Arctic Shorebirds
Buff-breasted Sandpiper on nest
For five years, the Arctic Shorebird Demographics Network field crews in Alaska, Canada, and Russia monitored the survival and breeding success of thousands of individually marked shorebirds.
I worked with the ASDN as a postdoc for 2.5 years and led the network-wide analysis of demographic data, development of new models, and interpretation of results for 21 species of Arctic-breeding shorebirds.
Red-necked Phalarope
Major results from this work included the first estimates of adult survival for several species, using new spatially explicit models that distinguish emigration from mortality and thus provide an estimate near the true value of survival.
American Golden-Plover
Stilt Sandpiper on nest
We also demonstrated that seasonal declines in reproductive traits are widespread in Arctic shorebirds, and direct effects of climate change might have neutral or positive effects on reproduction. Indirect effects, including loss of habitat, will be more complex.
Red-necked Phalarope chicks
Fledgling Red Phalarope
Semipalmated Sandpiper with flag (left) and geolocator (right)
We worked with a global group of collaborators to evaluate effects of geolocators on Arctic-breeding shorebirds. Geolocators are tiny devices that record a bird's position on Earth, but we found that even tiny devices can have consequences for small birds.
Fortunately, though, the plastic leg flags commonly used to mark shorebirds did not have effects on nest survival.
Western Sandpiper with flag and color bands