Birds

There is a great diversity of bird species that live in or pass through the park! A variety of habitats support both migratory and resident populations of birds.

The park hosts a Christmas Bird Count, generally between December 14 and January 5. You can join the fun and see what birds you can identify.

 

Harlequin Duck

flickr Pesthule

Seabirds

Alpine, rainforest, riverine, and coastal ecosystems in the Sitka region all contribute to the abundance of birds found in the park. Intertidal and shoreline areas support a variety of migratory waterfowl and shore birds during spring and fall. Seabirds such as common murres, scoters, harlequin ducks, scaup, buffleheads, and long-tailed ducks commonly use the park waters, particularly in winter. Puffins nest in Sitka Sound's nearby islands and are characterstic of this region.

 

Puffin

flickr Alan Vernon

In Transit

Many passerine, or song birds, use the park for breeding, wintering, or a migratory stopover on their long journey. Passerines make up more than half of all bird species. Some species found in the park include pine siskins, savanna sparrows, robins, Townsend's warblers, ruby-crowned and golden-crowned kinglets, kingfishers, dippers, and winter wrens. There are several kinds of thrushes found at the Sitka NHP, including varied, hermit, and Swainson’s thrushes. Peregrine falcons live and breed in Southeast Alaska and were once listed on the threatened and endangered list by the United States Fish & Wildlife Service. These transient birds are still a species of concern due to their rarity.

 

Three eagles

flickr rwoan

Locals

Sitka National Historical Park hosts several species of resident birds. Resident birds include common mergansers, mallards, sandpipers, and great blue herons. Gulls, crows, and ravens also thrive in the park and utilize the abundance of resources from the river estuary and tidal flats. Perhaps the most charismatic and majestic birds in the park are the bald eagles. They are common along the tree line and can often be spotted soaring above the water or searching on the tide flats for food. Eagles are especially noticable during the spring herring spawn and fall salmon runs, when they feed on fish carcasses in the river and contribute to a cycle of replenishing the forest’s nutrients with fish remains. Nesting inside the park is not unusual, and the visitors can enjoy the eagles’ presence while walking amongst totem poles on the trail.

 

Bird Checklist

Select "birds" in the selection box below to print your own bird checklist.

 

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Species Attribute Definitions

Definitions

Occurrence

Occurrence values are defined below. One or more Occurrence Tags may be associated with each Occurrence value.

Present: Species occurs in park; current, reliable evidence available.

Probably Present: High confidence species occurs in park but current, verified evidence needed.

Unconfirmed: Species is attributed to park but evidence is weak or absent.

Not In Park: Species is not known to occur in park.

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Occurrence Tags

Adjacent: Species is known to occur in areas near to or contiguous with park boundaries.

False Report: Species was reported to occur within the park, but current evidence indicates the report was based on misidentification, a taxonomic concept no longer accepted, or other similar problem of error or interpretation.

Historical: Species' historical occurrence in park is documented. Assigned based on judgment as opposed to determination based on age of the most recent evidence.

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Abundance

Abundant:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, and counted in relatively large numbers.
• Plants: Large number of individuals; wide ecological amplitude or occurring in habitats covering a large portion of the park.

Common:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, but not in large numbers.
• Plants: Large numbers of individuals predictably occurring in commonly encountered habitats but not those covering a large portion of the park.

Uncommon:

• Animals: Likely to be seen monthly in appropriate habitat and season. May be locally common.
• Plants: Few to moderate numbers of individuals; occurring either sporadically in commonly encountered habitats or in uncommon habitats.

Rare:

• Animals: Present, but usually seen only a few times each year.
• Plants: Few individuals, usually restricted to small areas of rare habitat.

Occasional:

• Animals: Occurs in the park at least once every few years, varying in numbers, but not necessarily every year.
• Plants: Abundance variable from year to year (e.g., desert plants).

Unknown: Abundance unknown

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Nativeness

Native: Species naturally occurs in park or region.

Non-native: Species occurs on park lands as a result of deliberate or accidental human activities.

Unknown: Nativeness status is unknown or ambiguous.

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List Differences

The Checklist contains only those species that are designated as "present" or "probably present" in the park.

The Full List includes all the checklist species in addition to species that are unconfirmed, historically detected, or incorrectly reported as being found in the park. The full list also contains species that are "in review" because their status in the park hasn't been fully determined. Additional details about the status of each species is included in the full list.

The checklist will almost always contain fewer species than the full list.

Select a Park:

Sitka National Historical Park

Select a Species Category (optional):

All Amphibians Birds Fish Mammals Reptiles Vascular Plants

Get Checklist Get Full List List Differences

Species attribute definitions

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