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      By Alaska Science Center      January 29, 2024    

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With its vast size and geographic position at the northern end of several migration pathways, Alaska is a critically important site for the world’s shorebirds. Thirty-seven shorebird species regularly breed in Alaska. Most of these species conduct epically long migrations to take advantage of Alaska’s abundant food resources and breeding habitat, making Alaska a global resource for shorebirds. Shorebird research at the USGS Alaska Science Center improves our knowledge of shorebirds and addresses key questions for management agencies about the distribution and abundance of these species.

**Return to Ecosystems >> Terrestrial Ecosystems** 

##### View video about our shorebird research program. 

### Population Status and Ecology of North Pacific Shorebirds

Research on the population status and ecology of shorebirds in Alaska focuses on identifying critical phases of the annual cycle for these species. Because ninety percent of the migratory shorebird species in the Western Hemisphere have breeding populations in Alaska, our current research necessarily incorporates work that describes migratory routes and connections between Alaska and sites around the globe where these species stopover or spend the nonbreeding season. Such studies require large-scale, collaborative efforts that employ a variety of techniques to gain perspectives appropriate to the scale and range of these highly migratory species. Information from these studies is guiding conservation efforts and helping scientists and conservation groups to better understand the effects of global-scale threats to shorebirds, including habitat modification and degradation, climate change, and the spread of infectious diseases.

**Species scientists are working with include:**

 

### **Bar-tailed Godwit (*Limosa lapponica*)**

View Media Details

There are four species of godwits distributed around the world, three of which breed in Alaska: Bar-tailed, Hudsonian, and Marbled Godwits. Bar-tailed Godwits are considered a Bird of Conservation Concern by the US Fish and Wildlife Service due to their small population size, threats to their non-breeding grounds (especially at migratory stopover sites in the Yellow Sea), and their relatively restricted breeding distribution within the United States.

**Additional articles, podcast and video:**
                                - Podcast:  From Alaska to New Zealand, the bar-tailed godwit , interviewed by Ned Rozell, 1/3/2022
                                - Blown back to Alaska, bird perseveres , by Ned Rozell, 11/11/2021
                                - Shorebirds depend on wee slivers of Alaska , by Ned Rozell, 11/4/2021
                                - Video:  Tracking Alaska’s Godwits , by Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2012
                                - The bar-tailed godwit's nonstop to New Zealand , by Ned Rozell, 3/17/2005

###  

### **Bristle-thighed Curlew (*Numenius tahitiensis*) **

View Media Details

The Bristle-thighed Curlew breeds only at two disjunct locations in western Alaska, and has a broad, low-density distribution across atolls and islands in the Pacific Basin during the nonbreeding season.  Its adult population numbers about 7,000 individuals, making it the rarest of the New World curlews and godwits. Due to their small population and threats to their nonbreeding grounds related primarily to sea-level rise and invasive species, the Bristle-thighed Curlew is a listed as a Bird of Conservation Concern by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

**Additional podcast:**
                                - Podcast:  Bristle-thighed Curlews , interviewed by Mary Colwell, 4/2021

###  

### **Long-billed Curlew *(Numenius americanus*)**

View Media Details

The Long-billed Curlew is the largest shorebird in North America. The species is considered a Bird of Conservation Concern by the US Fish and Wildlife Service due to the species' small population size, recent population declines, and threats to the species' breeding and non-breeding grounds.

###  

### **Whimbrel (*Numenius phaeopus*)**

View Media Details

Whimbrels closely resemble Bristle-thighed Curlews. Whimbrels are widely distributed at high-latitude breeding sites around the world, but Alaska-breeding Whimbrels are restricted to sites within the Pacific Flyway. These long-distance migrants are distributed at wintering sites from California to southern Chile.

**Additional story:**
                                -  Story Map: Whimbrels on the Wing, produced by Manomet, Inc., 2018 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

### Study Area

### Contacts

#### Daniel R Ruthrauff, Ph.D.

##### Research Wildlife Biologist

Alaska Science Center

druthrauff@usgs.gov

907-786-7162

#### Lee Tibbitts

##### Wildlife Biologist

Alaska Science Center

ltibbitts@usgs.gov

907-786-7038

#### Robert E Gill, Jr.

##### Research Wildlife Biologist Emeritus

Alaska Science Center

rgill@usgs.gov

907-947-0379

### Explore Search

                      - Birds
                      - Climate Change
                      - Disease
                      - Habitat Loss
                      - Migration and Corridors
                      - Migratory Birds
                      - Ecosystems
                      - Threats
                      - Wildlife and Terrestrial Species
                      - Shorebirds
                      - Biology
                      - Ecosystems
                      - Wildlife & Terrestrial Species
                      - migratory birds

View All **

Below are other science projects associated with this project.

link

January 3, 2024

####                 Changing Arctic Ecosystems              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center

link

January 3, 2024

####   Changing Arctic Ecosystems

Learn More

Below are data or web applications associated with this project.

January 3, 2024

####                 Geospatial Sampling Information for the Inventory of Montane-nesting Birds in the Arctic Network of National Parks, Alaska, 2001-2003              

Alaska Science Center

September 14, 2023

####                 Data From the Inventory of Breeding Birds in Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, Alaska, 2008              

Alaska Science Center

November 2, 2022

####                 Juvenile Shorebird Morphological Data Collected in Alaska and Canada              

Alaska Science Center

May 4, 2022

####                 Inventory Data of Lowland-Breeding Birds and Associated Vegetation Types on the Alaska Peninsula, 2004-2007              

Alaska Science Center

January 19, 2022

####                 Aerial surveys of shorebirds at pre-migratory staging sites in western Alaska, 2018-2019              

Alaska Science Center

January 4, 2022

####                 Measurements of Surfbirds (Calidris virgata), Southcentral Alaska 1997-1999              

Alaska Science Center

December 16, 2020

####                 Information from Bird Nests Monitored on the Colville River Delta, Alaska, 2011-2018              

Alaska Science Center

May 20, 2020

####                 Nesting Habitat and Nest Survival Data for American (Pluvialis dominica) and Pacific (P. fulva) Golden-Plovers on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska, 2012-2013              

Alaska Science Center

May 30, 2019

####                 Bristle-Thighed Curlew (Numenius tahitiensis) Mark-Resight Encounter History from the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge and Surrounding Area, Oahu, Hawaii, 2012-2017              

Alaska Science Center

Below are multimedia items associated with this project.

USGS Alaska Science Center Shorebird Research Program

March 30, 2023

#### USGS Alaska Science Center Shorebird Research Program

link

The USGS Alaska Science Center shorebird research program focuses on studies that improve our knowledge of shorebirds and addresses key questions for management agencies about the distribution and abundance of these species.

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center, Alaska Science Center

March 30, 2023

#### USGS Alaska Science Center Shorebird Research Program

link

#### USGS Alaska Science Center Shorebird Research Program

link

The USGS Alaska Science Center shorebird research program focuses on studies that improve our knowledge of shorebirds and addresses key questions for management agencies about the distribution and abundance of these species.

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center, Alaska Science Center

Wing of juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" 

July 15, 2022

#### Wing of juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" 

link

Wing of juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" on the Seward Peninsula near Nome, Alaska. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a study to track the migration of juvenile (hatch year) bar-tailed godwits from breeding sites near Nome, Alaska.

Alaska Science Center, Alaska Science Center

July 15, 2022

#### Wing of juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" 

link

#### Wing of juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" 

link

Wing of juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" on the Seward Peninsula near Nome, Alaska. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a study to track the migration of juvenile (hatch year) bar-tailed godwits from breeding sites near Nome, Alaska.

Alaska Science Center, Alaska Science Center

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" after capture

July 15, 2022

#### Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" after capture

link

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" after capture on the Seward Peninsula near Nome, Alaska. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a study to track the migration of juvenile (hatch year) bar-tailed godwits from breeding sites near Nome, Alaska.

Alaska Science Center, Alaska Science Center

July 15, 2022

#### Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" after capture

link

#### Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" after capture

link

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" after capture on the Seward Peninsula near Nome, Alaska. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a study to track the migration of juvenile (hatch year) bar-tailed godwits from breeding sites near Nome, Alaska.

Alaska Science Center, Alaska Science Center

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" 

July 15, 2022

#### Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" 

link

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" on the Seward Peninsula near Nome, Alaska. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a study to track the migration of juvenile (hatch year) bar-tailed godwits from breeding sites near Nome, Alaska.

Alaska Science Center, Alaska Science Center

July 15, 2022

#### Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" 

link

#### Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" 

link

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" on the Seward Peninsula near Nome, Alaska. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a study to track the migration of juvenile (hatch year) bar-tailed godwits from breeding sites near Nome, Alaska.

Alaska Science Center, Alaska Science Center

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit B4 with transmitter 

July 15, 2022

#### Juvenile bar-tailed godwit B4 with transmitter 

link

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit B4 with a solar-powered satellite tag near Nome, Alaska. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a study to track the migration of juvenile (hatch year) bar-tailed godwits from breeding sites near Nome, Alaska.

Alaska Science Center

July 15, 2022

#### Juvenile bar-tailed godwit B4 with transmitter 

link

#### Juvenile bar-tailed godwit B4 with transmitter 

link

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit B4 with a solar-powered satellite tag near Nome, Alaska. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a study to track the migration of juvenile (hatch year) bar-tailed godwits from breeding sites near Nome, Alaska.

Alaska Science Center

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" with metal leg band

July 11, 2022

#### Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" with metal leg band

link

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" with metal leg band. At this time researchers put a metal band on the chick and glued a small (0.5 gram) VHF transmitter to the bird.

Alaska Science Center

July 11, 2022

#### Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" with metal leg band

link

#### Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" with metal leg band

link

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" with metal leg band. At this time researchers put a metal band on the chick and glued a small (0.5 gram) VHF transmitter to the bird.

Alaska Science Center

Bar-tailed godwit habitat on the Seward Peninsula 

July 1, 2022

#### Bar-tailed godwit habitat on the Seward Peninsula 

link

Bar-tailed godwit habitat on the Seward Peninsula near Nome, Alaska. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a study to track the migration of juvenile (hatch year) bar-tailed godwits from breeding sites near Nome, Alaska.

Alaska Science Center, Alaska Science Center

July 1, 2022

#### Bar-tailed godwit habitat on the Seward Peninsula 

link

#### Bar-tailed godwit habitat on the Seward Peninsula 

link

Bar-tailed godwit habitat on the Seward Peninsula near Nome, Alaska. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a study to track the migration of juvenile (hatch year) bar-tailed godwits from breeding sites near Nome, Alaska.

Alaska Science Center, Alaska Science Center

Bristle-thighed Curlew in Alaska

December 31, 2016

#### Bristle-thighed Curlew in Alaska

link

A Bristle-thighed Curlew on the tundra.  This photo was taken during the Changing Arctic Ecosystems Boreal-Arctic Transition program.

Alaska Science Center

December 31, 2016

#### Bristle-thighed Curlew in Alaska

link

#### Bristle-thighed Curlew in Alaska

link

A Bristle-thighed Curlew on the tundra.  This photo was taken during the Changing Arctic Ecosystems Boreal-Arctic Transition program.

Alaska Science Center

Curlews perching on the predator fence in the Ki’i Unit

April 9, 2014

#### Curlews perching on the predator fence in the Ki’i Unit

link

Bristle-thighed Curlews perching on the predator fence in the Ki’i Unit of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge, Oahu, Hawaii

Alaska Science Center

April 9, 2014

#### Curlews perching on the predator fence in the Ki’i Unit

link

#### Curlews perching on the predator fence in the Ki’i Unit

link

Bristle-thighed Curlews perching on the predator fence in the Ki’i Unit of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge, Oahu, Hawaii

Alaska Science Center

Grazed grasses in coastal dunes at Makahoa Point on Oahu, Hawaii

April 9, 2014

#### Grazed grasses in coastal dunes at Makahoa Point on Oahu, Hawaii

link

Grazed grasses interspersed with low shrubs in coastal dunes at Makahoa Point east of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge (JCNWR) on Oahu, Hawaii.

Alaska Science Center

April 9, 2014

#### Grazed grasses in coastal dunes at Makahoa Point on Oahu, Hawaii

link

#### Grazed grasses in coastal dunes at Makahoa Point on Oahu, Hawaii

link

Grazed grasses interspersed with low shrubs in coastal dunes at Makahoa Point east of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge (JCNWR) on Oahu, Hawaii.

Alaska Science Center

Mowed grasses in coastal dunes of the Ki’i Unit on Oahu, Hawaii

July 17, 2013

#### Mowed grasses in coastal dunes of the Ki’i Unit on Oahu, Hawaii

link

Mowed grasses interspersed with low shrubs in coastal dunes of the Ki’i Unit in James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Oahu, Hawaii

Alaska Science Center

July 17, 2013

#### Mowed grasses in coastal dunes of the Ki’i Unit on Oahu, Hawaii

link

#### Mowed grasses in coastal dunes of the Ki’i Unit on Oahu, Hawaii

link

Mowed grasses interspersed with low shrubs in coastal dunes of the Ki’i Unit in James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Oahu, Hawaii

Alaska Science Center

Ephemeral wet meadow in the Punamano Unit on Oahu, Hawaii

July 16, 2013

#### Ephemeral wet meadow in the Punamano Unit on Oahu, Hawaii

link

Ephemeral wet meadow surrounded by mowed vegetation in the Punamano Unit of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Oahu, Hawaii

Alaska Science Center

July 16, 2013

#### Ephemeral wet meadow in the Punamano Unit on Oahu, Hawaii

link

#### Ephemeral wet meadow in the Punamano Unit on Oahu, Hawaii

link

Ephemeral wet meadow surrounded by mowed vegetation in the Punamano Unit of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Oahu, Hawaii

Alaska Science Center

Curlews loafing on the largest mowed dike in the Ki’i Unit

April 26, 2013

#### Curlews loafing on the largest mowed dike in the Ki’i Unit

link

Bristle-thighed Curlews on the largest mowed dike in the Ki’i Unit in James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Oahu, Hawaii

Alaska Science Center

April 26, 2013

#### Curlews loafing on the largest mowed dike in the Ki’i Unit

link

#### Curlews loafing on the largest mowed dike in the Ki’i Unit

link

Bristle-thighed Curlews on the largest mowed dike in the Ki’i Unit in James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Oahu, Hawaii

Alaska Science Center

Curlews on small island in shallow ponds of the Ki’i Unit

April 16, 2013

#### Curlews on small island in shallow ponds of the Ki’i Unit

link

Bristle-thighed Curlews on small island in shallow ponds of the Ki’i Unit of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Oahu, Hawaii. 

Alaska Science Center

April 16, 2013

#### Curlews on small island in shallow ponds of the Ki’i Unit

link

#### Curlews on small island in shallow ponds of the Ki’i Unit

link

Bristle-thighed Curlews on small island in shallow ponds of the Ki’i Unit of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Oahu, Hawaii. 

Alaska Science Center

Bristle-thighed Curlew on a fence post on the island of Oahu, Hawaii

December 16, 2012

#### Bristle-thighed Curlew on a fence post on the island of Oahu, Hawaii

link

Bristle-thighed Curlew on a fence post on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

Alaska Science Center

December 16, 2012

#### Bristle-thighed Curlew on a fence post on the island of Oahu, Hawaii

link

#### Bristle-thighed Curlew on a fence post on the island of Oahu, Hawaii

link

Bristle-thighed Curlew on a fence post on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

Alaska Science Center

Shallow ponds, mowed dike in the Ki’i Unit, Oahu, Hawaii

June 7, 2011

#### Shallow ponds, mowed dike in the Ki’i Unit, Oahu, Hawaii

link

Shallow ponds and mowed dike in the Ki’i Unit.  Habitats and areas used by Bristle-thighed Curlews in the Ki’i Unit of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Oahu, Hawaii.

Alaska Science Center

June 7, 2011

#### Shallow ponds, mowed dike in the Ki’i Unit, Oahu, Hawaii

link

#### Shallow ponds, mowed dike in the Ki’i Unit, Oahu, Hawaii

link

Shallow ponds and mowed dike in the Ki’i Unit.  Habitats and areas used by Bristle-thighed Curlews in the Ki’i Unit of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Oahu, Hawaii.

Alaska Science Center

Below are publications associated with this project.

September 15, 2023

####                 Disparate data streams together yield novel survival estimates of Alaska-breeding Whimbrels              

Alaska Science Center

June 16, 2022

####                 Hidden in plain sight: Migration routes of the elusive Anadyr bar-tailed godwit revealed by satellite tracking              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

December 4, 2021

####                 Mismatch-induced growth reductions in a clade of Arctic-breeding shorebirds are rarely mitigated by increasing temperatures              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

December 1, 2021

####                 Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica in Alaska: Revisiting population estimates from the staging grounds              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

October 16, 2021

####                 Central-West Siberian-breeding Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica) segregate in two morphologically distinct flyway populations              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

June 17, 2021

####                 Physiomorphic transformation in extreme endurance migrants: Revisiting the case of bar-tailed godwits preparing for trans-pacific flights              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

June 1, 2021

####                 Diverse patterns of migratory timing, site use, and site fidelity by Alaska-breeding Whimbrels              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

May 6, 2021

####                 When a typical jumper skips: Itineraries and staging habitats used by Red Knots (Calidris canutus piersmai) migrating between northwest Australia and the New Siberian Islands              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

November 9, 2020

####                 Shorebird reproductive response to exceptionally early and late springs varies across sites in Arctic Alaska              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

November 6, 2020

####                 Shorebird research at the U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

June 13, 2020

####                 Annual adult survival drives trends in Arctic-breeding shorebirds but knowledge gaps in other vital rates remain              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

May 15, 2020

####                 A red knot as a black swan: How a single bird shows navigational abilities during repeat crossings of the Greenland Icecap              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

#### Pagination

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Below are news stories associated with this project.

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" Sets World Record

November 3, 2022

####   Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" Sets World Record

A four-month-old bar-tailed godwit known as B6 set a new world record by completing a non-stop 11-day migration of 8,425 miles from Alaska to Tasmania...

Read Article

Story Map of the Incredible Migration of Whimbrels

June 7, 2018

####   Story Map of the Incredible Migration of Whimbrels

This story map describes the work of researchers from different organizations that document the migration of Whimbrels breeding in North America...

Read Article

"Ultra Marathon Champion" Bird May Plan Flights Based on Weather Across Pacific

March 11, 2014

####   "Ultra Marathon Champion" Bird May Plan Flights Based on Weather Across Pacific

A recent U.S. Geological Survey-led study of the bar-tailed godwit, a shorebird known famously as the ultimate marathon champion of bird flight...

Read Article

Below are partners associated with this project.

 

#### Audubon Alaska

#### National Park Service (NPS)

#### U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) - Shorebirds

With its vast size and geographic position at the northern end of several migration pathways, Alaska is a critically important site for the world’s shorebirds. Thirty-seven shorebird species regularly breed in Alaska. Most of these species conduct epically long migrations to take advantage of Alaska’s abundant food resources and breeding habitat, making Alaska a global resource for shorebirds. Shorebird research at the USGS Alaska Science Center improves our knowledge of shorebirds and addresses key questions for management agencies about the distribution and abundance of these species.

**Return to Ecosystems >> Terrestrial Ecosystems** 

##### View video about our shorebird research program. 

### Population Status and Ecology of North Pacific Shorebirds

Research on the population status and ecology of shorebirds in Alaska focuses on identifying critical phases of the annual cycle for these species. Because ninety percent of the migratory shorebird species in the Western Hemisphere have breeding populations in Alaska, our current research necessarily incorporates work that describes migratory routes and connections between Alaska and sites around the globe where these species stopover or spend the nonbreeding season. Such studies require large-scale, collaborative efforts that employ a variety of techniques to gain perspectives appropriate to the scale and range of these highly migratory species. Information from these studies is guiding conservation efforts and helping scientists and conservation groups to better understand the effects of global-scale threats to shorebirds, including habitat modification and degradation, climate change, and the spread of infectious diseases.

**Species scientists are working with include:**

 

### **Bar-tailed Godwit (*Limosa lapponica*)**

View Media Details

There are four species of godwits distributed around the world, three of which breed in Alaska: Bar-tailed, Hudsonian, and Marbled Godwits. Bar-tailed Godwits are considered a Bird of Conservation Concern by the US Fish and Wildlife Service due to their small population size, threats to their non-breeding grounds (especially at migratory stopover sites in the Yellow Sea), and their relatively restricted breeding distribution within the United States.

**Additional articles, podcast and video:**
                                - Podcast:  From Alaska to New Zealand, the bar-tailed godwit , interviewed by Ned Rozell, 1/3/2022
                                - Blown back to Alaska, bird perseveres , by Ned Rozell, 11/11/2021
                                - Shorebirds depend on wee slivers of Alaska , by Ned Rozell, 11/4/2021
                                - Video:  Tracking Alaska’s Godwits , by Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2012
                                - The bar-tailed godwit's nonstop to New Zealand , by Ned Rozell, 3/17/2005

###  

### **Bristle-thighed Curlew (*Numenius tahitiensis*) **

View Media Details

The Bristle-thighed Curlew breeds only at two disjunct locations in western Alaska, and has a broad, low-density distribution across atolls and islands in the Pacific Basin during the nonbreeding season.  Its adult population numbers about 7,000 individuals, making it the rarest of the New World curlews and godwits. Due to their small population and threats to their nonbreeding grounds related primarily to sea-level rise and invasive species, the Bristle-thighed Curlew is a listed as a Bird of Conservation Concern by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

**Additional podcast:**
                                - Podcast:  Bristle-thighed Curlews , interviewed by Mary Colwell, 4/2021

###  

### **Long-billed Curlew *(Numenius americanus*)**

View Media Details

The Long-billed Curlew is the largest shorebird in North America. The species is considered a Bird of Conservation Concern by the US Fish and Wildlife Service due to the species' small population size, recent population declines, and threats to the species' breeding and non-breeding grounds.

###  

### **Whimbrel (*Numenius phaeopus*)**

View Media Details

Whimbrels closely resemble Bristle-thighed Curlews. Whimbrels are widely distributed at high-latitude breeding sites around the world, but Alaska-breeding Whimbrels are restricted to sites within the Pacific Flyway. These long-distance migrants are distributed at wintering sites from California to southern Chile.

**Additional story:**
                                -  Story Map: Whimbrels on the Wing, produced by Manomet, Inc., 2018 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

### Study Area

### Contacts

#### Daniel R Ruthrauff, Ph.D.

##### Research Wildlife Biologist

Alaska Science Center

druthrauff@usgs.gov

907-786-7162

#### Lee Tibbitts

##### Wildlife Biologist

Alaska Science Center

ltibbitts@usgs.gov

907-786-7038

#### Robert E Gill, Jr.

##### Research Wildlife Biologist Emeritus

Alaska Science Center

rgill@usgs.gov

907-947-0379

### Explore Search

                      - Birds
                      - Climate Change
                      - Disease
                      - Habitat Loss
                      - Migration and Corridors
                      - Migratory Birds
                      - Ecosystems
                      - Threats
                      - Wildlife and Terrestrial Species
                      - Shorebirds
                      - Biology
                      - Ecosystems
                      - Wildlife & Terrestrial Species
                      - migratory birds

View All **

Below are other science projects associated with this project.

link

January 3, 2024

####                 Changing Arctic Ecosystems              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center

link

January 3, 2024

####   Changing Arctic Ecosystems

Learn More

Below are data or web applications associated with this project.

January 3, 2024

####                 Geospatial Sampling Information for the Inventory of Montane-nesting Birds in the Arctic Network of National Parks, Alaska, 2001-2003              

Alaska Science Center

September 14, 2023

####                 Data From the Inventory of Breeding Birds in Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, Alaska, 2008              

Alaska Science Center

November 2, 2022

####                 Juvenile Shorebird Morphological Data Collected in Alaska and Canada              

Alaska Science Center

May 4, 2022

####                 Inventory Data of Lowland-Breeding Birds and Associated Vegetation Types on the Alaska Peninsula, 2004-2007              

Alaska Science Center

January 19, 2022

####                 Aerial surveys of shorebirds at pre-migratory staging sites in western Alaska, 2018-2019              

Alaska Science Center

January 4, 2022

####                 Measurements of Surfbirds (Calidris virgata), Southcentral Alaska 1997-1999              

Alaska Science Center

December 16, 2020

####                 Information from Bird Nests Monitored on the Colville River Delta, Alaska, 2011-2018              

Alaska Science Center

May 20, 2020

####                 Nesting Habitat and Nest Survival Data for American (Pluvialis dominica) and Pacific (P. fulva) Golden-Plovers on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska, 2012-2013              

Alaska Science Center

May 30, 2019

####                 Bristle-Thighed Curlew (Numenius tahitiensis) Mark-Resight Encounter History from the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge and Surrounding Area, Oahu, Hawaii, 2012-2017              

Alaska Science Center

Below are multimedia items associated with this project.

USGS Alaska Science Center Shorebird Research Program

March 30, 2023

#### USGS Alaska Science Center Shorebird Research Program

link

The USGS Alaska Science Center shorebird research program focuses on studies that improve our knowledge of shorebirds and addresses key questions for management agencies about the distribution and abundance of these species.

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center, Alaska Science Center

March 30, 2023

#### USGS Alaska Science Center Shorebird Research Program

link

#### USGS Alaska Science Center Shorebird Research Program

link

The USGS Alaska Science Center shorebird research program focuses on studies that improve our knowledge of shorebirds and addresses key questions for management agencies about the distribution and abundance of these species.

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center, Alaska Science Center

Wing of juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" 

July 15, 2022

#### Wing of juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" 

link

Wing of juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" on the Seward Peninsula near Nome, Alaska. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a study to track the migration of juvenile (hatch year) bar-tailed godwits from breeding sites near Nome, Alaska.

Alaska Science Center, Alaska Science Center

July 15, 2022

#### Wing of juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" 

link

#### Wing of juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" 

link

Wing of juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" on the Seward Peninsula near Nome, Alaska. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a study to track the migration of juvenile (hatch year) bar-tailed godwits from breeding sites near Nome, Alaska.

Alaska Science Center, Alaska Science Center

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" after capture

July 15, 2022

#### Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" after capture

link

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" after capture on the Seward Peninsula near Nome, Alaska. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a study to track the migration of juvenile (hatch year) bar-tailed godwits from breeding sites near Nome, Alaska.

Alaska Science Center, Alaska Science Center

July 15, 2022

#### Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" after capture

link

#### Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" after capture

link

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" after capture on the Seward Peninsula near Nome, Alaska. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a study to track the migration of juvenile (hatch year) bar-tailed godwits from breeding sites near Nome, Alaska.

Alaska Science Center, Alaska Science Center

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" 

July 15, 2022

#### Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" 

link

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" on the Seward Peninsula near Nome, Alaska. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a study to track the migration of juvenile (hatch year) bar-tailed godwits from breeding sites near Nome, Alaska.

Alaska Science Center, Alaska Science Center

July 15, 2022

#### Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" 

link

#### Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" 

link

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" on the Seward Peninsula near Nome, Alaska. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a study to track the migration of juvenile (hatch year) bar-tailed godwits from breeding sites near Nome, Alaska.

Alaska Science Center, Alaska Science Center

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit B4 with transmitter 

July 15, 2022

#### Juvenile bar-tailed godwit B4 with transmitter 

link

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit B4 with a solar-powered satellite tag near Nome, Alaska. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a study to track the migration of juvenile (hatch year) bar-tailed godwits from breeding sites near Nome, Alaska.

Alaska Science Center

July 15, 2022

#### Juvenile bar-tailed godwit B4 with transmitter 

link

#### Juvenile bar-tailed godwit B4 with transmitter 

link

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit B4 with a solar-powered satellite tag near Nome, Alaska. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a study to track the migration of juvenile (hatch year) bar-tailed godwits from breeding sites near Nome, Alaska.

Alaska Science Center

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" with metal leg band

July 11, 2022

#### Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" with metal leg band

link

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" with metal leg band. At this time researchers put a metal band on the chick and glued a small (0.5 gram) VHF transmitter to the bird.

Alaska Science Center

July 11, 2022

#### Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" with metal leg band

link

#### Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" with metal leg band

link

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" with metal leg band. At this time researchers put a metal band on the chick and glued a small (0.5 gram) VHF transmitter to the bird.

Alaska Science Center

Bar-tailed godwit habitat on the Seward Peninsula 

July 1, 2022

#### Bar-tailed godwit habitat on the Seward Peninsula 

link

Bar-tailed godwit habitat on the Seward Peninsula near Nome, Alaska. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a study to track the migration of juvenile (hatch year) bar-tailed godwits from breeding sites near Nome, Alaska.

Alaska Science Center, Alaska Science Center

July 1, 2022

#### Bar-tailed godwit habitat on the Seward Peninsula 

link

#### Bar-tailed godwit habitat on the Seward Peninsula 

link

Bar-tailed godwit habitat on the Seward Peninsula near Nome, Alaska. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a study to track the migration of juvenile (hatch year) bar-tailed godwits from breeding sites near Nome, Alaska.

Alaska Science Center, Alaska Science Center

Bristle-thighed Curlew in Alaska

December 31, 2016

#### Bristle-thighed Curlew in Alaska

link

A Bristle-thighed Curlew on the tundra.  This photo was taken during the Changing Arctic Ecosystems Boreal-Arctic Transition program.

Alaska Science Center

December 31, 2016

#### Bristle-thighed Curlew in Alaska

link

#### Bristle-thighed Curlew in Alaska

link

A Bristle-thighed Curlew on the tundra.  This photo was taken during the Changing Arctic Ecosystems Boreal-Arctic Transition program.

Alaska Science Center

Curlews perching on the predator fence in the Ki’i Unit

April 9, 2014

#### Curlews perching on the predator fence in the Ki’i Unit

link

Bristle-thighed Curlews perching on the predator fence in the Ki’i Unit of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge, Oahu, Hawaii

Alaska Science Center

April 9, 2014

#### Curlews perching on the predator fence in the Ki’i Unit

link

#### Curlews perching on the predator fence in the Ki’i Unit

link

Bristle-thighed Curlews perching on the predator fence in the Ki’i Unit of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge, Oahu, Hawaii

Alaska Science Center

Grazed grasses in coastal dunes at Makahoa Point on Oahu, Hawaii

April 9, 2014

#### Grazed grasses in coastal dunes at Makahoa Point on Oahu, Hawaii

link

Grazed grasses interspersed with low shrubs in coastal dunes at Makahoa Point east of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge (JCNWR) on Oahu, Hawaii.

Alaska Science Center

April 9, 2014

#### Grazed grasses in coastal dunes at Makahoa Point on Oahu, Hawaii

link

#### Grazed grasses in coastal dunes at Makahoa Point on Oahu, Hawaii

link

Grazed grasses interspersed with low shrubs in coastal dunes at Makahoa Point east of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge (JCNWR) on Oahu, Hawaii.

Alaska Science Center

Mowed grasses in coastal dunes of the Ki’i Unit on Oahu, Hawaii

July 17, 2013

#### Mowed grasses in coastal dunes of the Ki’i Unit on Oahu, Hawaii

link

Mowed grasses interspersed with low shrubs in coastal dunes of the Ki’i Unit in James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Oahu, Hawaii

Alaska Science Center

July 17, 2013

#### Mowed grasses in coastal dunes of the Ki’i Unit on Oahu, Hawaii

link

#### Mowed grasses in coastal dunes of the Ki’i Unit on Oahu, Hawaii

link

Mowed grasses interspersed with low shrubs in coastal dunes of the Ki’i Unit in James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Oahu, Hawaii

Alaska Science Center

Ephemeral wet meadow in the Punamano Unit on Oahu, Hawaii

July 16, 2013

#### Ephemeral wet meadow in the Punamano Unit on Oahu, Hawaii

link

Ephemeral wet meadow surrounded by mowed vegetation in the Punamano Unit of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Oahu, Hawaii

Alaska Science Center

July 16, 2013

#### Ephemeral wet meadow in the Punamano Unit on Oahu, Hawaii

link

#### Ephemeral wet meadow in the Punamano Unit on Oahu, Hawaii

link

Ephemeral wet meadow surrounded by mowed vegetation in the Punamano Unit of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Oahu, Hawaii

Alaska Science Center

Curlews loafing on the largest mowed dike in the Ki’i Unit

April 26, 2013

#### Curlews loafing on the largest mowed dike in the Ki’i Unit

link

Bristle-thighed Curlews on the largest mowed dike in the Ki’i Unit in James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Oahu, Hawaii

Alaska Science Center

April 26, 2013

#### Curlews loafing on the largest mowed dike in the Ki’i Unit

link

#### Curlews loafing on the largest mowed dike in the Ki’i Unit

link

Bristle-thighed Curlews on the largest mowed dike in the Ki’i Unit in James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Oahu, Hawaii

Alaska Science Center

Curlews on small island in shallow ponds of the Ki’i Unit

April 16, 2013

#### Curlews on small island in shallow ponds of the Ki’i Unit

link

Bristle-thighed Curlews on small island in shallow ponds of the Ki’i Unit of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Oahu, Hawaii. 

Alaska Science Center

April 16, 2013

#### Curlews on small island in shallow ponds of the Ki’i Unit

link

#### Curlews on small island in shallow ponds of the Ki’i Unit

link

Bristle-thighed Curlews on small island in shallow ponds of the Ki’i Unit of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Oahu, Hawaii. 

Alaska Science Center

Bristle-thighed Curlew on a fence post on the island of Oahu, Hawaii

December 16, 2012

#### Bristle-thighed Curlew on a fence post on the island of Oahu, Hawaii

link

Bristle-thighed Curlew on a fence post on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

Alaska Science Center

December 16, 2012

#### Bristle-thighed Curlew on a fence post on the island of Oahu, Hawaii

link

#### Bristle-thighed Curlew on a fence post on the island of Oahu, Hawaii

link

Bristle-thighed Curlew on a fence post on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

Alaska Science Center

Shallow ponds, mowed dike in the Ki’i Unit, Oahu, Hawaii

June 7, 2011

#### Shallow ponds, mowed dike in the Ki’i Unit, Oahu, Hawaii

link

Shallow ponds and mowed dike in the Ki’i Unit.  Habitats and areas used by Bristle-thighed Curlews in the Ki’i Unit of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Oahu, Hawaii.

Alaska Science Center

June 7, 2011

#### Shallow ponds, mowed dike in the Ki’i Unit, Oahu, Hawaii

link

#### Shallow ponds, mowed dike in the Ki’i Unit, Oahu, Hawaii

link

Shallow ponds and mowed dike in the Ki’i Unit.  Habitats and areas used by Bristle-thighed Curlews in the Ki’i Unit of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Oahu, Hawaii.

Alaska Science Center

Below are publications associated with this project.

September 15, 2023

####                 Disparate data streams together yield novel survival estimates of Alaska-breeding Whimbrels              

Alaska Science Center

June 16, 2022

####                 Hidden in plain sight: Migration routes of the elusive Anadyr bar-tailed godwit revealed by satellite tracking              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

December 4, 2021

####                 Mismatch-induced growth reductions in a clade of Arctic-breeding shorebirds are rarely mitigated by increasing temperatures              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

December 1, 2021

####                 Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica in Alaska: Revisiting population estimates from the staging grounds              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

October 16, 2021

####                 Central-West Siberian-breeding Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica) segregate in two morphologically distinct flyway populations              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

June 17, 2021

####                 Physiomorphic transformation in extreme endurance migrants: Revisiting the case of bar-tailed godwits preparing for trans-pacific flights              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

June 1, 2021

####                 Diverse patterns of migratory timing, site use, and site fidelity by Alaska-breeding Whimbrels              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

May 6, 2021

####                 When a typical jumper skips: Itineraries and staging habitats used by Red Knots (Calidris canutus piersmai) migrating between northwest Australia and the New Siberian Islands              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

November 9, 2020

####                 Shorebird reproductive response to exceptionally early and late springs varies across sites in Arctic Alaska              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

November 6, 2020

####                 Shorebird research at the U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

June 13, 2020

####                 Annual adult survival drives trends in Arctic-breeding shorebirds but knowledge gaps in other vital rates remain              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

May 15, 2020

####                 A red knot as a black swan: How a single bird shows navigational abilities during repeat crossings of the Greenland Icecap              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

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Below are news stories associated with this project.

Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" Sets World Record

November 3, 2022

####   Juvenile bar-tailed godwit "B6" Sets World Record

A four-month-old bar-tailed godwit known as B6 set a new world record by completing a non-stop 11-day migration of 8,425 miles from Alaska to Tasmania...

Read Article

Story Map of the Incredible Migration of Whimbrels

June 7, 2018

####   Story Map of the Incredible Migration of Whimbrels

This story map describes the work of researchers from different organizations that document the migration of Whimbrels breeding in North America...

Read Article

"Ultra Marathon Champion" Bird May Plan Flights Based on Weather Across Pacific

March 11, 2014

####   "Ultra Marathon Champion" Bird May Plan Flights Based on Weather Across Pacific

A recent U.S. Geological Survey-led study of the bar-tailed godwit, a shorebird known famously as the ultimate marathon champion of bird flight...

Read Article

Below are partners associated with this project.

 

#### Audubon Alaska

#### National Park Service (NPS)

#### U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) - Shorebirds