Drummond et al. (2025)
Author Information
Brie Drummond, Arthur Kettle, Heather Renner, Nora Rojek, Rustand, Buchheit: USFWS Alaska Maritime NWR
Aleutian Islands:
Annual seabird monitoring at Aiktak (eastern Aleutians) and Buldir (western Aleutians) islands was led by Nora Rojek (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (AMNWR)) with summer-long field crews consisting of Shiho Koike, Ross Bullington, and Nick Minnich on Buldir, and Erin Parsons and Molly Henling on Aiktak. At Buldir Island, the crew collected productivity, diet, and population data on a variety of species including Common and Thick-billed Murres (Uria aalge and U. lomvia); Parakeet (Aethia psittacula), Least (A. pusilla), Whiskered (A. pygmaea), and Crested (A. cristatella) auklets; Horned and Tufted Puffins (Fratercula corniculata and F. cirrhata); Black-legged and Red-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla and R. brevirostris); and Fork-tailed and Leach’s storm-petrels (Hydrobates furcatus and H. leucorhous). At Aiktak Island, the crew monitored Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani), Common and Thick-billed Murres (Uria aalge and U. lomvia); Ancient Murrelets (Synthliboramphus antiquus); Horned and Tufted Puffins (Fratercula corniculata and F. cirrhata); Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens); Fork-tailed and Leach’s storm-petrels (Hydrobates furcatus and H. leucorhous); and Double-crested, Red-faced, and Pelagic Cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicus, P. urile, and P. auritus).
In June, Heather Renner, Megan Boldenow, and Erik Andersen (USWFS AMNWR, Ecological Services (ES), and Marine Mammals Management (MMM)) conducted surveys for Aleutian tern (Onychoprion aleuticus) along the Bering side of the Alaska Peninsula. Surveys occurred from Port Moller to Unimak Island, supported by the R/V Tiĝlax̂.
In July, Stacey Buckelew, Kim Holzer, Ben Wishnek (USFWS, Invasive Species Program), Lauren Flynn, Ray Buchheit, Adrienne Mcgill (USFWS AMNWR), Michael Jennings, Katie Kromback, Erica Wells (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) Wildlife Services) and Vera Brosgol (Voices of the Wilderness Artist in Residence) conducted Norway rat pre-eradication baseline studies and biological monitoring on Great Sitkin Island in the central Aleutians, supported by the R/V Tiĝlax̂.
Alaska Peninsula:
Annual seabird monitoring at Chowiet Island (Semidi Islands group) was led by Brie Drummond (USFWS AMNWR), with a summer-long field crew of Joelle Marchiani and Aurora Kuczek. They collected productivity, diet, and population data on a variety of species including Common and Thick-billed Murres (Uria aalge and U. lomvia), Parakeet and Rhinoceros Auklets (*Aethia psittacula *and Cerorhinca monocerata), Horned and Tufted Puffins (*Fratercula corniculata *and F. cirrhata), Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens), and Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis).
Gulf of Alaska:
Annual seabird monitoring for the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge at St. Lazaria Island in southeast Alaska was led by Brie Drummond (USFWS AMNWR) with a summer-long crew of Jennifer Lewis and Ayla Liss. They collected productivity, population, and diet data on Common and Thick-billed Murres (Uria aalge and U. lomvia), Rhinoceros Auklets (Cerorhinca monocerata), Tufted Puffins (Fratercula cirrhata), Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani), Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens), Fork-tailed and Leach’s Storm-petrels (*Hydrobates furcatus *and H. leucorhus), and Pelagic Cormorants (Urile pelagicus). Brie Drummond and Ashley Lutto also deployed geolocators on Fork-tailed and Leach’s Storm-petrels on St. Lazaria.
At East Amatuli Island, Arthur Kettle (USFWS AMNWR) and crew installed time-lapse cameras for season-long monitoring of Common Murres (Uria aalge), Tufted Puffins (Fratercula cirrhata), and Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla). In August Arthur, Karyn Murphy, and Zoe Strothkamp surveyed monitoring plots of Fork-tailed Storm-petrels (Hydrobates furcatus); Brie Drummond and Matt Rustand deployed light-level geolocators on Fork-tailed Storm-petrels. The crew also sampled petrel chick diet. Arthur Kettle and Ayla Liss (USFWS AMNWR) retrieved the time-lapse cameras in late September.
Bering and Chukchi Seas:
Annual seabird monitoring in the Pribilof Islands at St. Paul and St. George was led by Matt Rustand (USFWS AMNWR) with summer-long field crews consisting of Nathan Dubrow and Sam Darmstadt on St. Paul, and Frank Mayer, Joe Cleaves, and Danielle Donadio on St. George. Both crews collected data on a variety of species including Common Murres (Uria aalge), Thick-billed Murres (Uria lomvia), Least Auklets (Aethia pusilla), Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla), Red-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa brevirostris), and Red-faced Cormorants (Phalacrocorax urile). The crews collected productivity, diet, adult survival and population data. On St. George, geolocators were deployed on thick-billed murres in a collaborative effort with University Alaska, Fairbanks.
At Cape Lisburne, Arthur Kettle and Ray Buchheit (USFWS AMNWR) installed time-lapse cameras in June for monitoring breeding success of Common and Thick-Billed Murres (Uria aalge and U. lomvia) and Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla). The cameras were retrieved in October by Arthur Kettle and Matt Rustand.
