Breeding Ecology of Birds at Teshekpuk Lake: A Key Habitat Site on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The Teshekpuk Lake Special Area in the National Petroleum Reserve -Alaska (NPR-A) currently has no long-term protection from oil development. In this study, we provide novel information on nest density, productivity, and habitat use at Teshekpuk relative to a developed oilfield site at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to assess the importance of Teshekpuk for tundra-nesting birds and to provide recommendations regarding potential oil development. Mean annual nest density of all bird species combined was significantly higher at Teshekpuk than at Prudhoe Bay and was higher than any of five other sites with comparable data on the Alaskan Arctic Coastal Plain. Nest densities were significantly higher at Teshekpuk than at Prudhoe Bay for Lapland longspurs (Calcarius lapponicus) and long-billed dowitchers (Limnodromus scolopaceus), although those for semipalmated sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) were higher at Prudhoe Bay. Total shorebird nest densities at Teshekpuk were among the highest of any sites in the region. At Teshekpuk, shorebirds nested preferentially in wet and emergent habitats, including flooded low-center polygons, non-patterned tundra, and Carex aquatilis-dominated habitats. Therefore, we recommend that future oil infrastructure placement in this region avoid these habitats. Using data collected at Teshekpuk and Prudhoe Bay from 2005 to 2008, we modeled nest survivorship for 11 shorebird species and for Lapland longspurs. For longspurs, the best-supported models based on AIC c values indicated that nest survival was always higher at Teshekpuk, but it was also higher elsewhere in years of high lemming abundance and later in the nesting season. For shorebirds, the best-supported models indicated that nest survivorship was highly variable among years and sites. Uniparental-nesting shorebirds had lower nest survivorship shortly after nest initiation followed by a rapid increase, while biparental survivorship was consistently high throughout the nest lifetime. We recommend that disturbances to nesting habitat be minimized during early June, when vulnerability to nest failure is higher. Because of their high importance to Arctic breeding birds, we recommend that areas within the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area, including our study area and those that are currently under 10-year deferral, be considered for permanent protection.Key words: Arctic Coastal Plain, Teshekpuk Lake Special Area, National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, nest diversity, nest density, nest survivorship, shorebirds, Lapland longspur RÉSUMÉ. La zone spéciale du lac Teshekpuk située dans la réserve nationale de pétrole de l'Alaska (NPR-A) n'est dotée d'aucune protection à long terme en matière de mise en valeur pétrolière. Dans la présente étude, nous fournissons de nouveaux renseignements sur la densité des nids, la productivité et l'utilisation de l'habitat à Teshekpuk à la lumière d'un chantier de mise en valeur pétrolière à la baie Prudhoe, en Alaska et ce, dans le but d'évaluer l'importance de Teshekpuk pour les oiseaux qui nichent dans la toundra a...

Nest-site selection and reproductive success of Common Yellowthroats in managed Iowa grasslands

“…The estimated DSR for Smith's Longspur nests was consistently high compared with that of Lapland Longspurs and Savannah Sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis) breeding in the north (Weatherhead 1979, Martin et al 2009, Liebezeit et al 2011. We attribute the high and consistent rates of nest success of Smith's Longspurs in part to the species' polygynandrous mating system, in which females typically nest in neighborhoods and may benefit from soliciting copulations from multiple males, subsequently assuring additional care for offspring (Davies 1985).…”

The Influence of Weather and Lemmings on Spatiotemporal Variation in the Abundance of Multiple Avian Guilds in the Arctic

“…For example, loons that require large lakes for breeding and foraging [70] were most abundant in flat areas with high amounts of freshwater; gulls, which often breed on marshy hummocks, raised beaches, and inland tundra around large ponds [71], [72], were most abundant in the same habitats as loons. Shorebirds were most abundant in flat areas with high vegetative productivity, as predicted based on habitat preference [64]. The amount of freshwater present may not have influenced overall shorebird abundance because some species prefer well drained, sparsely vegetated tundra (e.g., American golden-plovers), while others prefer wet, marshy habitats (e.g., sandpipers and phalaropes) [73].…”

Importance of the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska for Aquatic Birds

“…Liebezeit et al. () report that fox density is higher in Prudhoe Bay than at a site near Teshekpuk Lake, and Liebezeit and Zack () found that fox density is higher at Prudhoe Bay than at a site on the Ikpikpuk River west of Teshekpuk Lake.…”

“…Liebezeit et al. () compared nesting success at sites in Prudhoe Bay and near Teshekpuk Lake and found no significant differences.…”

“…Liebezeit et al. () compared sites in Prudhoe Bay and near Teshekpuk Lake in the north central part of the NPRA. Nest densities at Prudhoe Bay and Teshekpuk Lake were similar (51 and 49 nests/km 2 , respectively), as were densities of waterfowl (7.9 and 8.5 nests/km 2 ).…”