Birds in Alaska

Alaska is huge and certainly has a gathering of all kinds of bird species you could possibly think of. Even Bald Eagles gather at a huge rate here.

What Is The State Bird Of Alaska?

The Willow Ptarmigan is the state bird of Alaska. The arctic grouses change color as the winter comes closer, changing from a light brown shade to full white. This helps them camouflage and protect themselves from predators. Another interesting feature lies in the toes of the Ptarmigan, which you would note, is feathered.

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What Are the Top Bird Watching Spots In Alaska?

Glacier Bay National Park gets a lot of spectators simply passing the area on a cruise ship. For a bird watcher and tourist alike, one should consider Glacier Bay National Park more intimately, really explore it. You will find species such as Orange-crowned Warbler, Rufous-hummingbird, and Townsend’s Warbler.

Kenai Fjords National Park is about eighty miles away from Anchorage. The national park has  Common Murr, Sooty Shearwater and Kittlitz’s Murrelet among many others to keep the bird watchers entertained.

How Many Birds Can You See in Alaska?

Alaska’s bird species count is quite generous, 557 to be precise. Aleutians West is the county with the highest count, now at 363. Juneau, Nome, Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon and Valdez-Cordova are also places that visit, not only because of the chance of coming across different species but also the beautiful landscape. The counts in these 4 counties are 326, 318, 309 and 308.

St. Paul Island is a place birdwatchers in Alaska make it a point to visit. The prospect of seeing even at least half of the 309 species fires them up. Gambell and Gustavus Forelands are also thoroughly inspected by bird watchers, the species count of 274 and 242 standing out to them.

Top Birds To See In Alaska

Horned Puffin are one of those hard to come by species. Puffins are an adorable species in general and while this species tends to be short, they are by no means small. Mostly with a black and white body with yellow bills.

Marbled Murrelet is another top bird of Alaska. If you see the species, you will immediately understand why. These species have a white chest and a grayish black body. It also has a really small face and a slight, just there neck.

Common Birds To See In Alaska

Pine Siskin, Boreal Chickadee, and Black Turnstone are some of the common birds in Alaska. Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks, all these cities have seen these birds roaming around the streets or your backyards. Sometimes, you might find them on the beaches.

Final Thoughts

There are some remote areas in Alaska for birding. If you don’t feel comfortable going alone or only with your closed ones in secluded places, you can form a touring group by hiring a birding company. It’s a bit expensive but if you are an experienced bird watcher, you probably don’t want to miss out on those locations.