Subsistence Use of Birds in the Northwest Arctic Region, Alaska
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Subsistence Use of Birds in the Northwest Arctic Region, Alaska Technical Paper No. 260 by Susan Georgette Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Subsistence Juneau, Alaska July 2000 The Alaska Department of Fish and Game administers all programs and activities free from discrimination on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, or disability. The department administers all programs and activities in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. If you believe you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility, or if you desire further information please write to ADF&G, P.O. Box 25526, Juneau, AK 99802-5526; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfield Drive, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22203 or O.E.O., U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington DC 20240. For information on alternative formats for this and other department publications, please contact the department ADA Coordinator at (voice) 907-465-4120, (TDD) 907-465-3646, or (FAX) 907-465-2440. ABSTRACT This report summarizes information on subsistence harvests and uses of birds and eggs in the Northwest Arctic region of Alaska, based on surveys of households and interviews with bird hunters in 11 communities. The geographic area covered by this project corresponds to the Northwest Arctic Borough, which includes the coastal regions of Kotzebue Sound, the Selawik, Noatak, and Kobuk river drainages, and the arctic coast as far north as Kivalina. The report presents information on species harvested, timing of harvests, and numbers of birds and eggs taken at the community and regional levels. Descriptive information on local knowledge of birds from interviews with hunters is summarized for selected species. The report presents the first comprehensive description of subsistence bird patterns for communities in the Northwest Arctic region. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service funded the project. An estimated 33,160 birds were harvested annually by households in the 11 Northwest Arctic region communities. In terms of numbers, ducks accounted for the largest percentage of the harvest (39.9 percent), followed by upland game birds (29.6 percent) and geese (29.4 percent). Sandhill cranes, tundra swans, loons, seabirds, and snowy owls each represented less than one percent of the region’s bird harvest. The most common species of migratory birds harvested in the region were Canada geese, white-fronted geese, pintails, mallards, wigeons, and black scoters. By weight, geese accounted for most of the region’s bird harvest (50.1 percent), followed by ducks (31.9 percent), upland game birds (14.3 percent), and tundra swans (2.3 percent). An estimated 14,136 eggs were harvested annually by households in the region. Seabird eggs accounted for the largest percentage of the harvest (86.5 percent), followed by goose eggs (7.1 percent) and duck eggs (5.4 percent). Murre and gull eggs were the principal species of eggs gathered. Spring was the primary harvest season for migratory birds in the Northwest Arctic region with 67.6 percent of the harvest occurring in this season. About 24.3 percent of the harvest took place in fall and 6.9 percent in summer. The communities in the region exhibited variation in harvest seasons for migratory birds. Some harvested almost solely in the spring, one almost solely in the summer, and others fairly equally in both spring and fall. An estimated total of 1,015 households in the Northwest Arctic region hunted birds during the survey year, representing 63.3 percent of all households in the region. About 1,581 persons in the region hunted birds, or about 1 out of 4 residents. Because subsistence foods were widely shared, more households used birds than harvested them. An estimated 78.5 percent of households in the Northwest Arctic region used birds for food during the survey year. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ........................................................................................................................... iv List of Figures .......................................................................................................................... V Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................... vi Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1 Methodology ............................................................................................................................ 2 Project 1: Kiana, Selawik, and Shungnak (1994-95) ........................................................... 3 Project 2: Buckland, Kiana, Kivalina, Kobuk, and Noorvik (1997) .................................... 4 Project 3: Ambler, Deering, Kotzebue, Noatak, and Selawik (1998-99) ............................. 5 Subsistence Bird Harvests in the Northwest Arctic Region ..................................................... 5 Bird Harvests by Season .......................................................................................................... 7 Subsistence Egg Harvests in the Northwest Arctic Region ...................................................... 8 Participation in Bird Hunting .................................................................................................. .9 Bird and Egg Harvests by Species ......................................................................................... 10 Local Knowledge of Birds and Eggs ...................................................................................... 11 White-fronted Geese .......................................................................................................... 11 Canada Geese ..................................................................................................................... 11 Snow Geese ........................................................................................................................ 12 Emperor Geese ................................................................................................................... 13 Brant .................................................................................................................................. .14 Tundra Swan ...................................................................................................................... 14 Sandhill Crane .................................................................................................................... 15 Eiders .................................................................................................................................. 16 Other Ducks ....................................................................................................................... 17 Loons .................................................................................................................................. 18 Murres and Puffins ............................................................................................................. 19 Ptarmigan and Grouse ........................................................................................................ 20 Eggs .................................................................................................................................... 20 Community Reports .............................................................................................................. .22 References Cited .................................................................................................................... 23 Tables and Figures ................................................................................................................. 25 Appendix 1 ............................................................................................................................. 63 Sample Survey Instrument ................................................................................................ .65 Sample Page from Color Bird Identification Guide .......................................................... .67 Key Respondent Interview Guide ...................................................................................... 69 Appendix 2: Community Reports .......................................................................................... 71 Ambler 1998.. ..................................................................................................................... 73 Buckland 1997 .................................................................................................................... 81 Deering 1998 ...................................................................................................................... 97 Kiana 1994 ....................................................................................................................... 113 ii Kiana 1997 ....................................................................................................................... 117 Kivalina 1997 ................................................................................................................... 125 Kobuk 1997 .....................................................................................................................