1. NAB Planning area Bristol Bay/Alaska Peninsula Avian Crossroads and Destination Bill Larned Chris Dau U S Fish and Wildlife Service

2. Why are there so many birds here?  Convergence of migratory pathways

3.  Nutrient-rich estuaries  Eelgrass, anadromous and marine fish & invertebrate food resources  Extensive shallow near-shore habitats  Northernmost ice-free coastal habitats in winter  Remote habitats with low level human disturbance BRISTOL BAY Why are there so many birds here?

4. Special Habitat Designations 23 Bering Sea “Important Bird Areas” 6 Hemispheric, 1 International “Western Hemispheric Shorebird Reserve Network” sites 5 State Critical Habitat Areas “essential for wildlife and fisheries resources” 3 Fed. Steller’s eider critical habitat units within PA, 2 in adjacent areas, 1 Spectacled eider C Hab. adjacent 2 National Wildlife Refuges 2 State Game Refuges 1 st Ramsar Convention Site (Izembek Lagoon) in US “Wetlands of International Importance”

5. WATERBIRDS MOST AT RISK Sea Ducks: Steller’s eider, King eider, Black Scoter Long-tailed duck, Geese: Brant, Emperor goose, Cackling Canada goose Other dabbling/diving/sea ducks, loons, grebes, gulls in estuaries and along shorelines esp. during spring/fall migration

6. Data Sources FWS Aerial Surveys – Spring Staging, Winter, Molting, Fall Staging, including: sea ducks, other diving ducks, dabbling ducks, geese, loons, grebes, gulls, eagles Many estuarine studies (marine ecology, abundance, biology, disturbance factors of waterbirds) Radiotelemetry – VHF and Satellite P. Anderson L. Dickson

7. Steller’s eider Status: AK breeding pop. “threatened” under ESA, world pop. of concern. Reference Population: Pacific Population (<200K) Planning area Max Population: 137K PA % of Ref. Population: ±70% Months present: Aug-May Concentration sites: All major AK Pen. Lagoons, Chagvan, Nanvak, Goodnews, Kuskokwim Bays, Aug. – May. Molting, migration, winter Suydam

8. March-May And Aug.-Nov. STELLER’S EIDER R. Suydam W. Larned

9. Dec-Mar STELLER’S EIDER R. Suydam

10. King eider Status: Species of Concern, worldwide decline. Reference Population: W. N. Am. (<300-400K) Planning area Max Population: 240K (mid-Apr. 1997) PA % of Ref. Population: ±70% Months present: Aug - May Concentration sites: Upper BB shoals, mouths of all AP Lagoons, shorelines throughout Planning area M. Danzenbaker

11. KING EIDER R. Suydam Mar-May

12. KING EIDER Sept-Nov ?? Dec-Mar

13. Black Scoter Status: Species of Concern, declines worldwide Incl. AK Reference Population: W. N. Am. breeding (200K) Planning area Max Population: Spring Mig. (48K) PA % of Ref. Population: 24% Months present: Aug-May Greatest Vulnerability: migration (Mar-May), Molt (Aug- Oct). Upper BB shoals, Most AP Lagoons, esp. Pt. Moller, shorelines throughout Planning area

14. BLACK SCOTER March-May J. Wasley

15. BLACK SCOTER July-Nov Winter ?? J. Wasley

16. Sea Ducks - vulnerability Molting flocks – high nutritional requirements, limited mobility, stress from disturbance Migration bottlenecks: many birds transition through staging areas, max numbers exposed to oil/fuel spills, other contaminants, disturbance Wintering concentrations – spill response most challenging

17. DATA GAPS Baseline food resource quant/qual data from major coastal/estuarine habitats (prey density, distribution, competitors, contaminants) Year-round distribution of sea ducks -- especially winter distribution. Relationships of seasonal waterbird distribution & migration to environmental variables, esp. sea ice, weather, prey distribution/abundance, disturbance

20. Pacific Brant Status: International Species of concern due to ~40% reduction in population Reference Population: Pacific Coast and High Arctic, breeds in AK, Canada, Russia: ~120K NAB Planning area Max Population: >95% Months present: Sept-May Concentration sites: Izembek Lagoons, Bechevin, Chagvan, Nanvak Bays, Sept-Nov, April-May J. Wasley

21. PACIFIC BRANT April-May Sept-Nov J. Wasley

22. Emperor Goose Status: Int. Species of concern due to ~50% pop. reduction Reference Population: Entire world population (~80K) is in W. Alaska & Russia % of Ref. Population in NAB: ~95% Months present: Sept-May Concentration sites: All AP estuaries, Bechevin, Chagvan, Nanvak Bays

23. EMPEROR GOOSE April-May T. Donnelly Aug-Nov