Robert E Gill, Jr.
The movement ecology of migratory animals, especially extreme endurance migrant birds, fascinates me. Alaska migratory shorebirds have links to all hemispheres, requiring international collaborations to implement effective conservations efforts.
Through an emeritus position at the Alaska Science Center my research is focused on: 1) collaborations with an international suite of colleagues to assess the movement ecology of extreme endurance migrant shorebirds and identify the global-scale conservation issues facing their populations, and 2) releasing data to the public domain and publishing results associated with information collected during my five-decade-long tenure as a research biologist.
Professional Experience
2015 - present Scientist Emeritus USGS, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK
1996 - 2015 Research Wildlife Biologist USGS, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK
1993 - 1996 Wildlife Biologist NBS Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK
1987 - 1993 Wildlife Biologist USFWS, Alaska Fish and Wildlife Research Center, Anchorage, AK
1984 - 1987 Wildlife Biologist Denver Wildlife Research Center, Anchorage, AK
1981 - 1983 Wildlife Biologist Seattle National Fisheries Research Center, Anchorage, AK
1976 - 1980 Wildlife Biologist US Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, AK
1973 - 1976 Wildlife Biologist California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento, CA
Education and Certifications
Ph. D. 2010 - present Groningen University, The Netherlands
M.S. 1972 San Jose State University, San Jose, CA Biology
B.A. 1970 San Jose State College, San Jose, CA Wildlife Management
Affiliations and Memberships*
Alaska Shorebird Group (Founding member)
American Ornithologists' Union (Life member, Elective Member 1983, Fellow 2011)
Arctic Institute of North America (Life member)
Australasian Wader Studies Group (North American Representative, 2001-2010)
Canada Shorebird Plan (Member, Scientific Advisory Committee, 1998-2001)
Cooper Ornithological Society (Life member)
East Asian-Australasian Shorebird Working Group (U.S. representative, 2002-2007)
Global Flyway Network (Member, Scientific Advisory Board (2001-present)
International Wader Study Group (Life member; Executive Committee, 1999-2008; Editorial Advisory Board, 2012-present)
New Zealand Wader Study Group
Pacific Shorebird Migration Project (Co-PI, 2006-present)
Russian Working Group on Waders
Western Hemisphere Shorebird Group (Founding Member; Advisory Board, 2008-present)
Western Field Ornithologists (Board of Directors, 1999-2015; Assoc. Editor, 2005-present)
Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (Chair, Scientific Advisory Board, 2004-2012)
U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan (Chair, Research and Monitoring Group, 1998-2001)
Abstracts and Presentations
Five invited keynote, 14 invited, and >60 contributed presentations before various scientific bodies.
Science and Products
Small population size of Pribilof Rock Sandpipers confirmed through distance-sampling surveys in Alaska
A horizon scanning assessment of current and potential future threats to migratory shorebirds
Contrasting extreme long-distance migration patterns in bar-tailed godwits Limosa lapponica
Functional ecology of saltglands in shorebirds: Flexible responses to variable environmental conditions
Experimental challenge and pathology of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 in dunlin (Calidris alpina), an intercontinental migrant shorebird species
Coelomic implantation of satellite transmitters in the bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica) and the bristle-thighed curlew (Numenius tahitiensis) using propofol, bupivacaine, and lidocaine
A puzzling migratory detour : Are fueling conditions in Alaska driving the movement of juvenile sharp -tailed sandpipers ?
Wayward youth: Trans-Beringian movement and differential southward migration by juvenile sharp-tailed sandpipers
Limited evidence of trans-hemispheric movement of avian influenza viruses among contemporary North American shorebird isolates
Extreme endurance flights by landbirds crossing the Pacific Ocean: Ecological corridor rather than barrier?
Prevalence of Influenza A viruses in wild migratory birds in Alaska: Patterns of variation in detection at a crossroads of intercontinental flyways
Inventory of montane-nesting birds in Katmai and Lake Clark national parks and preserves
Science and Products
- Science
- Data
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- Publications
Filter Total Items: 92
Small population size of Pribilof Rock Sandpipers confirmed through distance-sampling surveys in Alaska
The Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis) is endemic to the Bering Sea region and unique among shorebirds in the North Pacific for wintering at high latitudes. The nominate subspecies, the Pribilof Rock Sandpiper (C. p. ptilocnemis), breeds on four isolated islands in the Bering Sea and appears to spend the winter primarily in Cook Inlet, Alaska. We used a stratified systematic sampling design andAuthorsDaniel R. Ruthrauff, T. Lee Tibbitts, Robert E. Gill, Maksim N. Dementyev, Colleen M. HandelA horizon scanning assessment of current and potential future threats to migratory shorebirds
We review the conservation issues facing migratory shorebird populations that breed in temperate regions and use wetlands in the non-breeding season. Shorebirds are excellent model organisms for understanding ecological, behavioural and evolutionary processes and are often used as indicators of wetland health. A global team of experienced shorebird researchers identified 45 issues facing these shoAuthorsWilliam J. Sutherland, José A. Alves, Tatsuya Amano, Charlotte H. Chang, Nicholas C. Davidson, C. Max Finlayson, Jennifer A. Gill, Robert E. Gill, Patricia M. González, Tómas Grétar Gunnarsson, David Kleijn, Chris J. Spray, Tamás Székely, Des B.A. ThompsonContrasting extreme long-distance migration patterns in bar-tailed godwits Limosa lapponica
Migrating birds make the longest non-stop endurance flights in the animal kingdom. Satellite technology is now providing direct evidence on the lengths and durations of these flights and associated staging episodes for individual birds. Using this technology, we compared the migration performance of two subspecies of bar-tailed godwit Limosa lapponica travelling between non-breeding grounds in NewAuthorsPhil F. Battley, Nils Warnock, T. Lee Tibbitts, Robert E. Gill, Theunis Piersma, Chris J. Hassell, David C. Douglas, Daniel M. Mulcahy, Brett D. Gartrell, Rob Schuckard, David S. Melville, Adrian C. RiegenFunctional ecology of saltglands in shorebirds: Flexible responses to variable environmental conditions
1. Birds of marine environments have specialized glands to excrete salt, the saltglands. Located on the skull between the eyes, the size of these organs is expected to reflect their demand, which will vary with water turnover rates as a function of environmental (heat load, salinity of prey and drinking water) and organismal (energy demand, physiological state) factors. On the basis of inter- andAuthorsJ.S. Gutierrez, M.W. Dietz, J.A. Masero, Robert E. Gill, Anne Dekinga, Phil F. Battley, J. M. Sanchez-Guzman, Theunis PiersmaExperimental challenge and pathology of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 in dunlin (Calidris alpina), an intercontinental migrant shorebird species
Background Shorebirds (Charadriiformes) are considered one of the primary reservoirs of avian influenza. Because these species are highly migratory, there is concern that infected shorebirds may be a mechanism by which highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N1 could be introduced into North America from Asia. Large numbers of dunlin (Calidris alpina) migrate from wintering areas in centAuthorsJeffrey S. Hall, J. Christian Franson, Robert E. Gill, Carol U. Meteyer, Joshua L. TeSlaa, Sean W. Nashold, Robert J. Dusek, Hon S. IpCoelomic implantation of satellite transmitters in the bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica) and the bristle-thighed curlew (Numenius tahitiensis) using propofol, bupivacaine, and lidocaine
Intravenous propofol was used as a general anesthetic with a 2∶1 (mg∶mg) adjunctive mixture of lidocaine and bupivacaine as local anesthetics infiltrated into the surgical sites for implantation of satellite transmitters into the right abdominal air sac of 39 female and 4 male bar-tailed godwits (Limosa lapponica baueri and Limosa lapponica menzbeiri) and 11 female and 12 male bristle-thighed curlAuthorsDaniel M. Mulcahy, Brett D. Gartrell, Robert E. Gill, T. Lee Tibbitts, Daniel R. RuthrauffA puzzling migratory detour : Are fueling conditions in Alaska driving the movement of juvenile sharp -tailed sandpipers ?
Making a detour can be advantageous to a migrating bird if fuel-deposition rates at stopover sites along the detour are considerably higher than at stopover sites along a more direct route. One example of an extensive migratory detour is that of the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata), of which large numbers of juveniles are found during fall migration in western Alaska. These birds take aAuthorsA. Lindstrom, Robert E. Gill, S.E. Jamieson, B. McCaffery, Liv Wennerberg, M. Wikelski, M. KlaassenWayward youth: Trans-Beringian movement and differential southward migration by juvenile sharp-tailed sandpipers
The sharp-tailed sandpiper (Calidris acuminata) is a long-distance migrant that travels each year from breeding grounds in the Russian Arctic to nonbreeding areas in Australasia. Most adults migrate rapidly from breeding grounds along a largely inland route through Asia. Here we report on the highly unusual migratory strategy of this species in which some juveniles, but virtually no adults, take aAuthorsColleen M. Handel, Robert E. GillLimited evidence of trans-hemispheric movement of avian influenza viruses among contemporary North American shorebird isolates
Migratory routes of gulls, terns, and shorebirds (Charadriiformes) are known to cross hemispheric boundaries and intersect with outbreak areas of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Prior assessments of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) among species of this taxonomic order found some evidence for trans-hemispheric movement of virus genes. To specifically clarify the role of shorebird spAuthorsJohn M. Pearce, Andrew M. Ramey, Hon S. Ip, Robert E. GillExtreme endurance flights by landbirds crossing the Pacific Ocean: Ecological corridor rather than barrier?
Mountain ranges, deserts, ice fields and oceans generally act as barriers to the movement of land-dependent animals, often profoundly shaping migration routes. We used satellite telemetry to track the southward flights of bar-tailed godwits (Limosa lapponica baueri), shorebirds whose breeding and non-breeding areas are separated by the vast central Pacific Ocean. Seven females with surgically implAuthorsRobert E. Gill, T. Lee Tibbitts, David C. Douglas, Colleen M. Handel, Daniel M. Mulcahy, Jon C. Gottschalck, Nils Warnock, Brian J. McCaffery, Phil F. Battley, Theunis PiersmaPrevalence of Influenza A viruses in wild migratory birds in Alaska: Patterns of variation in detection at a crossroads of intercontinental flyways
Background. The global spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus has stimulated interest in a better understanding of the mechanisms of H5N1 dispersal, including the potential role of migratory birds as carriers. Although wild birds have been found dead during H5N1 outbreaks, evidence suggests that others have survived natural infections, and recent studies have shown several specAuthorsHon S. Ip, Paul L. Flint, J. Christian Franson, Robert J. Dusek, Dirk V. Derksen, Robert E. Gill, Craig R. Ely, John M. Pearce, Richard B. Lanctot, Steven M. Matsuoka, D.B. Irons, J.B. Fischer, R.M. Oates, Margaret R. Petersen, T.F. Fondell, D.A. Rocque, J.C. Pedersen, T.C. RotheInventory 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. Handel - 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