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Paul Flint, Ph.D.

Waterfowl population biology, factors affecting reproductive performance, evolutionary determinants of life history strategies, and survival rate estimation.

Professional Experience

  • 1993 - Present    Research Wildlife Biologist, USGS, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska

  • 1987 - 1993         Graduate Research Associate, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska

  • 1985 - 1987         Biological Technician, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska

Education and Certifications

  • Ph.D.     1993     University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK     Biology

  • B.S.       1986     University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK     Wildlife Biology

Affiliations and Memberships

  • The Wildlife Society

  • Wilson Ornithological Society

  • Cooper Ornithological Society

  • Association of Field Ornithologists

  • American Ornithologists Union

Science and Products

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Black Scoter in Dutch Harbor, Alaska

Tracking Data for Black Scoter (Melanitta americana)

Available here are tracking data of Black Scoter, a duck species that breeds throughout higher latitudes of Alaska and Canada and winters along coastal areas of North America. These data were collected to better understand the timing and patterns of migratory movements between breeding and wintering areas.
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Alaska Science Center
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Tracking Data for Black Scoter (Melanitta americana)

Available here are tracking data of Black Scoter, a duck species that breeds throughout higher latitudes of Alaska and Canada and winters along coastal areas of North America. These data were collected to better understand the timing and patterns of migratory movements between breeding and wintering areas.
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A group of Tundra Swans

Spatial and Temporal Maps of Population Change of Waterbirds on Alaska's North Slope

A main objective of the USGS Changing Arctic Research Initiative is to quantify and provide projections of the responses of wildlife species and their habitats to ecosystem change in the Arctic. The following project provides information for Department of Interior agencies, industry, and other stakeholders related to this objective.
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Alaska Science Center
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Spatial and Temporal Maps of Population Change of Waterbirds on Alaska's North Slope

A main objective of the USGS Changing Arctic Research Initiative is to quantify and provide projections of the responses of wildlife species and their habitats to ecosystem change in the Arctic. The following project provides information for Department of Interior agencies, industry, and other stakeholders related to this objective.
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Northern Pintail Duck swimming

Dabbling and Diving Duck Research

Dabbling and diving ducks, such as mallards, pintails and scaup, are widespread species throughout North America. Additionally, their migratory flyways pass through Asia and North America overlap in Alaska. Population trends of these species are closely tracked through aerial surveys by management agencies. Results from these and other surveys are then used to formulate management actions to...
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Alaska Science Center
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Dabbling and Diving Duck Research

Dabbling and diving ducks, such as mallards, pintails and scaup, are widespread species throughout North America. Additionally, their migratory flyways pass through Asia and North America overlap in Alaska. Population trends of these species are closely tracked through aerial surveys by management agencies. Results from these and other surveys are then used to formulate management actions to...
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Snow Goose near the Colville River, northern Alaska

Goose Research

The USGS Alaska Science Center has had a focus on addressing science questions related to geese in Alaska for decades. Information on these species is critical because all are important resources for subsistence and sport hunters in the state and outside of Alaska where these birds spend the winter. The large majority of goose populations in Alaska breed on national wildlife refuges (managed by...
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Alaska Science Center
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Goose Research

The USGS Alaska Science Center has had a focus on addressing science questions related to geese in Alaska for decades. Information on these species is critical because all are important resources for subsistence and sport hunters in the state and outside of Alaska where these birds spend the winter. The large majority of goose populations in Alaska breed on national wildlife refuges (managed by...
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Duck with various brown colored feathers

Avian Influenza Research

Since 2006, the USGS Alaska Science Center has been part of the State and Federal interagency team for the detection and response to highly pathogenic (HPAI) viruses in North America. Avian influenza or "bird flu" is a viral disease that primarily infects domestic poultry and wild birds. Avian influenza viruses are naturally occurring in wild birds such as ducks, geese, swans, and gulls. These...
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Ecosystems, Wildlife Program, Alaska Science Center
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Avian Influenza Research

Since 2006, the USGS Alaska Science Center has been part of the State and Federal interagency team for the detection and response to highly pathogenic (HPAI) viruses in North America. Avian influenza or "bird flu" is a viral disease that primarily infects domestic poultry and wild birds. Avian influenza viruses are naturally occurring in wild birds such as ducks, geese, swans, and gulls. These...
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Counts of Birds in Aerial Photos from Fall Waterfowl Surveys, Izembek Lagoon, Alaska, 2017-2019

This dataset includes tables summarizing image information and bird counts from the aerial digital images taken over open water at Izembek Lagoon in Alaska in fall 2017-2019. These summaries list one record per image and provide the camera parameters, latitude, longitude, altitude, and automated and manual counts representing the total number of birds in each taxon (brant, white-cheeked geese, emp
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Alaska Science Center

Tracking Data for Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima)

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 167 satellite transmitters attached to Common Eiders on their breeding range in arctic and western Alaska, 2000-2008. Five data files are included in the "rawData" folder of this data package. Tw
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Alaska Science Center

Capture and Measurement Data of Greater White-Fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) from the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, 2012-2014

This data set provides capture information and body size measurements of adult and gosling Greater White-fronted Geese captured at three study sites on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, 2012-2014.
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Alaska Science Center

Pacific common eider (Somateria mollissima v-nigrum) nest records, Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, 1991-2004

This data are a single table of nest records from a multi-year study of Pacific Common Eider (Somateria mollissima v-nigrum) biology that was conducted along the lower Kashunuk River, Kigigak Island, and the mouth of the Tutakoke River on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta from 1991-2004.
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Alaska Science Center

Vegetation and Temperature Data, Smith River Estuary, Alaska, 2011-2013

This data release contains measurements of vegetation samples and temperature collected from experimental plots of Carex subspathacea along the Smith River Estuary, Alaska (2011-2013).
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Alaska Science Center

Tracking Data for Black Scoter (Melanitta americana)

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 53 satellite transmitters attached to Black Scoters on their breeding and winter ranges in western Alaska, 2003-2007. The raw data were processed to accomplish two goals: flag implausible location estimates
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Alaska Science Center

Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) Nest Characteristics and Nesting Behavior Classifications from Time-lapse Photographs; Point Lonely, Alaska, 2013-2014

This data release contains two tables of information on behavior and productivity of greater white-fronted geese nesting near Point Lonely, Alaska, 2013-2014: transcriptions of nest photographs obtained by time-lapse photography at 1-minute intervals, and characteristics of nests monitored with cameras and via periodic nest visits. Data were collected as part of the USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystem
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Alaska Science Center

Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) Habitat Use Data, Teshekpuk Lake Special Area, 2012-2013

This data release contains one table of data from a two-year study of Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons frontalis) molting ecology conducted in the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area within the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska in 2012 and 2013.
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Alaska Science Center

Serum biochemistries of Pacific black brant

The data set contains results for nine serum biochemistries in molting Pacific black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans). These data were used to calculate reference intervals (sometimes referred to as normal values) for the nine serum biochemistries. All brant were after-hatch year. All samples were collected in 2006 and 2007 in the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area, Alaska.
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National Wildlife Health Center
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Strong evidence for two disjunct populations of Black Scoters Melanitta americana in North America

Black Scoters Melanitta americana were marked with satellite transmitters on Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America to examine continental-scale population delineation. Scoters marked on the different coasts did not overlap at any stage of the annual cycle, suggesting that birds in the two regions could be monitored and managed as separate populations: 1) an Atlantic population, which winter
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Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Growth of greater white-fronted goose goslings relates to population dynamics at multiple scales

The abundance of greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons frontalis) on the Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) of northern Alaska, USA, has more than tripled since the late 1990s; however, recent rate of annual population growth has declined as population size increased, which may indicate white-fronted geese on the ACP are approaching carrying capacity. We examined rates of gosling growth in greater
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Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Response of forage plants to alteration of temperature and spring thaw date: Implications for geese in a warming Arctic

Changes in summer temperatures in Arctic Alaska have led to longer and warmer growing seasons over the last three decades. Corresponding with these changes in climate, the abundance and distributions of geese have increased and expanded over the same period. We used an experimental approach to assess the response of goose forage plants to simulated environmental change. We subjected Carex subspath
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Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Prioritizing habitats based on abundance and distribution of molting waterfowl in the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area of the National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska

The National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A) encompasses more than 9.5 million hectares of federally managed land on the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska, where it supports a diversity of wildlife, including millions of migratory birds. Within the NPR-A, Teshekpuk Lake and the surrounding area provide important habitat for migratory birds, including large numbers of waterfowl and shoreb
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Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Visualizing populations of North American sea ducks: Maps to guide research and management planning

North American sea ducks generally breed in mid- to northern-latitude regions and nearly all rely upon marine habitats for much of their annual cycle. Most sea duck species remained poorly studied until the 1990s when declines were noted in several species and populations. Subsequent research, much of which was funded by the Sea Duck Joint Venture, began in the late 1990s with an emphasis on defin
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Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Spatio-temporal population change of Arctic-breeding waterbirds on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska

Rapid physical changes that are occurring in the Arctic are primary drivers of landscape change and thus may drive population dynamics of Arctic-breeding birds. Despite the importance of this region to breeding and molting waterbirds, lack of a comprehensive analysis of historic data has hindered quantifying avian population change. We estimated distribution, abundance, and spatially explicit popu
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Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Non‐linear effect of sea ice: Spectacled Eider survival declines at both extremes of the ice spectrum

Understanding the relationship between environmental factors and vital rates is an important step in predicting a species’ response to environmental change. Species associated with sea ice are of particular concern because sea ice is projected to decrease rapidly in polar environments with continued levels of greenhouse gas emissions. The relationship between sea ice and the vital rates of the Spe
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Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Summary of wildlife-related research on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, 2002–17

We summarize recent (2002–17) publicly available information from studies within the 1002 Area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as well as terrestrial and coastal ecosystems elsewhere on the Arctic Coastal Plain that are relevant to the 1002 Area. This report provides an update on earlier research summaries on caribou (Rangifer tarandus), forage quality and quantity, polar bears (Ursus marit
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Ecosystems, Energy & Wildlife, Alaska Science Center

Attaching transmitters to waterbirds using one versus two subcutaneous anchors: Retention and survival trade-offs

A major challenge of wildlife telemetry is choosing an attachment technique that maximizes transmitter retention while minimizing negative side effects. For waterbirds, attachment of transmitters with subcutaneous anchors has been an effective and well-established technique, having been used on >40 species. This method was recently modified to include a second subcutaneous anchor, presumably incre
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Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Effects of industrial and investigator disturbance on Arctic-nesting geese

Oil and gas development on the Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) of Alaska, USA may have effects on Arctic-nesting birds. To estimate effects of industrial activity and investigator disturbance on avian productivity, we monitored nests of greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons) with digital cameras and periodic nest visits during 2013–2014 at 2 sites on the ACP. A disturbed site was adjacent to hum
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Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Movements and habitat use of White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons frontalis) during the remigial molt in arctic Alaska, USA

Proposed oil and gas leasing in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska has raised questions about possible impacts of development on molting Greater White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons frontalis) and their habitats. We used GPS transmitters to record fine-scale location data of molting and post-molt White-fronted Geese to assess patterns of movement and resource selection relative to vegetation
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Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Geographic and temporal patterns of variation in total mercury concentrations in blood of harlequin ducks and blue mussels from Alaska

We compared total mercury (Hg) concentrations in whole blood of harlequin ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) sampled within and among two geographically distinct locations and across three years in southwest Alaska. Blue mussels were collected to assess correlation between Hg concentrations in locally available forage and birds. Mercury concentrations in harlequin duck blood were significantly high
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Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center
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Sea Ice Decline and Permafrost Thaw Create Goose Habitat in Arctic Alaska

Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey report that warming temperatures are leading to the creation of high quality habitats for geese along the...

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