A Refuge biological technician examines a captured thrush.

During the fall of 2006, Tetlin Refuge participated in the nation-wide effort to monitor the occurrence of avian influenza.  As part of our long-term landbird fall migration banding, we collected samples from 43 gray-cheeked thrushes.  The gray-cheeked thrush has been identified as a species that may be useful for the early detection of New Asian H5N1 Avian Influenza in North America.  Tetlin Refuge was one of several partners in this effort with the goal of collectively capturing and sampling approximately 200 individual gray-cheeked thrushes.  Other partners included the Alaska Natural History Institutes, the Alaska Bird Observatory, and the National Park Service.  Samples were collected following established state-wide protocols and results are currently pending.