Migration and Winter Distribution 
Species differences in winter distribution and migration 
patterns may account for differences in residue concentra- 
tions. There are insufficient data to accurately describe 
the migrations of most marine birds in Alaska (Gill et al. 
1979), but an attempt is made here to summarize the 
available information. The habits of intensively hunted 
and managed species and populations of waterfowl are 
somewhat better known, but the migrations of most alcids 
and cliff-nesters are poorly known, primarily because of 
their tendency to disperse randomly from colony areas 
after breeding. There are few recoveries of seabirds 
banded in Alaska for any of the species we studied. For 
each species except the glaucous-winged gull, there are 
fewer than five recoveries, and even for the gull fewer 
than 200 recoveries had been reported to the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service Bird Banding Laboratory by September 
1980. 
Northern Fulmar 
Most northern fulmars apparently overwinter within 
several hundred kilometers of their nesting colonies, but 
move away from shore into the open oceans (Dement’ev 
et al. 1951c; Shuntov 1972). Some, however— perhaps 
mostly juveniles and unmated adults— wander far north 
and south, year round. The winter range of the northern 
Pacific Ocean breeding population extends from the Aleu- 
tian Islands southward to Japan and Baja California 
(Dement’ev et al. 195lc; Gabrielson and Lincoln 1959; 
Palmer 1962; Shuntov 1972). 
Storm-petrels 
Fork-tailed storm-petrels disperse far north and south 
from their nesting sites (Palmer 1962). Through the winter 
they remain relatively near coastal areas from Japan to the 
edge of frozen seas in the vicinity of the Bering Strait, 
throughout the Aleutian Islands, and southward along the 
North American coast to California (Dement’ev et al. 
195lc; Gabrielson and Lincoln 1959; Palmer 1962). The 
winter distribution of Leach’s storm-petrels in the Pacific 
Ocean is not well known, but the birds presumably occur 
in the open ocean near their nesting grounds (Gabrielson 
and Lincoln 1959) or concentrate along tropical conver- 
gences from Japan to Baja California (Dement’ev et al. 
195lc; Palmer 1962). 
Cormorants 
Migratory movements for all species of cormorants are 
poorly known, for they are among the first to arrive at 
breeding cliffs and among the last to depart (Gill et al. 
1979). Northern breeding populations of the pelagic cor- 
morant are migratory and southern populations are resi- 
dent (Dement’ev et al. 195la; Gabrielson and Lincoln 
1959; Palmer 1962; Gill et al. 1979). Wintering areas in- 
clude the Pribilof and Aleutian islands and North Pacific 
coastal waters. 
23 
Both spring and fall movements are more restricted for 
the red-faced cormorant, which is resident throughout 
most of its breeding range (Dement’ev et al. 195la; 
Gabrielson and Lincoln 1959; Gill et al. 1979). However, 
observers have much difficulty in distinguishing between 
red-faced and pelagic cormorants in winter plumage, and 
large numbers of red-faced cormorants may migrate to 
North Pacific coastal waters where they are mixed with 
pelagic cormorants (Gill et al. 1979). 
Glaucous-winged Gull 
Glaucous-winged gulls spend the winter from the area 
of Kamchatka eastward throughout the Aleutian Islands, 
the Gulf of Alaska, and southward along the coast to 
southern Baja California, the Gulf of California, and 
Sonora (Dement’ev et al. 1951b; Gabrielson and Lincoln 
1959). The birds are year-round residents in most of the 
breeding range, withdrawing largely from the more 
northern areas in winter but wintering regularly through- 
out the Aleutians and the Pribilofs and abundantly farther 
south. 
As judged by recoveries of birds banded in Alaska, some 
glaucous-winged gulls from the western Aleutian Islands 
migrate to the vicinity of Kamchatka and southward to 
Japan. Along the North American coast, most winter re- 
coveries are from British Columbia. Some recoveries of 
birds banded in Alaska have been reported from Cali- 
fornia, but none from areas farther south. 
Black-legged Kittiwake 
Pacific populations of the black-legged kittiwake breed 
along coastal cliffs of Siberia and Alaska and wander 
about the open ocean in two major wintering areas: 
(1) south of the Aleutian Islands and east of Japan, and 
(2) along the coast from British Columbia to Baja Cali- 
fornia (Dement’ev et al. 1951b; Gabrielson and Lincoln 
1959; Shuntov 1972; Gill et al. 1979). Few kittiwakes win- 
ter in the Gulf of Alaska or in the southern Bering Sea 
(Kenyon 1949; Shuntov 1972). However, it is still un- 
known where specific breeding populations winter (Gill 
et al. 1979). For the eastern Bering Sea population there is 
a broad and gradual movement from breeding colonies to 
wintering areas south of the Aleutians, whereas popula- 
tions from the Gulf of Alaska are believed to have a more 
narrowly channeled movement along the continental shelf 
on the east side of the Pacific to their wintering areas south 
of British Columbia. 
Murres 
There is no evidence of regular migratory movements 
by common murres or thick-billed murres, except in the 
northern part of the range (Gabrielson and Lincoln 1959). 
Apparently, only breeding populations in the Chukchi and 
northern Bering seas have well-defined migration routes to 
and from the breeding grounds (Gill et al. 1979). The 
more southerly populations, especially those breeding in 
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