FWS Beringian Seabird 2004
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Dataset credit

Shawn W. Stephensen, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Bird Management
David Irons, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Bird Management

Abstract

The Beringian Seabird Colony Catalog is a computerized, GIS-based database, maintained by the Division of Migratory Bird Management, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, in Anchorage, Alaska. It contains the locations and names of seabird breeding colonies in Alaska (AK) and Russia (RU), the species of birds that nest in each colony, and the numbers of each species.

The colony number consists of a map number and a site number. Map number (1 - 153) refers to a United States Geological Survey (USGS) 1:250,000 quadrangle, which is not the same as the official USGS map number. A site number refers to a specific colony and is not duplicated within the quadrangle. The site name is derived from an official name on USGS map, if one exists; otherwise a descriptive name was invented.

Purpose

We count birds in some colonies (or in parts of the colonies) each summer. This tells us whether the birds' populations are healthy. If a population is getting smaller, we study it and try to learn what the problem is.

In the area that was affected by the Exxon Valdez oil spill, we study seabirds to learn whether they are recovering from the oil. We count the birds in winter and summer. We study how many eggs the birds lay and how many young birds they raise each summer. We also study how they find their food at sea.

We work with observer programs to learn how many birds are caught in fishing gear. This tells us whether seabird breeding populations are impacted by fisheries bycatch.

An earlier version of this catalog was published (see Sowls et al. 1978). Many data in the 1978 publication have been superseded by this current database, but it is still a helpful reference. For a recent description of this dataset, please refer to Stephensen and Irons (2003).

Supplemental information

N/A

References

Sowls, A.L., S.A. Hatch, and C.J. Lensink. 1978. Catalog of Alaskan seabird colonies. U.S. Fish and Wild. Serv., Biol. Services proj. FWS/OBS 78/78

Stephensen, S.W., and D.B. Irons. 2003. Comparison of colonial breeding seabirds in the eastern Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. Marine Ornithology. 31: 167-173

Contacts

RoleNameOrganization 
Primary contact David Hyrenbach Duke University Marine Laboratory
Primary contact Shawn Stephensen U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Bird Management
Primary contact David Irons U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Bird Management
Data entry Ei Fujioka Duke University

Attributes

Overview

Attributes described below represent those in the original dataset provided by the provider.
Only minimum required attributes are visible and downlodable online. Other attributes may be obtained upon provider's permission unless otherwise noteded below.

Attributes in dataset provided

Attribute (table column)Description
survey
lineno
mapnumber
sitenumber
state
sitename
rectype
yearYear of observation
dateObserved date
timeTime of observation
lon
lat
longitudeLongitude of observation
latitudeLatitude of observation
speciesSpecies observed
nofu
aush
ftsp
swsp
lesp
unsp
dcco
brco
grco
teco
peco
rfco
unco
coei
bloy
megu
btgu
hegu
sbgu
gwgu
ghgu
glgu
gggu
bhgu
blki
rlki
sagu
ungu
cote
arte
alte
cate
unte
dove
comu
tbmu
unmu
blgu
pigu
spgu
unig
mamu
anmu
caau
paau
leau
whau
crau
rhau
unau
tupu
hopu
unpu
unal
toco
tomu
bird
excluded
oidUnique ID number (generated by SEAMAP)
SEAMAP ID270
Seabirds2,167
Marine mammals0
Sea turtles0
Total2,167
Date, Begin2004-07-01
Date, End2004-07-01
Latitudes42.47 - 71.39
Longitudes130.93 - 229.80
PlatformShore
Data typeHabitat survey
EffortN/A
Updated2011-02-04