Breeding Birds
of Southeast Alaska

One of the surest signs of spring is the coming of the birds—back from their winter retreats to nest and raise their young. Many species we see in Southeast Alaska in the spring are just passing through. The Lapland Longspur flying over the Mendenhall wetlands may be on its way to Barrow; the Western Sandpipers probing the mud of the Stikine flats may nest on the Seward Peninsula. Neither species nests in Southeast Alaska.

Many of the northbound migrants do stop here, however, and between our residents and summer visitors, approximately 160 species nest in the region. For some species their breeding range goes no further north than southeast Alaska. The region is therefore a fascinating place for Alaskan ornithologists and bird watchers.

The southeast Alaskan “Panhandle,” as it is often called, is made up of an intricate island archipelago adjacent to a narrow strip of mainland, that goes from saltwater to rugged peaks, glaciers, and ice fields, within only a few miles. The rugged coastal divide serves as the border between Alaska and British Columbia and also forms an ecological barrier between the coast and inland continent.

Several rivers, originating in the interior of Canada, cut through the coastal mountains and Southeast mainland, and empty into the waters of the Alaskan “Inside Passage.” These large transboundary rivers, such as the Stikine and Taku, serve as migratory routes for interior birds and extensions of the more interior environments and breeding habitats. These zones contain extensive deciduous forests and thickets of cottonwoods, alders, and willows. You can find species along these rivers or near their mouths that you are unlikely to see elsewhere in the region. Examples of such species are the American Bittern, Sora, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Warbling Vireo, MacGillivray's Warbler, and Western Tanager.

The islands generally do not have extensive deciduous zones, and the spruce-hemlock forest is home to fewer breeding species than on the mainland. Only one flycatcher, the Western (or Pacific-slope) Flycatcher, is common, although this bird is very difficult to see. It generally stays high up in the trees and is only detected by its song or call. The same holds true for the Townsend's Warbler. One of the most beautiful nesting birds of the spruce-hemlock forest, it can drive the bird watcher crazy. This species is much easier to see after the nesting season, when it is starting to move south in flocks and is in more open terrain, away from nesting locations.

Other typical breeding birds of the archipelago forest include the Hermit Thrush, Varied Thrush, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Brown Creeper, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Winter Wren, and Yellow-rumped Warbler. In open, or mixed habitat areas you can find the abundant Orange-crowned Warbler and Wilson's Warbler, and in riparian willows and alders you will find the Yellow Warbler.

Much of the bird productivity and diversity of the southeast archipelago includes marine species occurring along the outer islands. For example, Forrester Island and St. Lazaria Island are home to very large numbers of storm petrels, murres, auklets, and puffins. Situated close to Sitka, St. Lazaria is becoming more popular with visiting wildlife watchers because it is one of the few places you can see puffins, primarily Tufted Puffins. Glacier Bay, although a “mainland” setting, is also one of the best places in Southeast to see puffins, as nesting colonies of puffins are near travel routes of tour boats.

June is the best month to look for nesting land birds in southeast Alaska because the late migrants don't arrive until then, and June is the peak month for song activity. By mid-July, the woods, thickets, and grasslands are very quiet, as the birds have ceased singing and are well along with the business of raising their young.

Given the small number of people observing birds over the years and the inaccessibility of much of the region, our knowledge of the breeding birds in the region is still incomplete. We are learning new things every year. Amateur bird watchers continue to make significant contributions to the scientific body of information, which makes watching and looking for birds even more fun and interesting. Any unusual sightings should be reported to the University of Alaska, Fairbanks vertebrate museum.

A checklist of the birds of Southeast Alaska is available from the U.S. Forest Service, and the Juneau Chapter of the Audubon Society has just updated the checklist of birds for the Juneau area. These two small publications are extremely helpful for anyone learning about the birds of Southeast Alaska and Juneau.

Text by Mark Schwan. Mark works for the Division of Sport Fish, ADF&G, as a fishery biologist in the Southeast regional office.