PIGEON GUILLEMOT BREEDING SURVEY

Pigeon Guillemot Breeding Survey begins in June 2024.

by Bob Phreaner

Pigeon Guillemots (PIGU) are comical, engaging seabirds and an important indicator species for marine ecosystems across the Salish Sea. They harvest the nearshore waters for small fish to feed their developing chicks who are growing in burrows dug in the bluffs above beaches.

To better understand their population dynamics and their role in healthy coastal ecosystems, PIGU monitoring started in 2003 on Whidbey Island and now ranges from South Puget Sound north to Whidbey Island. Our local survey began in 2015 and is coordinated jointly by Clallam County Marine Resources Committee and OPAS.

Volunteer observers enjoy sitting quietly for one hour each week on a local beach, watching and recording burrow visits and being entertained by the sounds and antics of these seabirds. After observing Pigeon Guillemot’s clumsy landings in the surf, you will appreciate the evolutionary trade-off these alcids have made to be efficient divers and swimmers needed to capture prey items. In some ways PIGUs remind me of penguins that have become more suited to the water, but unlike penguins these birds are acrobatic fliers as well. Some volunteers video or record the bird interactions and author Maria Ruth, who is a PIGU project volunteer with Black Hills Audubon, expects her newest book about PIGU behavior and vocalizations to be published soon. PIGU’s are easily identified. In the summer these medium-sized seabirds are all black with white wing patches and bright red feet. To top that, close observation will reveal that the lining of their mouth is also an over-the-top red!

Most volunteers return year after year, but there is always a need to recruit additional volunteers for newly identified nesting sites or to be occasional substitutes for vacationing regular volunteers.

As a volunteer observer you will have an assigned location on a beach where Pigeon Guillemots are breeding and feeding their developing chicks. After receiving the required online training new volunteers accompany experienced observers until the rookies are comfortable with the procedures. Observations begin the first week of June and continue for at least 10 weeks. Dressed in neutral colored clothing to blend into the beach, you will arrive at the same early morning time each week. You will record the number of PIGU at the beginning, middle, and end of your survey, the time that they visit their burrow and the type of fish they are carrying.

Don’t worry, after your first day you will be able to identify the gunnels or sculpins that are the most popular forage for our local PIGU. You will also note the time and duration of disturbances to the PIGU such as raptors, walkers, and boats. You will need a clipboard and pencil to record your data, at least 7x binoculars, and a lightweight folding beach chair is recommended. Pigeon Guillemots are very photogenic, but you must pay attention to record the data as well.

 Does enjoying quiet mornings on the beach watching birds sound appealing? If interested in becoming a Pigeon Guillemot volunteer and enjoying life on the beach, please contact me (phreaner@aol.com) or Ed Bowlby (edbowlby2@gmail.com).

Salish Sea Guillemot Network (SSGN)

2023 SSGN End of Season Celebration

(Information provided by the Pigeon Guillemot Breeding Survey and the SSGN)

On September 28th, we celebrated the successful end to our 20th year of Pigeon Guillemot Breeding Surveys!!

We came together as a collective group to share stories, photos, and videos from the different survey regions across the Salish Sea. The evening reminded us that although every region has its own unique attributes and highlights, we are connected through our love of the guillemots and Puget Sound, as well as our dedication to monitoring the birds and providing solid data to those tracking their health. We understand the importance of doing so in the overarching goal of conservation, and we are committed to continuing this incredible project for many more years to come. The focus of 2023 was to make a big push in gathering consistent and clean data, and getting it in on time--and we did just that! The effort that went into putting the process in motion and seeing it through was remarkable, and we were rewarded with a fabulous visual presentation of our data by Whidbey surveyor and data handler extraordinaire, Dave Krause. To top off the evening, we welcomed South Sound PIGU surveyor and author, Maria Ruth, to share her fascinating insight into the meanings of Pigeon Guillemot vocalizations and postural displays. Maria has left no stone unturned in preparation for her book on Pigeon Guillemots, and the depth of knowledge she has to share is extraordinary. We feel fortunate to have Maria among us! If you missed the event, or want to go back and rewatch moments, no worries, we've got you covered below. Enjoy! 

SSGN 2023 End of Season Celebration: Full Video

SSGN 2023 Data Summary by Dave Krause

Maria Ruth on Pigeon Guillemot Vocalizations and Postural Displays - 2023 

October 21, 2021 Update

An end of the year celebration for the Salish Sea Guillemot Network monitoring program volunteers was held virtually on October 19, 2021 with keynote speaker, Scott Pearson, Ph.D, Senior Research Scientist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Scott discussed the status of Pigeon Guillemots in the Salish Sea, how their population trends compare to other species in their family, the use of the Pigeon Guillemot as an indicator species, and how the Pigeon Guillemot Breeding Survey supports the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s work. The virtual celebration was a great success!

Survey data expert Dave Krause compiled and presented the charts and graphs that are in the following PDF. Click here to view the preliminary results of the 2021 Pigeon Guillemot survey.

May 5, 2021 Update

The Salish Sea Guillemot Network monitoring program began with the Whidbey Audubon Society some years ago. It has grown into a region-wide program with over 200 volunteers. This last year the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife began incorporating the years of data into their state-wide system. There are many Regional partners in the effort. For a full list, visit the home page of the project's website: Home (pigeonguillemot.org). Clallam County's efforts are sponsored and managed by the County's Marine Resources Committee (MRC). About 25 Clallam volunteers monitor 15 nesting sites. OPAS members are active in the volunteer ranks. With COVID, volunteer training is being done online. Videos and Zoom meetings have worked well to keep everyone informed. To get an idea of how the observations work, you can view training videos at: Survey Training Videos (pigeonguillemot.org)   

If you have an interest in participating in the survey, please contact Ed Bowlby at edbowlby2@gmail.com.

History

After a 2015 pilot Pigeon Guillemot nesting survey at Port Williams, the survey was organized and expanded in June 2016 by Ed Bowlby. OPAS members are among the survey volunteers and training for monitoring nesting colonies of Pigeon Guillemots was provided by Francis Wood of Whidbey Audubon. Volunteers were trained to conduct weekly one-hour morning sessions (before 9:00 a.m.) at assigned beach locations from June thru September. Establishing teams for each Guillemot colony will allow for vacation for volunteers.

Current survey locations in Clallam County are Mussel Beach, John Wayne Marina, the base of the Dungeness Spit, Bachelor Rock, Port Angeles, two sites at Panorama Vista, and several sites at Port Williams beach. Read the 2018 Pigeon Guillemot breeding season report that compares 3 regional surveys, Clallam County, South Sound, and Whidbey Island.

If you have an interest in participating in the survey, please contact Ed Bowlby at edbowlby2@gmail.com. More information can be found at the project website: http://pigeonguillemot.org/.

To read about breeding survey resources and the most current data findings, please click on this link. For the most recent data for Clallam County, click on this link (data may not be available for the current year until after September).