Critical connections program for migratory birds in Alaska: 2015 program activities
Phillips LM, McIntyre C, Weidensaul S, Stenhouse IJ. 2015. Critical connections program for migratory birds in Alaska: 2015 program activities. Natural Resource Report. NPS/DENA/NRR—2015/1087. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
Although Alaska’s National Parklands encompass 54 million acres of wildlife habitats, animals are not constrained by jurisdictional lines and many move seasonally across land and water through a patchwork of protected and unprotected lands. The Critical Connections Program was initiated to provide essential information for conserving migratory species by linking research results directly to conservation and education effort. At this stage, the primary program objectives are to: 1. Develop a thorough understanding of the year-round movements of Alaska’s migratory birds. 2. Use data collected on the breeding grounds, migration routes, and wintering areas to identify factors constraining survival and driving trends of Alaska’s migratory birds. 3. Expand collaborative efforts to mitigate constraining factors and protect critical resources necessary to conserve Alaska’s migratory birds. We initiated the Critical Connections Program in 2014-2015 by deploying light-level geolocators on 12 gray-cheeked and 19 Swainson’s thrushes. In summer 2016, we plan to locate and recapture tagged thrushes and to deploy geolocators on additional species including Arctic warblers and Wilson’s warblers.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Phillips, Laura; McIntyre, Carol; Weidensaul, Scott; Stenhouse, Iain
- Date of Issue
- 2015-11
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- CAKN , DENA , NRSS
- Keywords
- Alaska, Critical Connections, DENA, Denali National Park, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Migratory Birds, preserve, Swainson’s Thrush
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Birds