Colleen Handel, Ph.D.
Population ecology of passerines and shorebirds, behavioral ecology, population monitoring, and sampling design.
Professional Experience
1996 - Present Research Wildlife Biologist, USGS, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska
1993 - 1996 Research Wildlife Biologist, NBS, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska
1978 - 1993 Research Wildlife Biologist, USFWS, Alaska Fish and Wildlife Research Center, Anchorage, Alaska
1977 - 1978 Research/ Teaching Assistant, University of California Davis, Davis, California
1975 - 1978 Biological Science Technician, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska
1975 - 1975 Biological Science Aide, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Kenai, Alaska
1974 - 1974 Botany and Ornithology Instructor, Murray Rhode School, Newton Public High Schools, Newton, Massachusetts
1972 - 1972 Assistant Curator, Farlow Herbarium, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
1972 - 1972 Research Assistant, Concord Field Station, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 2002 University of California Davis, Davis, CA Ecology
M.S. 1982 University of California Davis, Davis, CA Ecology
B.A. 1974 Harvard University, Cambridge, MA Biological Sciences
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Ornithological Society (Fellow, Deputy Editor)
Association of Field Ornithologists
Colonial Waterbird Group
Ecological Society of America
Pacific Seabird Group
Society for Conservation Biology
Wader Study Group
Wildlife Society
Wilson Ornithological Society
Science and Products
Inventory of montane-nesting birds in Katmai and Lake Clark national parks and preserves
The blind men and the elephant: Concerns about the use of juvenile proportion data
Nesting ecology of boreal forest birds following a massive outbreak of spruce beetles
Inventory of montane-nesting birds in the Arctic Network of National Parks, Alaska
Shorebird avoidance of nearshore feeding and roosting areas at night correlates with presence of a nocturnal avian predator
Use of buccal swabs for sampling DNA from nestling and adult birds
Response of predators to Western Sandpiper nest exclosures
Recommendations for the use of mist nets for inventory and monitoring of bird populations
Additions to the avifauna of St Matthew Island, Bering Sea
Spatial variation in shorebird nest success: Implications for inference
Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala)
Densities of breeding birds and changes in vegetation in an alaskan boreal forest following a massive disturbance by spruce beetles
Science and Products
- Science
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- Data
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- Multimedia
- Publications
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Inventory of montane-nesting birds in Katmai and Lake Clark national parks and preserves
As part of the National Park Service’s Inventory and Monitoring Program, biologists from the U. S. Geological Survey’s Alaska Science Center conducted an inventory of birds in montane regions of Katmai and Lake Clark National Parks and Preserves during 2004–2006. We used a stratified random survey design to allocate samples by ecological subsection. To survey for birds, we conducted counts at 468AuthorsDaniel R. Ruthrauff, T. Lee Tibbitts, Robert E. Gill, Colleen M. HandelThe blind men and the elephant: Concerns about the use of juvenile proportion data
Juvenile proportion data in shorebirds are being used with increasing frequency to estimate recruitment and even breeding success. Although this area of investigation holds great promise, flaws in current study designs preclude great confidence in the broad-scale inferences being drawn. We present data from our own investigations on juvenile proportions in Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica in AlAuthorsBrian J. McCaffery, Colleen M. Handel, Robert E. Gill, Daniel R. RuthrauffNesting ecology of boreal forest birds following a massive outbreak of spruce beetles
We studied breeding dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis), yellow-rumped warblers (Dendroica coronata), and spruce-nesting birds from 1997 to 1998 among forests with different levels of spruce (Picea spp.) mortality following an outbreak of spruce beetles (Dendroctonus rufipennis) in Alaska, USA. We identified species using live and beetle-killed spruce for nest sites and monitored nests to determineAuthorsSteven M. Matsuoka, Colleen M. HandelInventory of montane-nesting birds in the Arctic Network of National Parks, Alaska
The Alaska Science Center of the U.S. Geological Survey conducted an inventory of birds in montane areas of the four northern parks in the Arctic Network of National Parks, Alaska. This effort represents the first comprehensive assessment of breeding range and habitat associations for the majority of avian species in the Arctic Network. Ultimately, these data provide a framework upon which to desiAuthorsT. Lee Tibbitts, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Robert E. Gill, Colleen M. HandelShorebird avoidance of nearshore feeding and roosting areas at night correlates with presence of a nocturnal avian predator
We here report two anecdotes about avianinteractions relevant to the interpretation of differences in shorebirdhabitat use between day and night. Several studies have reported that shorebirds avoid feeding and roosting along nearshore areasat night yet commonly use these sites during daytime. This suggests that nighttime avoidance of nearshore places is a response to increased danger of predation.AuthorsTheunis Piersma, Robert E. Gill, Petra de Goeij, Anne Dekinga, Marnie Shepherd, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, T. Lee TibbittsUse of buccal swabs for sampling DNA from nestling and adult birds
We evaluated the feasibility and efficiency of using swabs to collect buccal epithelial cells fromsmall (2‐ to 13‐g) birds as a source of DNA for genetic studies. We used commercially available buccal swab kits to collect samples from 42 adult and 39 nestling (4‐ to 8‐day‐old) black‐capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) and from6 4‐day‐old nestling boreal chickadees (P. hudsonica). We comparedAuthorsColleen M. Handel, Lisa M. Pajot, Sandra L. Talbot, George K. SageResponse of predators to Western Sandpiper nest exclosures
In 2001, predator exclosures were used to protect nests of the Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) in western Alaska. During the exclosure experiment, nest contents in exclosures had significantly higher daily survival rates than control nests, however, late in the study predators began to cue in on exclosures and predate the nest contents. An Arctic Fox (Alopex lagopus) dug under one exclosure andAuthorsAmanda C. Niehaus, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Brian J. McCafferyRecommendations for the use of mist nets for inventory and monitoring of bird populations
We provide recommendations on the best practices for mist netting for the purposes of monitoring population parameters such as abundance and demography. Studies should be carefully thought out before nets are set up, to ensure that sampling design and estimated sample size will allow study objectives to be met. Station location, number of nets, type of nets, net placement, and schedule of operatioAuthorsC. John Ralph, Erica H. Dunn, Will J. Peach, Colleen M. HandelAdditions to the avifauna of St Matthew Island, Bering Sea
St. Matthew Island (60°24' N, 172°42' W) is located in the north-central Bering Sea and is renowned for its distinctive Beringian flora and fauna. Because of its central position between the coasts of Russia and Alaska, St. Matthew Island and its nearby satellites, Hall and Pinnacle islands, support a mixture of Palearctic and Nearctic avifaunas. Of special interest to North American ornithologistAuthorsJames A. Johnson, Steven M. Matsuoka, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Michael A. Litzow, Maksim N. DementyevSpatial variation in shorebird nest success: Implications for inference
Estimates of nest success are widely applied in order to evaluate a multitude of theoretical and practical issues. Frequently, however, researchers fail to limit their inferences to the appropriate spatial scale. We evaluated small-scale variation in nest success of Western Sandpipers Calidris mauri during a four-year study on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in western Alaska. We use these data to demonAuthorsBrian J. McCaffery, Daniel R. RuthrauffBlack Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala)
No abstract availableAuthorsColleen M. Handel, Robert E. GillDensities of breeding birds and changes in vegetation in an alaskan boreal forest following a massive disturbance by spruce beetles
We examined bird and plant communities among forest stands with different levels of spruce mortality following a large outbreak of spruce beetles (Dendroctonus rufipennis (Kirby)) in the Copper River Basin, Alaska. Spruce beetles avoided stands with black spruce (Picea mariana) and selectively killed larger diameter white spruce (Picea glauca), thereby altering forest structure and increasing theAuthorsSteven M. Matsuoka, Colleen M. Handel, Daniel R. Ruthrauff - News
*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