Progress Report: Inventory coastal shorebird populations and habitat along Lake Clark National Park and Preserve

Bennett, Alan

Intertidal mud flats from Tuxedni Bay to Chinitna Bay along the coast of LACL are among the most productive shorebird habitats in western lower Cook Inlet. Coastal bird surveys conduced by ADFG between 1975-78 revealed that Tuxedni Bay had the second highest bird density (332 birds/km2) in Lower Cook Inlet. Shorebirds account for 56 percent of these birds during spring migration. Major long term impacts could result if oil or other byproducts of offshore development contaminante intertidal prey organisms in these coastal bays. Intertidal and subtidal invertebrates are major food items of shorebirds and sea ducks in the Cook Inlet area. These organisms have been shown to suffer acute mortality and concentrate hydrocarbons in the unusually high levels. In addition to food contamination, an oil spill during periods of peak migration could directly oil thousands of shorebirds. To better understand the importance of the LACL coast to seasonally resident and migrant shorebirds, basic information is needed on the species composition and numbers of shorebirds that occur and the periods during which they are present. Once the basics of distribution and abundance of shorebirds is understood, we can begin to address the more complex questions that must be answered to predict the impacts that might occur with various sources of development.

Progress Report: Inventory coastal shorebird populations and habitat along Lake Clark National Park and Preserve

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