Abundance and Distribution of Shorebirds Using Intertidal Habitats of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska

Download or read book Abundance and Distribution of Shorebirds Using Intertidal Habitats of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska written by T. Lee Tibbitts and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Aerial and ground-based surveys were conducted in intertidal habitats of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, between July and October 1993, to assess the refuge's importance as a shorebird staging area. Surveys of less intensive nature had been conducted in winter (November 1993, February 1994) and spring (May 1994) to characterize the shorebird population in these seasons. Of the 31 species of shorebirds known to occur on the refuge in autumn, 28 were recorded. The size of the staging population is estimated to be between 78,000 and 285,000 birds. Rock sandpiper, dunlin, and western sandpiper accounted for over 95% of all birds recorded on aerial surveys. The wintering population consisted of about 9,000 individuals of two species, rock sandpiper and sanderling. These data qualify the refuge for inclusion in the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. Shorebird distribution varied both temporally and among species. In early autumn, the majority of shorebirds foraged on intertidal flats and roosted on sea beaches in the northeast portion of Izembek Lagoon, whereas, in late autumn most birds used intertidal flats in Moffet Lagoon. In late winter, birds were present only in ice-free areas near lagoon entrances. Rock sandpipers were more likely than dunlins to be found on Bering Sea beaches, and dunlins were more prevalent than rock sandpipers in Moffet Lagoon.