Projects and Research

From collaborative projects that extend beyond the boundaries of the Refuge to long-term studies of migratory birds and everything in between, our projects help us monitor changes over time and inform management and conservation. 

Northwest Boreal Forest Lynx Project

The Northwest Boreal Forest Lynx Project is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the National Park Service to study movement patterns, dispersal behavior, and survival of lynx in relation to snowshoe hare abundance. 

Canada…

Kanuti Refuge Moose Population Survey

Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), cooperatively conduct semi-annual, aerial moose population surveys of Kanuti Refuge and surrounding State and BLM lands in small, two-seat aircraft.  We survey in early winter so that…

Kanuti Refuge Beaver Cache Survey

Beaver food caches are an important component of beaver ecology at northern latitudes where surface water remains frozen for months each year. Aerial surveys of these caches have been used since the 1940s to monitor beaver abundance and distribution. Kanuti refuge attempts to conduct beaver food…

Kanuti Refuge Whimbrel Studies

Kanuti Refuge has been a leader in the investigation of boreal-breeding shorebirds in Alaska. For example, we have collaborated with the U.S. Geological Survey on a study of the migratory movements of Kanuti-breeding Whimbrels and how they compare to North Slope-breeding Whimbrels. We also…

Kanuti Refuge Lesser Yellowlegs Research

Lesser Yellowlegs are a commonly occurring shorebird within Kanuti Refuge. In 2019 we partnered with the Alaska Migratory Birds Office to serve as a study site as part of a multi-partner investigation of migratory movements of Lesser Yellowlegs breeding at six sites across boreal Alaska and Canada…

Kanuti Refuge Breeding Bird Surveys

With the mosaic of habitats resulting from a rich fire history, an abundance of water bodies, and diverse physiographic features, Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge supports over 40 species of breeding landbirds. The refuge conducts two of these long-term surveys by boat along the Kanuti River; they…

Kanuti Refuge Trumpeter Swan Survey

Beginning in 1968, and every five years since 1975, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been performing aerial censuses of interior Alaska's summering (presumably) Trumpeter Swan population. Kanuti Refuge has participated in the census since 1985.  From 1990–2020, swan pairs in the Refuge have…

Kanuti Refuge Scaup and Scoter Survey

In recognition of continental declines in both scaup and scoters, Alaska Interior-wide surveys were started in 2014, including on Kanuti Refuge. The Alaska Migratory Birds Office completes annual statewide surveys in the spring for breeding pairs of dabbling ducks and other waterbirds, but because…

Kanuti Refuge Stream Gage Monitoring

Water is critically important to all the habitats and species found on Alaska’s Refuges, including Kanuti. The Water Resources Branch provides scientific leadership and technical assistance, collecting and interpreting water quantity and quality data to address water management issues and acquire…

Kanuti Refuge Molting Goose Survey

Each year we conduct an aerial line transect survey of Greater White-fronted and Canada Geese during their molting period. Concerns in the 1990s about declines in the interior and northwest Alaska-breeding populations of white-fronts (aka “mid-continent population”) sparked increased attention to…

Inventory, Mapping, and Digitizing the Wetlands of Alaska's Refuges

As part of the National Wetlands Inventory, we are mapping and digitizing high priority wetlands in Alaska’s 16 National Wildlife Refuges. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency tasked with providing public information on the status and trends of our Nation's…

Early Detection of Invasive Species in Alaska

Invasive Species Program staff collaborate with Alaska's National Wildlife Refuge, the State of Alaska and other partners to protect Alaska's lands and waters by working to detect invasive species infestations while they’re still relatively small and have the highest chance of being successfully…