Researcher attaches a GPS tracking device to monitor the movements of dunlin shorebirds

Arctic-breeding shorebirds have experienced widespread population declines in recent decades. These declines are occurring even though Arctic nesting grounds are relatively undisturbed by human infrastructure and fragmentation, although future infrastructure expansion poses a threat to breeding birds. However, it is unknown how shorebirds respond to variable environmental conditions or to what extent human infrastructure influences shorebird movements on the breeding grounds. To address this knowledge gap, USGS ecologists at the Iowa Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Iowa State University, monitored Dunlin movements using high-frequency GPS tracking devices prior to nesting in northern Alaska. The team found that Dunlin respond strongly to annual environmental conditions and use anthropogenically-modified areas, particularly roadside areas, prior to nesting likely due to the availability of food resources in these areas. This work highlights the need to evaluate the consequences, positive or negative, of shorebird use of human-modified areas on the breeding grounds.