A studio for bird study

Tag: journal

May 15, 2019

Published in the Journal of Raptor Research: Dietary Plasticity in a Specialist Predator, the Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus): New Insights into Diet During Brood Rearing

by Bryce W. Robinson

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I’m privileged to once again see a painting of mine don the cover of the Raptor Research Foundation’s quarterly publication, the Journal of Raptor Research. This time, however, is more special since the painting of a Gyrfalcon carrying its prey, an Arctic ground squirrel, corresponds to the feature article authored by myself and Travis Booms, Marc Bechard, and David L. Anderson.

Our publication titled “Dietary Plasticity in a Specialist Predator, the Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus): New Insights into Diet During Brood Rearing” details patterns we documented through implementation of nest cameras in 20 Gyrfalcon nests in 2014 and 2015. The largest camera study of nesting Gyrfalcons provided us with many new insights into the biology of this species, some of which we have already published, some that we have not. In this publication, we document a previously undescribed shift in prey use throughout the nestling period, from a diet of mostly Ptarmigan early in the season, to squirrel in the late season. This shift to squirrel is an important consideration on many levels. It highlights the nuances to Gyrfalcon prey use in Alaska, and the potential importance of squirrels in the later season for juvenile success and development. The apparent importance of squirrels also has implications for understanding ecosystem changes and how shifts in prey landscapes may impact Gyrfalcon reproduction. The stage is set to explore further.

Below are a few photos that describe the work that went into producing this publication. These highlight a some of the >750,000 nest camera images we collected from which the diet was quantified, as well as photos of the field work, and the people that made this effort possible. 

You can read our paper in the Journal of Raptor Research here:

https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-raptor-research/volume-53/issue-2/JRR-15-58/Dietary-Plasticity-in-a-Specialist-Predator-the-Gyrfalcon-Falco-rusticolus/10.3356/JRR-15-58.full

Gyrfalcon nest 1

A female Gyrfalcon feeds nestlings. Image copyright Bryce W. Robinson/The Peregrine Fund.

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A female Gyrfalcon feeds her newly hatched nestling, alongside hatching eggs. Image copyright Bryce W. Robinson/The Peregrine Fund.

Female Gyrfalcon feeds nestlings Arctic ground squirrel

Female Gyrfalcon delivers an Arctic ground squirrel to nestlings. Image copyright Bryce W. Robinson/The Peregrine Fund.

Gyrfalcon nest 2

A female Gyrfalcon stands alongside c. 14 day old nestlings. Image copyright Bryce W. Robinson/ The Peregrine Fund.

Gyrfalcon nest 3

Parental care photo 1. A female (left) broods newly hatched young, reluctant to leave the nest at the male’s (right) arrival. Every Gyrfalcon would occasionally look at the camera, as seen here, but were otherwise unaffected by its presence. Image copyright Bryce W. Robinson/The Peregrine Fund.

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Parental care photo 2. In some cases, males were keen to participate in brooding and feeding young, as is shown here. In even fewer cases, the females were tolerant of this behavior. Image copyright Bryce W. Robinson/The Peregrine Fund.

Bryce and Gyrfalcon nest camera

Bryce W. Robinson sights in a nest camera at a Gyrfalcon nest. Image by Caitlin M. Davis.

Bryce rappelling into Gyrfalcon nest

Bryce W. Robinson rappelling into a Gyrfalcon nest in western Alaska. Image by Neil Paprocki.

Special thanks to the following people that made the field work happen

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John Earthman and Tinsel

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Neil Paprocki

Ellen in Gyrfalcon nest with nestling

Ellen Whittle holding a Gyrfalcon nestling in 2015.

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Mark Jeter and Ellen Whittle against an Alaskan landscape in 2015.

Special thanks to the institutions that made this work possible: Boise State University, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and The Peregrine Fund

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April 14, 2019

Plectrophenax Illustration Featured in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Living Bird Magazine: Complementary to an Article on the Birds of St. Matthew Island by Irby Lovette

by Bryce W. Robinson

Plectrophenax - StM

Plectrophenax spp., an illustration to complement the article detailing the 2018 Expedition to St. Matthew Island in Living Bird by Irby Lovette. Mckay’s Bunting (Plectrophenax hyperboreus; left), and Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis; right).

My involvement in the 2018 USFWS and USGS expedition to St. Matthew Island in the Bering Sea was as a field ornithologist, tasked with conducting surveys and collecting data on the abundance and nesting ecology of Mckay’s Bunting (Plectrophenax hyperboreus) and  the Pribilof Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis ptilocnemis). Of my four companions during my time on the island, two were from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Irby Lovette and Andy Johnson. Irby came along to assist Andy in filming and recording the birdlife on the island. He was also focused on experiencing the island to eventually write an article in Living Bird magazine. This article is now available online. It is a well written treatment of our experience, and details some of the fascinating history of the island as well. Also newly released to complement the article is a video, produced by Andy Johnson, that details some of the birdlife that we encountered on the island. It also highlights the purpose of our visit, and describes very well the feeling of being on this remote Bering Sea island.

I show up a few times in this video, in two occasions of which I am field sketching and painting. When in the field, I generally spend weather days or down-time sketching. I took the opportunity on a number of occasions and greatly enjoyed painting while in such an inspiring place. Irby took notice of my skills as an illustrator, and asked about my interest to paint an illustration to complement the article for Living Bird.

My drive to integrate illustration into my time on one of the most remote locations in North America enriched my experience. It is my hope that the illustrations I worked out on the island become part of a collection of products that complement the research we conducted. I hope these products provide a point of reference, and serve as a description for our experience. I envision an eager naturalist preparing for a trip to St. Matthew Island, as removed in time as we are to Fuertes and the short visit of the Harriman Expedition, exploring the various productions that have arisen and are yet to arise from our relatively short stay on the island. It is my hope that these products stir excitement and attention for this lonely location, support its preservation, and encourage further research into the life histories of its inhabitants.

Female Mckay's Bunting painting

Female Mckay’s Bunting. This is the painting I am working on in the video. It is now under the care of Andy Johnson in Ithaca, New York.

Mckay's Bunting pair illustration

A male and female Mckay’s Bunting painted on St. Matthew Island in 2018. This painting is now under the care of Irby Lovette at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York.

Our month-long stay on the island was packed with incredible experiences and important discoveries. Such experiences are mentioned in Irby’s article, yet they truly only skim the surface. Over the next year or two, more products will come forward from our short stay on the island, so please stay tuned.

The Living Bird article on the birds of St. Matthew Island written by Irby Lovette can be found at the link below:

Birds of St. Matthew Island, the Most Remote Place in the United States

2018-07-07 23.48.32

 

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January 4, 2019

American Ornithological Society Conference 2019 Logo

by Bryce W. Robinson

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I am privileged to share the logo that I created for the American Ornithological Society’s 2019 conference. The logo features three Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica baueri), a flagship bird for Alaska and a focal species for some of Alaska’s most influential ornithologists.

I worked closely with the conference planning chair, Colleen Handel of the USGS Alaska Science Center. We created a logo that ties in closely with the theme of the meeting – Birds on the Edge: Dynamic Boundaries. Colleen is part of a team of researchers headed by her husband, Robert E. Gill (also of USGS), that are responsible for discovering the incredible, sometimes 9 day non-stop flight of Alaska’s Bar-tailed Godwits as they return to Alaska from their wintering grounds in southeast Australia and New Zealand (see Gill et al. 2008). As such, one can see why the species is a great choice to celebrate the AOS meeting being held in Anchorage.

To register for the meeting or learn more, visit the AOS 2019 Conference website. Also, be sure to check out the merchandise that features this logo.

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October 11, 2018

Just Published in Marine Ornithology: Unusual Foraging Observations Associated with Seabird Die-offs in Alaska

by Bryce W. Robinson

 

Above is a short video that I produced to supplement a paper I, along with colleagues at US Fish and Wildlife Service and USGS, just published in the journal Marine Ornithology. The video shows behaviors that we describe in the paper, and will hopefully help the reader visualize what we experienced ourselves.

The Bering Sea region is changing in many ways, but among the most sobering are the mass die-off events that are impacting the regions birdlife. These die-offs continue into this year. Since we put together this publication of the observations that I and colleagues made in 2016 and 2017, the trend has continued and is likely to continue into the future. Furthermore, on my most recent trip to the region I documented further evidence of the ongoing change that is occurring across the bering sea ecosystem. There is and will continue to be more to report.

Some of the change, such as the evidence of starving and ill affected storm-petrels that are the subject of our publication, is sobering and concerning. It hits hard on the hearts of those of us who so passionately pay attention to bird life across the globe. We care deeply about the well being of these creatures that fascinate us so much.

Some of the change, such as some of my most recent observations in the region, are exciting and stoke curiosity, as the birdlife of the region responds to the impacts of ecosystem disruption.

Ultimately, there will be winners and losers as life navigates anthropogenic driven change throughout the world. Mass die-off events will become the norm for some species, until their populations can no longer sustain such losses and they are eventually lost to our world. Others will adapt in ways we cannot yet imagine. Such adaptations will undoubtedly open our minds to processes and function in ecosystems that we are yet to understand.

Yes, climate change is a problem. It is a problem that still is not unanimously recognized. It will change our world, our way of life, and probably not for the better. But, as we experience the change, we can document what is happening for the future inhabitants of our perturbed ecosystems. We can make record of the oddities, the aberrations, so that we leave a paper trail of first observations that will help us understand when things started, and how they developed. Hopefully, as these records build the evidence of change will become insurmountable to the point that the overwhelming majority of our society cannot and will not deny that the world is impacted by our daily choices and we ourselves need to change. And when we do, hopefully it will not be too late.

This is why I want to publish notes such as this, to make a record that will add to the evidence of an increasingly disrupted world. More to come…

You can find the paper detailing our observations of odd foraging behaviors here:

Click to access 46_2_149-153.pdf

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