Lee Tibbitts
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
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)
Migratory Timing and Site Use of Marbled Godwits Breeding in Alaska, 2008-2015
Data for Montane-breeding Bird Distribution and Abundance across National Parks of Southwestern Alaska, 2004-2008
Factors promoting the recolonization of Oahu, Hawaii, by Bristle-thighed Curlews
Filling knowledge gaps in a threatened shorebird flyway through satellite tracking
Shorebird subsistence harvest and indigenous knowledge in Alaska: Informing harvest assessment and management, and engaging users in shorebird conservation
Satellite tracking of gulls and genomic characterization of fecal bacteria reveals environmentally mediated acquisition and dispersal of antimicrobial resistant Escherichia coli on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Flexible timing of annual movements across consistently used sites by Marbled Godwits breeding in Alaska
Survival of Bristle-thighed Curlews equipped with externally mounted transmitters
Inventory of lowland-breeding birds on the Alaska Peninsula
Fuelling conditions at staging sites can mitigate Arctic warming effects in a migratory bird
Montane-breeding bird distribution and abundance across national parks of southwestern Alaska
Testing an attachment method for solar-powered tracking devices on a long-distance migrating shorebird
When Siberia came to the Netherlands: The response of continental black-tailed godwits to a rare spring weather event
Spatial genetic structure of bristle-thighed curlews (Numenius tahitiensis): Breeding area differentiation not reflected on the non-breeding grounds
Science and Products
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- Data
Filter Total Items: 18
Data 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 thMigratory Timing and Site Use of Marbled Godwits Breeding in Alaska, 2008-2015
This dataset contains migration timing and land-based location information from nine Marbled Godwits (Limosa fedoa beringiae) equipped with solar-powered satellite transmitters on breeding grounds near Ugashik, Alaska, in June of 2008. Transmitters were programmed with a duty cycle of 10 hr on and 48 hr off, yielding 10,858 locations (47-3,490 locations per bird, depending on the duration of eachData for Montane-breeding Bird Distribution and Abundance across National Parks of Southwestern Alaska, 2004-2008
Observation data and model covariate data from breeding bird inventory conducted during May-June 2004 and 2008 primarily in montane areas (>100 m above sea level) in Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve (Aniakchak NMP), Katmai National Park and Preserve (Katmai NPP), and Lake Clark National Park and Preserve (Lake Clark NPP) in southwestern Alaska. Observers conducted 1,021 point counts along - Multimedia
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Filter Total Items: 48
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 oldAuthorsT. Lee Tibbitts, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Jared G. Underwood, Vijay P. PatilFilling knowledge gaps in a threatened shorebird flyway through satellite tracking
Satellite‐based technologies that track individual animal movements enable the mapping of their spatial and temporal patterns of occurrence. This is particularly useful in poorly studied or remote regions where there is a need for the rapid gathering of relevant ecological knowledge to inform management actions. One such region is East Asia, where many intertidal habitats are being degraded at unpAuthorsYin-Chi Chan, T. Lee Tibbitts, Tamar Lok, Chris Hassell, He-Bo Peng, Zhijun Ma, Zhengwang Zhang, Theunis PiersmaShorebird 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 subsisteAuthorsNaves. Liliana, Jacqueline Keating, T. Lee Tibbitts, Daniel R. RuthrauffSatellite tracking of gulls and genomic characterization of fecal bacteria reveals environmentally mediated acquisition and dispersal of antimicrobial resistant Escherichia coli on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Gulls (Larus spp.) have frequently been reported to carry Escherichia coli exhibiting antimicrobial resistance (AMR E. coli); however, the pathways governing the acquisition and dispersal of such bacteria are not well-described. We equipped 17 landfill-foraging gulls with satellite transmitters and collected gull fecal samples longitudinally from four locations on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska to asAuthorsChristina Ahlstrom, Jonas Bonnedahl, Hanna Woksepp, Jorge Hernandez, John Reed, T. Lee Tibbitts, Björn Olsen, David C. Douglas, Andrew M. RameyFlexible timing of annual movements across consistently used sites by Marbled Godwits breeding in Alaska
The study of avian movement has detailed a spectrum of strategies for the timing and use of sites throughout the annual cycle, from near randomness to complete consistency. New tracking devices now permit the repeated tracking of individual animals throughout the annual cycle, detailing previously unappreciated levels of variation within migratory systems. Godwits (genus Limosa) have featured promAuthorsDaniel R. Ruthrauff, T. Lee Tibbitts, Robert E. GillSurvival of Bristle-thighed Curlews equipped with externally mounted transmitters
Telemetry devices are widely used in avian research, but the degree to which the deployment of such devices affects the survival of study subjects is often not addressed. It is generally assumed that such effects are less pronounced in large-bodied species that conduct relatively short migrations and carry relatively light telemetry devices. We studied Bristle-thighed Curlews Numenius tahitiensisAuthorsDaniel R. Ruthrauff, T. Lee Tibbitts, Vijay P. PatilInventory of lowland-breeding birds on the Alaska Peninsula
We conducted the first systematic inventory of birds in the lowlands (areas ≤100 m above sea level) of the Alaska Peninsula during summers of 2004–2007 to determine their breeding distributions and habitat associations in this remote region. Using a stratified random survey design, we allocated sample plots by elevation and land cover with a preference for wetland cover types used by shorebirds, aAuthorsSusan E. Savage, T. Lee Tibbitts, Kristin Sesser, Robb S.A. KalerFuelling conditions at staging sites can mitigate Arctic warming effects in a migratory bird
Under climate warming, migratory birds should align reproduction dates with advancing plant and arthropod phenology. To arrive on the breeding grounds earlier, migrants may speed up spring migration by curtailing the time spent en route, possibly at the cost of decreased survival rates. Based on a decades-long series of observations along an entire flyway, we show that when refuelling time is limiAuthorsEldar Rakhimberdiev, Sjoerd Duijns, Julia Karagicheva, Cornelis J. Camphuysen, Anne Dekinga, Rob Dekker, Anatoly Gavrilov, Job ten Horn, Joop Jukema, Anatoly Saveliev, Mikhail Soloviev, T. Lee Tibbitts, Jan A. van Gils, Theunis Piersma, VRS CastricumMontane-breeding bird distribution and abundance across national parks of southwestern Alaska
Between 2004 and 2008, biologists conducted an inventory of breeding birds during May–June primarily in montane areas (>100 m above sea level) in Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve (Aniakchak NMP), Katmai National Park and Preserve (Katmai NPP), and Lake Clark National Park and Preserve (Lake Clark NPP) in southwestern Alaska. Observers conducted 1,021 point counts along 169 transects withinAuthorsCourtney L. Amundson, Colleen M. Handel, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, T. Lee Tibbitts, Robert E. GillTesting an attachment method for solar-powered tracking devices on a long-distance migrating shorebird
Small solar-powered satellite transmitters and GPS data loggers enable continuous, multi-year, and global tracking of birds. What is lacking, however, are reliable methods to attach these tracking devices to small migratory birds so that (1) flight performance is not impacted and (2) tags are retained during periods of substantial mass change associated with long-distance migration. We developed aAuthorsYing-Chi Chan, Martin Brugge, T. Lee Tibbitts, Anne Dekinga, Ron Porter, Raymond H. G. Klaassen, Theunis PiersmaWhen Siberia came to the Netherlands: The response of continental black-tailed godwits to a rare spring weather event
Summary Extreme weather events have the potential to alter both short- and long-term population dynamics as well as community- and ecosystem-level function. Such events are rare and stochastic, making it difficult to fully document how organisms respond to them and predict the repercussions of similar events in the future. To improve our understanding of the mechanisms by which short-term eventsAuthorsNathan R. Senner, Mo A. Verhoeven, José M. Abad-Gómez, Jorge S. Gutiérrez, Jos C. E. W. Hooijmeijer, Rosemarie Kentie, José A. Masero, T. Lee Tibbitts, Theunis PiersmaSpatial genetic structure of bristle-thighed curlews (Numenius tahitiensis): Breeding area differentiation not reflected on the non-breeding grounds
Migratory birds occupy geographically and ecologically disparate areas during their annual cycle with conditions on breeding and non-breeding grounds playing separate and important roles in population dynamics. We used data from nuclear microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA control region loci to assess the breeding and non-breeding spatial genetic structure of a transoceanic migrant shorebird, theAuthorsSarah A. Sonsthagen, T. Lee Tibbitts, Robert E. Gill, Ian S. Williams, Sandra L. Talbot - 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