Monitoring, Research, Species status assessment

Since 2005, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has partnered with the National Park Service to conduct surveys for yellow-billed loons in the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve and Cape Krusenstern National Monument located in the northwest Arctic of Alaska. Yellow-billed loons are a species of conservation concern due to their small global population and habitat limitations, and are considered indicators of water quality and health of freshwater and marine environments.  Because yellow-billed loons are long-lived with a propensity to return to the same breeding sites each year, they are ideal candidates for long-term monitoring to determine trends in occupancy, density, distribution, and types and levels of contaminants burdens.  Though these surveys are designed for and focused on detecting yellow-billed loons, we collect data on all species of loons observed. To learn more about the different components of this collaborative survey and research effort, please visit the National Park Service website or watch these informative videos about our work.

A yellow-billed loon sits on a nest in the Arctic of Alaska.

Facilities

Black and white bird with long neck and yellow bill on the water
Alaska is home to more than 470 species of birds. Most are migratory birds for which the Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible under international treaties and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. While some of the birds stay in Alaska year-round, most migrate to Canada, Central America, South America...

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Programs

A large bird with brown feathers, white head, and yellow beak flies against a pale blue sky
The Migratory Bird Program works with partners to protect, restore and conserve bird populations and their habitats for the benefit of future generations by: ensuring long-term ecological sustainability of all migratory bird populations, increasing socioeconomic benefits derived from birds,...