Birdwatching in Alaska

Alaska is the largest state in the Unites States bordered on the east and south by Canada, to the north the Bering Sea and to the west the Pacific Ocean.
Rugged and wild Alaska is home to 474 species of birds making it an exiting place to visit for any birder.
The vast coastline with its fjords, bays, estuaries, beaches and mudflats provide food for migrating waterfowl and waders. Millions of nesting seabirds such as Puffins, Murres and Gulls can be found in their colonies along the rugged cost and the Aleutian Islands.
Inland the tundra provides breeding grounds for millions of migratory birds such as Swans, Geese, Ducks, Loons, Waders and Terns. Raptors like Bald and Golden Eagles are common and maybe most famous for the annual gathering of thousands of Bald Eagles feeding on salmon in Haines.
Besides such birds as Ptarmigan, Arctic Warbler and Bluethroat to name a few, Asians vagrants are regularly spotted in the western part of Alaska.
A number of local Birdingpals are available to help you make your trip successful and you may even gain a new birder friend.

Local Birdingpal Contacts

Local Birdwatchers Using the Birdingpal resources you must agree to the following: If you contact a local Birdingpal and make arrangement to go birding, you should note it is common courtesy to make sure you show up for the appointment. If for any reason you are unable to do this, the least you must do is contacting the local Pal right away. Please note that most Birdingpals are serious birdwatchers. It is a privilege to contact them, and your message should reflect it. A local Pal does not get paid, but should he/she offer to take you out birding, using their own vehicle, it would be courteous to pay for the fuel. A lunch and/or a small gift would also be appropriate, something as simple as a souvenir of your country, or a pin from your local birding club.
		Initial	Last Name	Area	Available	Language
		C	Foerster	Anchorage	Weekend
		J	Hubbard	Anchorage	Anytime	Spanish/English
		B	Christensen	Anchorage	Weekend
		J	Gumm	Ester	Anytime
		J	Dearborn	Fairbanks	Weekend
		D	Shaw	Fairbanks	Anytime	English/Spanish
		I'm a wildlife biologist/photographer/writer and bird avidly throughout the world but know the area around home in Fairbanks quite well. Spring and summer are best with lots of nesting waterfowl, gamebirds, songbirds, shorebirds, etc. to be found. I'm always happy to show people around and do some guiding on the side, if someone wants a more elaborate tour. I know the birds of Alaska, particularly from the Alaska Range north to the Brooks Range very well. Send me an email with any questions about birding AK.
		W	Stanley	Homer	Anytime	English
		Retired. Member of Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges. Kachemak Bay surrounded by glaciers. Kachemak Bay shorebird festival 1st wk in May (considered finest in country). Guest cottage available in remote area across the bay near Seldovia.
		K	Dykema	Soldotna, Kenai Peninsula	Anytime
		C	Fultz	Ketchikan	Anytime
		D	Winton-Hurley	Kodiak	Anytime	English/Spanish
		Birding in Kodiak is fantastic! We have so many unique opportunities to see very uncommon species, especially in the winter. One of my favorites is the Emperor Goose, which is found on our road system from September through end of April each year. We frequently observe Cackling Canadian Geese and Dusky Canadian Geese at the same time of year. The wintering sea ducks are also a joy to watch, my favorite is the Stellers Eider, and it frequents the water in front of my house throughout the winter. We have a small but dedicated group of birders that are constantly in touch. Our best sighting I think to date (and I have been here 30 years) is the White-tailed Eagle, that my friend spotted in January this year. I was fortunate to get a good look at it before it took off. At Feb/Mar, there are about 500 to 800 Bald Eagles living within the City limits of Kodiak. They gather here in the winter because we have a huge fishery that includes trawlers coming back to Port with nets loaded with fish. The eagles congregate in the cannery row area and it is a truly spectacular sight to watch all of them. Kodiak is known as the Emerald Isle and I think there are few places on earth that can match the beauty of our Island. I am an avid fisherman and I go fishing whenever I am able. We troll for Kings year round here and a winter king is a rare prize, and absolutely delicious! I am a cook and enter contests, with one good win so far. Most of my recipes are focused on fish (of course). You might want to Google Kodiak Island and look at some of the photos.
		T	Schantz	Valdez	Anytime
Professional Guides If you contact a professional Birdingpal guide you must be prepared to pay a fee for guiding services.
		Initial	Last Name	Area	Available	Language

Local Information

	Name	Description
	Audubon, Alaska	Club
	Anchorage, Audubon	Club
	Juneau, Audubon	Club
	Denali National Park	Trip Report
	AlaskaBirds-L	RBA
	Birding Hotspots around the world	Sites
	Homer	Festival
	Garnet	Festival
	Copper River Delta Shorebird Festival	Festival
	Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia	Alaska
	Local weather	Yahoo
	Electronic maps	MapQuest
	Find lowest prices for field guides, books, maps etc.
	Printable bird check list
	Trip Reports from Alaska

Last update 15/04/2009