes estimates of survival and recovery rates for 2-age class band-recovery data.

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Eastern Ecological Science Center

CENTROID

Tests the null hypothesis that two samples of recoveries belong to the same bivariate distribution.

LOLASURVIV

Computes estimates of survival and capture probability for open capture-recapture models when sex is not allways known.

nestAbund

An R package to estimate nest abundance using a state-space superpopulation capture-recapture approach in which inference about detection proability is based on the age at first detection, as opposed to the sequence of re-detections in standard capture-recapture models.

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Eastern Ecological Science Center

GENCAPH1

Generates capture-history data for given s,theta,p,c.

COMDYN

Computes estimates of species richness using large scale data.

MSSRVRCV

Computes survival-movement, capture and recovery probabilities from multi-strata capture-recapture-recovery data.

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Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Invader Removal Halts Long-term Population Declines of Northern Spotted Owls

Invasive species can cause extinctions of native species and widespread biodiversity loss. Invader removal is a common management response, but the...

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