 |
 Pacific Loon on nest © Subhankar Banerjee  King Eider © Steven Kazlowski |
| Home | About | Birds of the Refuge | How You Can Help | Manomet | Contact Us |
|
Birds of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Edited by Stephen Brown, Ph.D. A celebration in word and image of the birds who return each year to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to nest and how they link us all to the health of the Arctic ecosystem. A Buff-breasted Sandpiper running along a barrier beach in the Carolinas is only mid-way in an annual journey of incredible magnitude, one that takes it from nesting grounds in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to winter quarters on the pampas of South America. The Yellow Wagtail begins life in a willow thicket in the Arctic but winters in Indonesia, where its return each year signals rice farmers to begin their annual planting. Each spring more than 190 species of birds converge in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from six continents and all fifty states to nest and rear their young, linking ecosystems across the globe. Arctic Wings is a spectacular tribute to the birds that have journeyed to the Arctic Refuge and back every year for millenia. Conceived by Stephen Brown, Director of Manomet's Shorebird Conservation Research Program, in collaboration with photographer Subhankar Banerjee (author of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Seasons of Life and Land in 2003), Arctic Wings features a foreword by Jimmy Carter, and 200 color images from award-winning nature photographers Subhankar Banerjee, Steven Kazlowski, Michio Hoshino, Arthur Morris, Mark Wilson, and Hugh Rose. Chapters cover the life histories of bird species from every major group including loons and waterfowl, raptors, shorebirds, gulls and terns, owls, and songbirds, and highlight the vital importance of the Arctic Refuge for world bird populations that connect all of us, no matter where we live, to these northernmost breeders. Authors include David Allen Sibley, reflecting on the grand dance of avian migration and the sense of time and place on the earth that it provides; Debbie Miller, describing how songbirds' perilous journey from the Arctic and back connects the world's peoples; Mark Wilson, sharing his story of discovery while canoeing the refuge's Canning River; Stephen Brown, chronicling the awe-inspiring global migrations of arctic-breeding shorebirds; Robert Thompson and Sarah James, relaying the historical relationship between birds and Native cultures; and Kenn Kaufman connecting the Arctic with the places we love to watch birds. Arctic Wings comes with a 60-minute CD of birdsongs recorded in the refuge by Martyn Stewart of www.naturesound.org, including the mating calls of many species heard only in the arctic. "We hope that Arctic Wings will help generate awareness of the importance of the Arctic Refuge for nearly 200 species of birds, and the links between this remote pristine wilderness and our own backyards. No matter where we live, our favorite seasonal migrants and winter residents may include some of these amazing Arctic travelers", says Brown. Recently Brown and colleagues at Manomet, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other agencies completed the first study of breeding shorebirds and waterbirds throughout the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge. Their research showed that coastal wetland and riparian habitats in the refuge, the region oil companies propose to open to development, qualify as a site of International Importance in the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, meaning that annually it is used by 10% of a biogeographic population or 100,000+ shorebirds. Current research aims to document the importance of river deltas along the Beaufort Sea, where shorebirds feed in large numbers to gain essential energy reserves needed to undertake their epic southward migrations. These extremely important shorebird habitats in the Arctic Refuge represent only 5% of the tundra along the northern coast of Alaska, but it is the only coastal area currently protected from development. If oil development is allowed in the Refuge, it will impact 14 species of shorebirds with a seriously declining population. Six of these species are designated "high priority" in the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, which means that they are already at risk of extinction due to small population sizes. "We hope that Arctic Wings will reach a broad cross section of the millions of people who enjoy bird watching", says Brown. "Bird watchers have the potential to make a tremendous contribution to the effort to permanently protect this one small but essential region of coastal habitat in the Arctic Refuge that is essential to the survival of many birds we all enjoy." About the Editor Stephen Brown, Ph.D., is Director of the Shorebird Conservation Research Program for Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences. He was the lead author on the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan and he conducts on-going research in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. For more information about his work, see www.shorebirdworld.org. |