Alaska Seabird Information Series
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Alaska Seabird Information Series U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Management Nongame Program November 2006 Alaska Seabird Information Series (ASIS) Compiled by Lynn Denlinger Seabird Colonies in Alaska U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Management Nongame Program 1011 E. Tudor Road Anchorage, Alaska 99503-6199 November 2006 _____ Suggested Citation: Denlinger, L.M. 2006. Alaska Seabird Information Series. Unpubl. Rept., U.S. Fish and Wildl. Serv., Migr. Bird Manage., Nongame Program, Anchorage, AK. Cover Photo: Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Crested Auklets ― Aleutian Islands TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Preface………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….i Acknowledgements and Credits………………………………………………………………..................................ii TUBENOSE BIRDS Pages Black-footed Albatross (Phoebastria nigripes)……………………………………….. ..............................1 and 2 Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis)................................................................................................3 and 4 Short-tailed Albatross (Phoebastria albatrus)...............................................................................................5 and 6 Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus griseus)..............................................................................................................7 and 8 Short-tailed Shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris).............................................................................................9 and 10 Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis)…………………………………………………………………...11 and 12 Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma furcata)………………………………….................................13 and 14 Leach's Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa)………………………………………………………..15 and 16 CORMORANTS Pages Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)……………………………….................................17 and 18 Pelagic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus)…………………………………………………………..19 and 20 Red-faced Cormorant (Phalacrocorax urile)…………………………………………………………….21 and 22 Brandt's Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus)………………………………….................................23 and 24 JAEGERS, GULLS, AND TERNS Pages Pomarine Jaeger (Stercorarius pomarinus)……………………………………………………………...25 and 26 Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus)………………………………………………………………27 and 28 Long-tailed Jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus)…………………………………………………………..29 and 30 Bonaparte's Gull (Larus philadelphia)…………………………………………………………………...31 and 32 Mew Gull (Larus canus)…………………………………………………………………………………33 and 34 Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)…………………………………………………………………………35 and 36 Slaty-backed Gull (Larus schistasagus)…………………………………………………………………………37 and 38 Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens)……………………………………………………………..39 and 40 Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus)……………………………………………………………………...41 and 42 Pages Sabine’s Gull (Xema sabini)……………………………………………………………………………..43 and 44 Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla)………………………………………….................................45 and 46 Red-legged Kittiwake (Rissa brevirostris)………………………………………….................................47 and 48 Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)……………………………………………………………………..49 and 50 Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea)…………………………………………………………………………51 and 52 Aleutian Tern (Onychoprion aleutica)…………………………………………………….......................53 and 54 ALCIDS Pages Dovkie (Alle alle)………………………………………………………………………………………...55 and 56 Common Murre (Uria aalge)……………………………………………………….................................57 and 58 Thick-billed Murre (Uria lomvia)………………………………………………………………………..59 and 60 Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle)………………………………………………….................................61 and 62 Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus columba)…………………………………………………………………...63 and 64 Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus)………………………………….................................65 and 66 Kittlitz’s Murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris)………………………………….................................67 and 68 Ancient Murrelet (Synthliboramphus antiquus)…………………………………………………………69 and 70 Cassin's Auklet (Ptychoramphus aleuticus)……………………………………………………………...71 and 72 Parakeet Auklet (Aethia psittacula)……………………………………………………………………...73 and 74 Least Auklet (Aethia pusilla)……………………………………………………….................................75 and 76 Whiskered Auklet (Aethia pygmaea)……………………………………………….................................77 and 78 Crested Auklet (Aethia cristatella)………………………………………………………………………79 and 80 Rhinoceros Auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata)…………………………………………………………...81 and 82 Horned Puffin (Fratercula corniculata)…………………………………………………………………83 and 84 Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata)……………………………………………………………………...85 and 86 Literature Cited………………………………………………………………………………...................................87 PREFACE The Alaska Seabird Information Series (ASIS) is a compilation of seabird species accounts for all seabirds breeding in Alaska and five important nonbreeders. Conservation status, life history, distribution, population size and trends, conservation concerns, and recommended management actions are included in the accounts. The nonbreeders were selected not only because they spend a large part of their life cycle in Alaskan waters, but also due to concerns about bycatch in Alaskan fisheries. These nonbreeders include the Black-footed Albatross, Laysan Albatross, Short-tailed Albatross, Short-tailed Shearwater, and Sooty Shearwater. The Short-tailed Albatross is of special concern because of its endangered status. Originally, the species accounts were written to be used as an appendix for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Alaska Region, Seabird Conservation Plan. As the accounts developed, it was thought that they might also serve as stand alone documents to be handed out to the public for educational purposes. To that end, it was decided that one page, front and back, would be the appropriate length. As an additional educational and informational tool, it was determined that the ASIS should be posted on the USFWS website. Consequently, the accounts developed into a multi- purpose document. Serving the management function and making the accounts “user friendly” for the general public presented various challenges. An effort was made to keep scientific language and formatting to a minimum and at the same time present the most up to date and factual information possible. Shortened, abbreviated references were used on the individual species accounts, again to make the document more appealing to the general public. A full list of literature cited is presented at the back of this document; it will also be included in the Seabird Conservation Plan and posted with the ASIS on the USFWS website. Detailed information on many aspects of each seabird species is available in numerous documents and unpublished USFWS data. However, prior to this time, current information had not been compiled in a single document for each of the Alaskan breeding species. Another objective of the ASIS was to summarize these data while putting them in one document. Limiting the individual species accounts to one page made it impossible to include all pertinent information. Rather, it is hoped that the ASIS may serve as a quick reference or starting point for managers needing information on the individual species and as an introduction to the public on the full range of Alaskan breeding seabirds. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND CREDITS Many thanks to the people who shared in editing the ASIS which include, Dan Roby, Oregon State University; Robert Day, Alaska Biological Resources, Inc.; Larisa Zelenskaya, Magadan, Russia; Vernon Byrd, Heather Renner, Leslie Slater, and Jeff Williams from the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge; Scott Hatch and Bob Gill, USGS, Alaska Science Center; and Kathy Kuletz, David Irons, and Liz Labunski from USFWS, Alaska Migratory Bird Management. Special thanks to Vivian Mendenhall for editing and continued involvement in seabird conservation since retirement from USFWS. Shawn Stephensen and Liz Labunski, USFWS, Alaska Migratory Bird Management produced the maps used in this document. Shawn was responsible for the Beringian Seabird Colony Catalog database maps and Liz created the pelagic distribution maps for seabird species that do not breed in Alaska. John Piatt and Gary Drew, USGS, Alaska Science Center have invested a great deal of time in the construction of North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD) maps. We appreciate their efforts and thank them for access to the database. Gratitude also goes to Robert H. Armstrong and Alaska Northwest Books for permission to use the Alaska Seasonal Distribution Charts in the ASIS. The multitude of hours spent by Mr. Armstrong in the compilation of the charts for the Guide to the Birds of Alaska is recognized along with many thanks to Mr. Armstrong and the publisher for saving us this time. Much appreciation goes to Donna Dewhurst, USFWS-AMBCC for design of the cover and for help with photo application and to Lisa Grandbois, USFWS, Information Technology Management for help with graphics setup. The cover photo is a USFWS photo, photographer unknown. Special thanks to the following photographers from the private sector who generously allowed use of their photographs in this document: Bruce Craig Rhinoceros Auklet Jeff Poklen Herring Gull George Divoky Black Guillemot Jeff Poklen Laysan Albatross Bryan Guarente Glaucous Gull Jeff Poklen Pomarine Jaeger Ian Jones Ancient Murrelet Jeff Poklen Sooty Shearwater Ian Jones Cassin’s Auklet Eric Preston Black-footed Albatross Ian Jones Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel Eric Preston Parasitic Jaeger Ian Jones