2019Program

Alaska Bird Conference

March 4–8

Fairbanks, Alaska

www.alaskabirdconference.org

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Welcome to the Alaska Bird Conference!The first Alaska Bird Conference was held in 1985 in Anchorage. It grew from the often-expressed need for exchange of information among those in government, universities, non-government organizations, and the private sector who are working with Alaska’s diverse and abundant birds. The conference has been held on an approximately biennial basis ever since.

This year marks the 18th Alaska Bird Conference. The conference regularly attracts between 150 and 200 participants reporting on their findings and new initiatives. By design, the conference retains a familiar and friendly atmosphere, welcoming new students and ornithologists into the field, and providing a much-anticipated gathering for those who work with and care for Alaska’s birds.

This year’s conference is hosted by the Alaska Songbird Institute with significant contributions from a local organizing committee.

The Alaska Songbird Institute is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to research, education and conservation of Alaska’s boreal birds. Based at Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge in Fairbanks they manage two long-term projects: the Creamer’s Field Migration Station (1992–present) and the Swallow Ecology Project (1994–present). These projects have archived decades of data on the migration, timing and productivity of Alaska’s boreal songbirds, while educating tens of thousands of people about ecology, research, and conservation.

Learn more about ASI and how to support our work at www.aksongbird.org.

*Cover image by Pam Seiser.

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Tuesday, March 5Westmark Gold Room

8:15–8:30 a.m.

Introduction and welcome

8:30–9:30 a.m.

Invited speaker: Uma Bhatt

Consequence of sea-ice decline for the earth system

Uma Bhatt, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences. Uma’s research focuses on climate variability and links among components of the climate system. Her work includes seasonal forecasting of Arctic sea ice and drivers of Arctic tundra vegetation change.

9:30–10:00 a.m.

Coffee break

Conservation & managementChair: Philip Martin

10:00 a.m.

Audubon Alaska’s watchlist of declining or vulnerable Alaska birdsNils Warnock & Max Goldman

10:15 a.m.

Using the Alaska species ranking system to identify species of conservation concernAmanda Droghini, Rachel Kelty, & Paul Schuette

10:30 a.m.

Eiders and sea ice: Spectacled Eider winter surveys past, present and future Daniel Rizzolo, Kate Martin, Neesha Stellrecht, Bryan Daniels, William Larned, David Safine, & Julian Fischer

10:45 a.m.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) for wintering Aleutian Terns? Surveys, assessments and conclusions from coastal China, Indonesia and Papua New GuineaFalk Huettmann

11:00 a.m.

The benefit of birds: ecological value and vulnerability in the Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort SeasMax Goldman, Erika Knight, Brianne Mecum, Ben Sullender, Molly Zaleski, Melanie Smith, & Jon Warrenchuk

Monday, March 4Westmark Yukon Room

9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Boreal Partners in Flight & Alaska Raptor Group

joint annual meeting

1:30–4:30 p.m.

Alaska Shorebird Group annual meeting

5:00–8:00 p.m

Celebrating Alaska’s Birds art show

Well St. Art Gallery

Transportation between Westmark and gallery provided approx. every 30 min. by Northern Alaska Tour Company. Meet at Gold Room outdoor entrance.

Field tripsOwl ski (or snowshoe)Tuesday March 5, 7–9 p.m.

Enjoy a Fairbanks winter night with a guided owl tour and possible aurora viewing. We will listen and search for local pre-nesting owls along Fairbanks trails. This is an off-trail event and you need to provide your own skis (or snowshoes) and headlamp (a few will be available upon request). Yummy hot beverages encouraged! You need to provide transport, but we’ll organize carpooling as best we can. Meet at Poster Session or trailhead (TBA). Max people: 20. Free.

Behind the scenes tour of UAF museumWednesday March 6, 5:30–6:30 p.m.

Get an inside tour of the UAF Museum with Jack Withrow and their collection of birds. This is a special tour that only Alaska Bird Conference attendees get to enjoy. You need to provide transport, but we’ll organize carpooling as best we can. Max people: 10. Free.

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2:30 p.m.

Implementation of Arctic PRISM surveys in western Alaska: What we learned about shorebird distributions on the Yukon-Kuskokwim DeltaKristine M. Sowl, Stephen C. Brown, James E. Lyons, Richard B. Lanctot, Brad Winn, Sarah T. Saalfeld, James A. Johnson, Brian J. McCaffery, & Brad A. Andres

2:45 p.m.

Marine-associated bird and mammal habitat use in the Five Finger LightLori Beraha*

3:00 p.m.

Modeling the winter habitat use and mortality risks of Cassin’s Auklets and Pigeon Guillemots in the North PacificMichael E. Johns*, Pete Warzybok, Jaime Jahncke, Mark Lindberg, & Greg Breed

3:15–3:45 p.m.

Coffee break

3:45–4:15 p.m.

Invited speaker: Rick Thoman

Taking flight: accelerating climate changes in the seas around Alaska

Rick Thoman, University of Alaska Fairbanks, International Arctic Research Center. Rick is an Alaska climate specialist who focuses on translating climate change data.

4:15–5:00 p.m.

Invited speaker: Coastal

Observation and Seabird

Survey Team (COASST)

Seabird Mortality Events in the North Pacific 2013–2018

COASST is a citizen science group that tracks seabird populations and die-offs. They train coastal residents, including those in rural Alaska, to conduct regular surveys of their beaches.

11:15 a.m.

Shorebird subsistence harvest and Indigenous knowledge in Alaska Liliana C. Naves, Jacqueline M. Keating, T. Lee Tibbitts, & Daniel R. Ruthrauff

11:30 a.m.

Sandhill Crane roosting behavior on the Delta River and Delta Creek, Fort Wainwright, AlaskaKim Jochum & Justin Smith

11:45 a.m.

The state bird collection and the University of Alaska Museum: research and directionsKevin Winker

12:00–1:30 p.m.

Lunch

Conservation & management cont.Chair: Dan Rizzolo

1:30 p.m.

Birds of a feather flock together... or do they? Regional and temporal patterns of community composition and abundance in nearshore marine birds across the Gulf of AlaskaHeather Coletti, Robert Suryan, Dan Esler, Robert Kaler, Tuula Hollmen, Mayumi Arimitsu, James Bodkin, Thomas Dean, Kimberly Kloecker, Kathy Kuletz, John Piatt, Brian Robinson, & Benjamin Weitzman

Habitat use

1:45 p.m.

Raptor studies for a proposed hydroelectric project in Alaska: Application of innovative techniquesJohn E. Shook & Joseph H. Welch

2:00 p.m.

Persistence of bird concentration areas on Alaska’s Arctic Coastal PlainBenjamin K. Sullender & Melanie A. Smith

2:15 p.m.

Spoon-billed Sandpiper model-predictions with open access data and machine learning: Why, how and what we knowFalk Huettmann

*Indicates a student presentation

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Contaminants research takes flight: emerging concerns for Yellow-billed Loons in northern AlaskaPatrick Knavel, Will Caldwell*, Sarah Swanson, Delaney Vinson, Briana Kremer, Jenna DiFalco, Angela Matz, Debbie Nigro & Melanie Flamme

Sex and adrenal steroid hormones in alcid feathersAlexis Will, Ruokun Zhou, Katherine Wynne-Edwards, & Alexander Kitaysky

Migration & movementsModel-prediction of Great Gray Owl distribution in Alaska with ‘cloud computing’ tools for assessment of habitatPhillip Andrews* & Falk Huettmann

Using stable isotopes to infer migration routes of Crested AukletsCarl Burnside*, Alexis Will & Alexander Kitaysky

Resolving the annual pelagic distribution of Tufted Puffins in the Gulf of Alaska: preliminary isotopic correlates of winter and summer marine habitat useKristen B. Gorman, Mary Anne Bishop & Anne L. Schaefer

Migratory dynamics of Beringian Dunlin along the East Asian-Australasian FlywayBenjamin Lagassé*, Richard Lanctot, Stephen Yezerinac, Stephen Brown, Alexei Dondua, Chris Latty, Joe Liebezeit, Alexander Matsyna, Ekaterina Matsyna, Rebecca McGuire, Martin Robards, Jon Slaght, Diana Solovyeva, Pavel Tomkovich, Olga Valchuk & Michael Wunder

Outreach & citizen scienceSitka winter bird observation projectGwen Baluss, Kitty LaBounty & Matt Goff

Mt. Everest downhill: a watershed analysis during climate change using waterbird counts from a 30-year citizen science survey in Koshi River, NepalFalk Huettmann

Arctic Refuge Virtual Bird Festival: 2018, an inaugural yearAllyssa Morris, Chris Latty, Brett Parks, Sara Boario, Rose Primmer, Rebecca Sentner, Michelle LeBeau, Susan Culliney, Max Goldman, Ben Sullender, Kassandra Smith & Shiloh Schulte

Revised principles for conducting research in the ArcticSara Bowden, Chris Campbell, Renee Crain, Roberto Delgado, Martin Jeffries, Igor Kupnik, Meredith LaValley, Cynthia McOliver, Candace Nachman, John Pearce, Cheryl Rosa & Amina Schartup

Poster session5:30–8:00 p.m.

Westmark Gold Room, appetizers and cash bar

Breeding biologySmall-scale breeding site fidelity of Dusky Canada GeeseTasha DiMarzio, Michael Petrula & Jason Schamber

Remote monitoring of waterbird nests: an examination of effectiveness, predators, and applicabilitySarah Hoepfner*, Chris Latty & Shiloh Schulte

Downy dust to better inform nest fate assignmentsLaura Makielski, Christopher Latty & Tuula Hollmén

Status and nest survival of Aleutian and Arctic Terns breeding in the Kodiak Archipelago, 2016–2018Jill E. Tengeres, Robin M. Corcoran & Donald E. Lyons

Conservation & managementHypereumelanistic Horned Grebe observed in eastern interior AlaskaMark Bertram & Adam Grimm

Wintering assemblage of Arctic-type warblers in the PhilippinesKyle K. Campbell, Aurora Hoefferle, Bennett Wong & Kevin Winker

Alaska Shorebird Conservation Plan, Version IIIChristopher M. Harwood, H. River Gates, James A. Johnson, Richard B. Lanctot & Daniel R. Ruthrauff

Ruddy Duck breeding range expansion in AlaskaBryce Lake

Increases in numbers of brood-rearing and molting Brant and Snow Geese on the western Beaufort Sea coast of Alaska, 1994–2017Robert M. Burgess, Tim Obritschkewitsch, Brian T. Person & Robert J. Ritchie

When the freezer breaks: will climate warming impact the persistence of resident birds in Alaska?Emily Williams & Laura Phillips

Capitalizing on a mass mortality event: archiving seabird genetic samples, skins, and skeletons from the M/V Selendang Ayu oil spillJack Withrow & Kevin Winker

Diet & physiologyShort-term concentration of triiodothyronine increases as a result of cooling early in the life of Siala sialis chicksNathan Cagwin*, Sharon E. Lynn, Michael D. Kern & Alexander Kitaysky

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Wednesday, March 6Westmark Gold Room

8:15–8:30 a.m.

Welcome and announcements

8:30–9:30 a.m.

Invited speaker: Torre Jorgenson

Past and projected trends in Alaska habitats stressed by rapid climate change

Torre Jorgenson, Alaska Ecoscience. For over thirty years, Torre has worked on ecology and geomorphology studies throughout Alaska, focusing on vegetation-soil-permafrost interactions and ecological impacts of human activities.

9:30–10:00 a.m.

Coffee break

Breeding biologyChair: Chris Harwood

10:00 a.m.

Not too hot, not too cold: How adaptable are shorebirds to variable breeding conditions?Rebecca McGuire, Richard Lanctot, Sarah Saalfeld, Dan Ruthrauff, Chris Latty, and Stephen Brown

10:15 a.m.

Timing, breedingg propensity and chick growth of shorebirds at an Arctic site in Alaska: Does interannual variability in environmental conditions override potential mismatches?Dan Ruthrauff & Aaron Gottesman

10:30 a.m.

Influence of weather on reproductive timing and reproductive success in two Arctic-breeding passerinesHelen Chmura, Natalie Boelman, Laura Gough, & John Wingfield

10:45 a.m.

Mew Gull nesting: spatial distribution and survival in an urban environment on Fort Wainwright, AlasakGarrett Savory & Emily Richmond

11:00 a.m.

Spectacled Eiders on the Colville Delta, Kuparuk oilfield and NPR-ARick Johnson, Julie Parrett, Lauren Attanas, Pam Seiser, John Shook, & Bob Burgess

11:15 a.m.

Is geographical prevalence of beak deformities related to patterns of genetic diversity in Northwestern Crows in Alaska?Lisa Pajot

11:30 a.m.Patterns in breeding population of Steller’s Eiders at Utqiaġvik, Alaska, over a 28-year periodNathan Graff, Micah Miller, & Neesha Stellrecht

11:45 a.m.

Reproduction of Peregrine Falcons along the Colville River, AlaskaTed Swem

12:00–1:30 p.m

Lunch

Breeding biology cont.Chair: Dan Rizzolo

1:30 p.m.

Evaluating methods for determining nest predators of Common EidersWilhelm L. Wiese, Christopher J. Latty, & Tuula Hollmén

1:45 p.m.

Nesting study of Greater White-fronted Geese at a new drill site in NPR-AKristen Rozell, Rick Johnson, & Adrian Gall

Migration and movements2:00 p.m.

Movement patterns of Arctic-breeding shorebirds during post-breeding and southbound migration Richard B. Lanctot, Sarah Saalfeld, Stephen Brown, Kyle Elliot, Jean-Francois Lamarre, Christopher Latty, Rebecca McGuire, & Daniel Ruthrauff

2:15 p.m.

Linear features affect migratory movements of Golden EaglesJoseph M. Eisaguirre*, Travis L. Booms, Christopher P. Barger, Stephen B. Lewis, Carol L. McIntyre, & Greg A. Breed

2:30 p.m.

Movements of younger cohorts of pre-breeding Golden Eagles during the breeding season in AlaskaCarol McIntyre & Stephen B. Lewis

2:45 p.m.

Movement strategies among Bald Eagles in an anadromous fish systemRachel E. Wheat & Stephen B. Lewis

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Thursday, March 7Westmark Gold Room

8:15–8:30 a.m.

Welcome and announcements

8:30–9:30 a.m.

Invited speaker: Chris Arp

A story of the cold: do migratory birds care?

Chris Arp, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Water and Environmental Research Center. Chris’ research on ice and water balance dynamics of shallow

lakes and surface-water interactions with permafrost has documented important changes to lakes in Alaska’s Arctic.

9:30–10:00 a.m.

Coffee break

Special session– Loon ecology & conservationChair: Mel Flamme

10:00 a.m.

Genetic diversity among four loon species nesting in Arctic AlaskaBarbara J. Pierson, George K. Sage, Meg C. Gravley, Jolene R. Rearick, Brian D. Uher-Koch, Joel A. Schmutz, Melanie Flamme, Angela Matz, Debbie Nigro, Dave Evers, & Sandra L. Talbot

10:15 A.M.

Population genetics analysis of Yellow-billed Loons nesting in western Arctic North AmericaSandra L. Talbot, George K. Sage, Barbara J. Pierson, Meg C. Gravley, Brian Uher-Koch, Joel Schmutz, Angela Matz, Debora Nigro, & Melanie Flamme

10:30 A.M.

eDNA metabarcoding analyses of loon (gavia) distribution and dietDamian Menning, Melanie Flamme, Trey Simmons, Brian Uher-Koch, Joel Schmutz, & Sandra Talbot

10:45 A.M.

Similar, but different: use of marine resources by sympatrically breeding Red-throated and Pacific LoonsDaniel Rizzolo & Joel Schmutz

11:00 A.M.

Territory retention of Pacific and Yellow-billed Loons breeding in northern AlaskaBrian D. Uher-Koch, Kenneth G. Wright, & Joel A. Schmutz

3:00–3:30 p.m.

Coffee break

Diet & physiologyChair: Brandt Meixell

3:30 p.m.

Gyrfalcon dietary plasticity in a changing tundra ecosystem Devin Johnson*, Michael Henderson, David L. Anderson, Travis Booms, Bryce Robinson, & Cory T. Williams

3:45 p.m.

Diet and reproductive success of the Great Horned Owl at its northern breeding limitMadison McConnell* & Knut Kielland

4:00 p.m.

Characterizing Arctic shorebird chick diets with DNA metabarcodingDanielle Gerik, Richard B. Lanctot, Kirsty E. Gurney, Sarah T. Saalfeld, & J. Andrés López

4:15 p.m.

The interactive effects of temperature and organic contaminants on embryo development in shorebirdsElla Lunny*, Kirsty Gurney, Dan Ruthrauff, & Christy Morrissey

4:30 p.m.

How will climate change affect the nutrient dynamics of goose forage in the Arctic?Brandt W. Meixell & Paul L. Flint

4:45 p.m.

Modeling wind exposure: implications for Common Eiders nesting along the Arctic coastal plainElyssa Watford*, Christopher Latty, & Tuula Hollmén

Public lecture: Cole Sartore7:00–9:00 p.m.

UAF Murie Auditorium

Building the National

Geographic Photo Ark

Creating portraits of an estimated 12,000 species of birds, mammals, fish, reptiles,

amphibians and invertebrates from around the globe before they disappear– get people to care while there’s still time. This free public lecture is brought to you by Alaska Bird Conference 2019 & Arctic Audubon Society.

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2:45 P.M.

Connecting people throughout the East Asian-Australasian Flyway with coordinated outreachCasey T. Burns

3:00–3:30 P.M.

Coffee break

Special session– Boreal wetland birdsChair: Katie Christie

3:30 P.M.

Recent trends in boreal wetland-associated birds breeding in Alaska and beyondColleen M. Handel, Katie Christie, & John R. Sauer

3:45 P.M.

Influence of wetland context on the distribution and abundance of boreal birdsSabre Hill* & Audrey Taylor

4:00 P.M.

Migratory connectivity of a declining shorebird: tracking technologies reveal migratory pathways, primary stopovers, and wintering locations of adult Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)Laura McDuffie*, Katie Christie, Jim Johnson, & Audrey Taylor

4:15 P.M.

Neotropical migrant bird habitat assessment, Fort Wainwright, Alaska Justin Smith, Garrett Savory, & Kim Jochum

4:30 P.M.

Shorebird abundance estimates on military lands in interior AlaskaEllen Martin, Kim Jochum, Calvin Bagley, & Paul F. Doherty, Jr.

Banquet & awards6:30–9:00 p.m.

Westmark Gold Room

Keynote speaker: Cole Sartore has been assisting his father, photographer Joel Sartore, build the Photoark for 12 years. The Sartores hope to capture a brief moment within each species life, to tell its story, and to inspire awareness and care for the incredible beauty in Earth’s biodiversity. The PhotoArk team has already traveled to 40 countries and predict it will take 25 years to complete their mission.

11:15 A.M.

Occupancy and habitat use of loon populations in Arctic and western Arctic AlaskaJeremy Mizel, Melanie Flamme, Debbie Nigro, Cindy Hamfler, Angela Matz, Tamara Zeller, Nikki Guldager, Josh Schmidt, Stacia Backensto, Sarah Swanson, & Jared Hugey

11:30 A.M.Yellow-billed Loon occupancy of breeding territories near new oil developmentRick Johnson, Ann Wildman, Alex Prichard, Julie Parrett, & Caryn Rea

11:45 A.M.

Seasonal survival of Yellow-billed LoonsJoel A. Schmutz, Jeffrey S. Fair, Kenneth G. Wright, Christopher R. DeSorbo, Daniel M. Mulcahy, Daniel J. Rizzolo, Brian D. Uher-Koch, Barbara J. Pierson, and David C. Douglas

12:00–1:30 p.m

Lunch

1:30–2:00 p.m.

Invited speaker: Nancy Fresco

Publicly available data tools to track climate change

Nancy Fresco, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Scenarios Network for Alaska + Arctic Planning. Nancy’s focuses are on developing effective collaborations, linking SNAP data

to the needs of stakeholders, and interpreting the results of complex modeling efforts.

Outreach & citizen science2:00 p.m.

The Alaska Swallow Monitoring Network: “dispersing” across the stateTricia Blake, Melissa Cady, Audrey Taylor, April Harding Scurr, & Alex Rose

2:15 P.M.

Piloting community science: monitoring murre reproductive success in Savoonga, AlaskaJennifer Curl, Punguk Shoogukwruk, & Alexis Will

2:30 P.M.

The Denali Avian Youth Mentoring Program: fostering life-long connections with Alaska’s National Parklands through place-based science learningEmily Williams, Carol McIntyre, & Laura Phillips

*Indicates a student presentation

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Friday, March 8Westmark Yukon Room

Workshop: Unmanned aerial systems in wildlife research & conservation9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

• What are the capabilities of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS, aka drones)?• What types of data can a UAS provide?• What regulations apply to the operation of a UAS in Alaska?• How have UAS been used in ornithological research?• How are the images obtained by a UAS turned into data?The answers to these questions and more will be covered during this one-day workshop. Offered in collaboration with the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration (ACUASI), topics covered will include current platforms and payloads, as well as approaches to data processing. Applications to research on wildlife and wildlife habitats, with a focus on bird studies, will be presented by researchers with extensive experience with UAS technology. ACUASI is a world-class research center for unmanned aircraft systems that provides integration of unique payloads and support for mission within government and science communities, with a special emphasis on the Arctic and sub-Arctic.Registration is $50 and participation is limited.

Featuring speaker: David Bird David Bird is an Emeritus Professor of Wildlife Biology at McGill University and Director of the Avian Science and Conservation Centre In addition to his extensive background in ornithology, he is also an expert in the application of UAVs to wildlife research and conservation. He is also the Founding Editor of a newly launched peer-reviewed publication, the Journal of Unmanned Vehicle Systems and sits on the board of Unmanned Systems Canada, an organization dedicated to the use of unmanned vehicles.

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Notes

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USGS- Alaska Science Center, US Fish & Wildlife Service, BLM-Arctic District Office, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, ConocoPhillips Alaska, National Park Service-Arctic Network Inventory & Monitoring Program

Alaska Bird Conference SponsorsThank you for your support!

In memory of Susan J.Watson

BLM-Alaska State Office, City of Fairbanks Hotel-Motel Discretionary Fund, Arctic Audubon Society, Audubon Alaska, Delcourt Aviation, Alaska Airlines, Zeiss, In memory of Susan J. Watson

Institute of Arctic Biology, ABR, Inc., Ducks Unlimited Alaska, Kinross/Ft. Knox,Wildlife Conservations Society, Northern Alaska Tour Company