Small sight—Big might: Economic impact of bird tourism shows opportunities for rural communities and biodiversity conservation

The fourth region is the Western Alaska Bird Conservation Region which we refer to West- ern Alaska. It includes all of western coastal Alaska starting with the Northwest Arctic Borough to the North and ending with the Bristol Bay Borough and Kodiak to the South (Fig 1) [15]. High densities of breeding waterfowl and shorebirds are common especially during migration including Dunlin (Calidris alpine), Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri), Red Knot (Calidris canutus), and Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica). Wintering sea ducks such as Steller’s Eider (Polysticta stelleri), Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus), Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata), and Black Scoter (Melanitta Americana) can be found along the Alaska Penin- sula coast. This region is also roadless and supports the world’s largest wild commercial salmon fishery in Bristol Bay [28]. Bristol Bay, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, and Safety Sound near Nome host some of the largest congregations of waterfowl in North America, including the only nesting and breeding sites for the Emperor Goose (Anser canagicus), an important species for subsistence food and also a species of conservation concern due to declining popu- lations in the face of climate change. Nome and Gambell, a community on St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Straits are the region’s birding hotspots (Fig 2). The region’s mixed cash-subsis- tence economy is supported by commercial fishing [24,29]. Fig 2. Alaska’s Important Bird Areas (IBAs) and communities that are birdwatching hotspots. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0268594.g002 PLOS ONE

Economic impact of bird tourism in Alaska PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0268594 July 6, 2022 5 / 18