Alaska Bird ObservatoryAlaska Bird ObservatoryAnna-Marie Benson, Migration Program Manager
Alaska Bird Observatory, Box 80505, Fairbanks, AK, 99708
© 1992-2000 Alaska Bird Observatory, Inc.
These data are copyrighted 1992-2000 Alaska Bird Observatory, Inc. All rights are reserved. Posting of these data on the World Wide Web is not a waiver of that copyright or any other intellectual property rights associated with the data. No part of these data may be used except for viewing as displayed here by any persons without the prior written consent of Alaska Bird Observatory, Inc. For information regarding the use of this data please contact Alaska Bird Observatory at birds@alaskabird.org
The Alaska Bird Observatory (ABO) has operated a large, standardized spring mist-netting station at Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge in Fairbanks, Alaska since 1992. Approximately 150 migration-monitoring sites are located throughout North America, of which Creamer’s Field Migration Station (CFMS) is the northernmost. The location of CFMS is the near the northern limit of the breeding range of several species of boreal-forest landbirds that have undergone population declines in other portions of their geographic range. Migration monitoring provides important information for studying population trends in Nearctic-Neotropical migrants by sampling large movements of many species of birds that are not adequately sampled by point-count methods.
The objectives of the mist-netting study are to capture and band migrating passerines to examine: 1) population dynamics; 2) timing of life-history events (e.g., migration, reproduction, molt, juvenile dispersal, and seasonal differences in body condition); and 3) habitat use. Additionally, data collected at the migration station provide important information to the essential knowledge of avian distribution and are currently being used to evaluate the effectiveness of aging and sexing techniques proposed by the Bird Banding Laboratory. Research at ABO has an important educational component as the migration station has become a popular destination for local school groups, naturalists, bird enthusiasts, and international visitors. The objectives of the education program are: 1) to provide public education programs relating to avian identification, ecology, migration, and conservation; 2) to encourage volunteers from the community to participate in hands-on research; 3) to provide training in mist-netting and banding techniques to biologists.
Table
| Total number of individuals captured (newly banded birds, returns from previous years, and mortalities) at CFMS during spring migration: 1992-2000. | ||||||||||
| Species | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | Total |
| Green-winged Teal (Anas creca creca) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus velox) | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 20 |
| Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis atricapillus) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 12 |
| Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria cinnamomea) | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
| Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens nelsoni) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus septentrionalis) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus fasciatus) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus luteus) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 |
| Alder Flycatcher (Empidonax alnorum) | 2 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 42 |
| Hammond's Flycatcher (Empidonax hammondii) | 12 | 15 | 20 | 29 | 12 | 17 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 135 |
| Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina thalassina) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Gray Jay (Perisoreus canadensis canadensis) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus turneri) | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 59 |
| Boreal Chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus hudsonicus) | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 12 |
| Arctic Warbler (Phylloscopus borealis kennicotti) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula calendula) | 20 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 49 |
| Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus aliciae) | 16 | 14 | 21 | 12 | 22 | 4 | 14 | 11 | 2 | 116 |
| Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustalatus ustalatus) | 28 | 51 | 58 | 49 | 84 | 28 | 39 | 20 | 13 | 370 |
| Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus euborius) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 13 |
| American Robin (Turdus migratorius migratorius) | 31 | 37 | 39 | 54 | 46 | 47 | 79 | 54 | 34 | 421 |
| Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius meruloides) | 21 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 26 |
| American Pipit (Anthus rubescens) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus pallidiceps) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Orange-crowned Warbler (Vermivora celata celata) | 40 | 55 | 51 | 53 | 36 | 22 | 53 | 36 | 13 | 359 |
| Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia banksi) | 46 | 29 | 41 | 9 | 22 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 10 | 183 |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata hooveri) | 109 | 99 | 55 | 91 | 86 | 75 | 99 | 80 | 126 | 820 |
| Blackpoll Warbler (Dendroica striata) | 19 | 8 | 24 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 71 |
| Northern Waterthrush (Seiurus noveboracensis) | 23 | 14 | 67 | 25 | 54 | 25 | 14 | 15 | 9 | 246 |
| Wilson's Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla) | 33 | 54 | 58 | 61 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 9 | 8 | 267 |
| American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea ochracea) | 36 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 24 | 1 | 12 | 4 | 10 | 106 |
| Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis anthinus) | 57 | 17 | 37 | 33 | 59 | 17 | 38 | 22 | 18 | 298 |
| Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca zaboria) | 10 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 55 |
| Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii lincolnii) | 6 | 5 | 12 | 23 | 14 | 7 | 22 | 12 | 1 | 102 |
| Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotricia atricapilla) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii) | 14 | 9 | 21 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 30 | 16 | 14 | 139 |
| Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis hyemalis) | 29 | 12 | 26 | 42 | 99 | 39 | 49 | 44 | 38 | 378 |
| Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus alascensis) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus carolinus) | 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 29 |
| White-winged Crossbill (Loxia leucoptera leucoptera) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Common Redpoll (Carduelis flammea) | 81 | 21 | 237 | 90 | 10 | 17 | 639 | 45 | 118 | 1,258 |
| Hoary Redpoll (Carduelis hornemanni) | 67 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 73 |
| Total | 727 | 479 | 831 | 640 | 659 | 368 | 1,168 | 426 | 449 | 5,747 |
| Net Hours of Operation | 6,865 | 10,552 | 11,252 | 12,731 | 12,411 | 7,548 | 6,760 | 7,180 | 6,177 | 75,299 |
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