Spectacled (Somateria fischeri) and Steller’s (Polysticta stelleri) Eiders are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. BEM Systems, Inc. (BEM) was contracted to conduct ground-based nest searches for these species at six remote United States Air Force (USAF) radar sites in northern Alaska over two summer seasons in 2013 and 2014. The USAF is subject to several rules and regulations establishing responsibilities for monitoring migratory birds. The Sikes Act requires all military installations with significant natural resources to prepare and implement Integrated Natural Resources Management Plans (INRMPs). These plans guide the conservation and long-term management of natural resources on military lands in a manner that is compatible with and sustains the military mission. An INRMP also supports compliance with all legal requirements and guides the military in fulfilling its obligation to be a good steward of public land. The management and conservation of migratory birds is addressed in installation INRMPs.
BEM performed ground-based nest surveys based on the distribution and extent of suitable nesting habitats and previous threatened eider nest records. If a nest was found, its location was marked on aerial photographs and the coordinates were recorded with a GPS. Data recorded at each site included species, number and sex of attendant adults, status of the nest, and habitat information. BEM also conducted general avifaunal surveys concurrently to update the species-list for each site and determine locations and habitat characteristics of nests of other bird species. These observations were added to the current list of birds for each site. Additionally, BEM produced updated habitat maps for the six radar sites
Documentation of Spectacled and Steller’s Eider nests and nesting habitat used at the radar sites contribute to the management and conservation of the species. Regular monitoring of the radar sites can provide information on trends, and changes in distribution and nesting frequency at the radar sites. Knowledge gained from conducting threatened eider nesting studies at USAF radar sites would also aid in mitigating remediation and demolition projects at radar facilities, thereby reducing the potential impact to threatened eiders.
