Most of the major breeding habitats of marine birds in the Chukchi and Bering seas are known, but imprecisely identified as to location and size. With few exceptions, the populations of birds using these habitats are described only by the subjective and ambiguous descriptors of abundance such as "abundant, common, occasional, and rare," which makes measurement of change impossible.
We recommend that first and foremost a catalog of habitats used by birds be developed to aid resource administrators, developers, and biologists (all of whom should be "conservationists") in identifying critical habitats. We believe that such a catalog would preclude many problems because birds and their habitats could be considered at the planning stage rather than only at the operational stage. Such a catalog would also be useful to students of ornithology who are seeking locations suitable for particular studies.
Nowhere in this region have studies of marine birds been of sufficient duration to enable changes in populations (from whatever cause) to be characterized. Since some species of marine bird are known not to breed before at least 3 or more years of age, meaningful information on survival and recruitment in populations cannot be obtained by studies of less than 10 years. We therefore recommend that long-term studies be initiated at as many places as possible, but at least at one site on the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta; at a mainland colony site that has predominantly murres, kittiwakes, puffins, and cormorants; and at an island site that also has small auklets. Although the nesting distribution of the Kittlitz's murrelet remains an enigma, we regard it less of a conservation issue and more of an ornithological challenge. Consideration of logistics and support facilities must, of course, be included in the site selection process. Most of the areas suggested for these studies also merit recognition and protection by being designated as a National Wildlife Refuge, a National Park or Monument, or a State Game Sanctuary.
References
Bailey, A. M. 1943. The birds of Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska. Proc. Colo. Mus. Nat. Hist. 18. 113 pp.
Bailey, A. M. 1948. Birds of arctic Alaska. Colo. Mus. Nat. Hist. Popular Ser. 8. 317 pp.
Bailey, E. P. 1973. Discovery of a Kittlitz's murrelet nest. Condor 75(4):457.
Bartonek, J. C., and D. D Gibson. 1972. Summer distribution of pelagic birds in Bristol Bay, Alaska. Condor 74(4):416-422.
Bédard, J. 1969. The nesting of the least, crested, and parakeet auklets around St. Lawrence Island, Alaska. Can. J. Zool. 47(5):1025-1050.
Bent, A. C. 1919. Life histories of North American diving birds. U.S. Natl. Mus. Bull. 107. 245 pp.