Shorebird ecology, population monitoring, waterbird conservation.
Professional Experience
1998 - Present Wildlife Biologist, USGS, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska
1988 - 1998 Biological Technician/General Biologist, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service/ National Biological Service, Anchorage, Alaska
1981 - 1988 Various biotechnical positions, federal/ state wildlife agencies and universities, Oregon and Hawaii
Education and Certifications
M.S. 2000 Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA Wildlife Biology
B.S. 1982 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR Biology
Affiliations and Memberships*
Wilson Ornithological Society
American Ornithologist's Union
Cooper Ornithological Society
Association of Field Ornithologists
Waterbird Society
Wader Study Group
Science and Products
USGS Alaska Science Center Wildlife Tracking Data Collection
Tracking Data for Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)
Tracking Data for Tundra Swans (Cygnus columbianus)
Tracking Data for Marbled Godwits (Limosa fedoa)
Shorebird Research
Data From the Inventory of Breeding Birds in Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, Alaska, 2008
USGS Alaska Science Center Adult Shorebird Morphological Measurement Data
Juvenile Shorebird Morphological Data Collected in Alaska and Canada
Inventory Data of Lowland-Breeding Birds and Associated Vegetation Types on the Alaska Peninsula, 2004-2007
Tracking Data for Whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus)
Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis) measurement data from Brazil, Texas, and Alaska
Measurements Used to Determine the Sex of Bristle-thighed Curlews (Numenius tahitiensis)
Tracking Data for Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)
Data from Bristle-Thighed Curlews at James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge, O'ahu, Hawaii, 2012-2014
Tracking Data for Northern Pintails (Anas acuta)
Tracking Data for Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors)
Tracking Data for Marbled Godwits (Limosa fedoa)
Disparate data streams together yield novel survival estimates of Alaska-breeding Whimbrels
Hidden in plain sight: Migration routes of the elusive Anadyr bar-tailed godwit revealed by satellite tracking
Central-West Siberian-breeding Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica) segregate in two morphologically distinct flyway populations
Diverse patterns of migratory timing, site use, and site fidelity by Alaska-breeding Whimbrels
When a typical jumper skips: Itineraries and staging habitats used by Red Knots (Calidris canutus piersmai) migrating between northwest Australia and the New Siberian Islands
Ecological insights from three decades of animal movement tracking across a changing Arctic
Shorebird research at the U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center
After-hatch and hatch year Buff-breasted Sandpipers (Calidris subruficollis) can be sexed accurately using morphometric measures
A red knot as a black swan: How a single bird shows navigational abilities during repeat crossings of the Greenland Icecap
Through thick and thin: Sexing Bristle-thighed Curlews Numenius tahitiensis using measures of bill depth
Tracking the migration of Pacific Golden-Plovers from nonbreeding grounds at Moorea, French Polynesia, using Pinpoint GPS-Argos tags
Factors promoting the recolonization of Oahu, Hawaii, by Bristle-thighed Curlews
Science and Products
- Science
USGS Alaska Science Center Wildlife Tracking Data Collection
Understanding the short- and long-distance movements of wildlife is critical for a wide variety of ecological research questions and management decisions. Since the mid-1980s, the USGS Alaska Science Center has used information from telemetry devices on wildlife species to determine locations of animals throughout their annual cycles, understand patterns of habitat use, quantify time spent on...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.Tracking Data for Tundra Swans (Cygnus columbianus)
Available here are tracking data of Tundra Swans, a species that nests in coastal areas throughout Alaska and winters across a broad area of North America from the Pacific to Atlantic coasts. These data were collected to better understand the timing and patterns of migratory movements and seasonal use of habitats in breeding, wintering, and migratory areas of North America.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.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... - Data
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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 investUSGS 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,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 NInventory Data of Lowland-Breeding Birds and Associated Vegetation Types on the Alaska Peninsula, 2004-2007
These are data from a stratified random survey to inventory the birds breeding in lowlands (elevation below 100m) of the Alaska Peninsula, during summers 2004-2007. Data were collected at 792 points on 52 5-km x 5-km plots. The data are in six tables: 1) geographic coordinates of the bounding corners of each of the 52 plots, 2) geographic coordinates of each of the 792 bird count points, 3) countsTracking 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 dBuff-breasted Sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis) measurement data from Brazil, Texas, and Alaska
This data consists of a single table morphologic measurement data and sex as determined by behavior and genetic techniques from 362 Buff-breasted Sandpipers (Calidris subruficollis) from Brazil, Texas and Alaska (1994 - 2017).Measurements Used to Determine the Sex of Bristle-thighed Curlews (Numenius tahitiensis)
This data set contains bill and tarsal measurements from 114 Bristle-thighed Curlews, captured on breeding grounds in Alaska, and non-breeding areas in Hawaii and Reitoru atoll, French Polynesia.Tracking Data for Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)
This metadata document describes the data contained in the "rawData" folder of this data package. This data package contains all data collected by the Argos System from 50 satellite transmitters attached to Tundra Swans on their breeding range in arctic and western Alaska, 2008. Five data files are included in the "rawData" folder of this data package. Two data files (with identical content) contaData from Bristle-Thighed Curlews at James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge, O'ahu, Hawaii, 2012-2014
This data package includes two tables of data for Bristle-thighed curlews (Numenius tahitiensis) captured 2012-2014 on the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge O'ahu, Hawaii (21.68 N, 157.95 W). One table provides capture, banding, morphology, and genetic data. The second table provides mark-resight data for estimating the size of the wintering population on Oahu in April of 2014.Tracking Data for Northern Pintails (Anas acuta)
This metadata document describes the data contained in the "rawData" folder of this data package. This data package contains all data collected by the Argos System from 129 satellite transmitters attached to Northern Pintail ducks on their winter range in Japan, 2007-2009. Five data files are included in the "rawData" folder of this data package. Two data files (with identical content) contain theTracking Data for Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors)
This metadata document describes the data contained in the "rawData" folder of this data package. This data package contains all data collected by the Argos System from 42 satellite transmitters attached to Blue-winged Teal ducks on their breeding range in Saskatchewan and Alberta (August 2013) and spring staging areas in Texas and Louisiana (March 2015). Five data files are included in the "rawDaTracking Data for Marbled Godwits (Limosa fedoa)
This metadata document describes the data contained in the "rawData" folder of this data package. This data package contains all data collected by the Argos System from nine satellite transmitters attached to Marbled Godwits on their breeding range in southwest Alaska, USA. Five data files are included in the "rawData" folder of this data package. Two data files (with identical content) contain th - Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 47
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 divergeAuthorsDaniel R. Ruthrauff, Christopher M. Harwood, T. Lee Tibbitts, Vijay P. PatilHidden in plain sight: Migration routes of the elusive Anadyr bar-tailed godwit revealed by satellite tracking
Satellite and GPS tracking technology continues to reveal new migration patterns of birds which enables comparative studies of migration strategies and distributional information useful in conservation. Bar-tailed godwits in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway Limosa lapponica baueri and L. l. menzbieri are known for their long non-stop flights, however these populations are in steep decline. A thiAuthorsYing-Chi Chan, T. Lee Tibbitts, Dmitry Dorofeev, Chris J. Hassell, Theunis PiersmaCentral-West Siberian-breeding Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica) segregate in two morphologically distinct flyway populations
Long-distance migratory species often include multiple breeding populations, with distinct migration routes, wintering areas and annual-cycle timing. Detailed knowledge on population structure and migratory connectivity provides the basis for studies on the evolution of migration strategies and for species conservation. Currently, five subspecies of Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica have been deAuthorsRoeland A. Bom, Jesse R. Conklin, Yvonne I. Verkuil, José A. Alves, Jimmy De Fouw, Anne Dekinga, Chris J. Hassell, Raymond H. G. Klaassen, Eldar Rakhimberdiev, Andy Y. Kwarteng, Afonso Rocha, Job ten Horn, T. Lee Tibbitts, Pavel S. Tomkovich, Reginald Victor, Theunis PiersmaDiverse 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 studieAuthorsDaniel R. Ruthrauff, Christopher M. Harwood, Lee Tibbitts, Nils Warnock, Robert E. GillWhen a typical jumper skips: Itineraries and staging habitats used by Red Knots (Calidris canutus piersmai) migrating between northwest Australia and the New Siberian Islands
The ecological reasons for variation in avian migration, with some populations migrating across thousands of kilometres between breeding and non-breeding areas with one or few refuelling stops, in contrast to others that stop more often, remain to be pinned down. Red Knots Calidris canutus are a textbook example of a shorebird species that makes long migrations with only a few stops. Recognizing tAuthorsTheunis Piersma, Eva Kok, Chris J. Hassell, Yvonne I. Verkuil, Guangchun Lei, He-Bo Peng, Eldar Rakhimberdiev, Paul Howey, Ying-Chi Chan, Lee Tibbitts, Julia KaragichevaEcological 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 HebblewhiteShorebird 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 importAuthorsDan Ruthrauff, T. Lee Tibbitts, John PearceAfter-hatch and hatch year Buff-breasted Sandpipers (Calidris subruficollis) can be sexed accurately using morphometric measures
Determining the sex of birds quickly in the field can help in studies of behavior and distribution, and when selecting particular sexes for deploying tracking devices or collecting samples. However, discerning males from females is difficult in species that are plumage monomorphic and have overlapping sexual-size dimorphism, as in Buff-breasted Sandpipers Calidris subruficollis. We developed threeAuthorsJuliana B. Almeida, Iara F. Lopes, Lewis Oring, T. Lee Tibbitts, Lisa M. Pajot, Richard B. LanctotA red knot as a black swan: How a single bird shows navigational abilities during repeat crossings of the Greenland Icecap
Despite the wealth of studies on seasonal movements of birds between southern nonbreeding locations and High Arctic breeding locations, the key mechanisms of navigation during these migrations remain elusive. A flight along the shortest possible route between pairs of points on a sphere (‘orthodrome’) requires a bird to be able to assess its current location in relation to its migration goal and tAuthorsEva Kok, T. Lee Tibbitts, David C. Douglas, Paul Howey, Anne Dekinga, Benjamin Gnep, Theunis PiersmaThrough 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 shaAuthorsDaniel R. Ruthrauff, Colleen M. Handel, T. Lee Tibbitts, Robert E. GillTracking the migration of Pacific Golden-Plovers from nonbreeding grounds at Moorea, French Polynesia, using Pinpoint GPS-Argos tags
We used Pinpoint GPS-Argos tags to track migration of Pacific Golden-Plovers Pluvialis fulva in 2017 and 2018 from Moorea Island, at the extreme southeastern edge of the species’ winter range. Of 20 tagged birds, 13 uploaded locations during all or part of their northward migration. The birds departed in mid-April traveling a long (8,250–10,200 km) northwestward track. Ten individuals signaled froAuthorsOscar W. Johnson, T. Lee Tibbitts, Michael F. Weber, David R. Bybee, Roger H. Goodwill, Andrea Bruner, Errika J. Smith, Emmalee L. Buss, Trinity Q.A. Waddell, Daxton Brooks, Carolyn Smith, Jean-Yves MeyerFactors 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 oldAuthorsT. Lee Tibbitts, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Jared G. Underwood, Vijay P. Patil - 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