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Birds Around Wrangell

One of the best ways to find a bird you are looking for is to visit its preferred habitat. Habitat is the word for an animal’s home – the place where it finds food and cover. Included in the Wrangell Island Bird Checklist is a list of habitats where the birds are generally found. Many birds use different habitat types throughout the year.

Habitat Descriptions

Alpine - Habitat above 2000’ elevation

Beach - We may not see much but mud and sand, but these sites are full of invertebrates – the primary food source for shorebirds such as the black turnstone.

Forest - Old growth forests contain “multi-age” trees and lots of structure. Small gaps in the canopy create habitat for some birds. Large, tall spruce trees are favored for nesting by the Townsend’s warblers.

Freshwater - There are numerous small ponds and lakes on the island as well as streams, frequented by interesting birds like the American dipper.

Generalist - Includes all listed habitats

Muskeg - Sometimes referred to as peatlands. This habitat is characterized by a spongy ground cover of sphagnum moss, sedges, small ponds and dwarf-sized trees.

Shrub - Alder and willow shrubs provide nesting cover for some species; fruits and seeds for others. Clearcuts are human caused openings characterized by lots of downed wood and a heavy shrub layer. Song sparrows use shrubs along the beach.

Saltwater - Some of our most unusual and interesting birds can be found on saltwater. Wrangell Island lies within the Pacific Flyway – one of the most important migratory routes in the United States.

Urban/edge - This habitat contains shrubs, younger trees, grassy lawns and buildings. Nesting success is often low due to predators (i.e. cats). The varied thrush is a common “backyard bird” associated with this habitat type.

Stikine River Corridor

BIRDS, lots of birds, concentrate along the Stikine River in April to feed on eulachon, little oily fish known locally as hooligan.

The largest springtime concentration of bald eagles in the world – 2,000 or more birds - move between the river's Middle and North Arms.

Hundreds of thousands of gulls also arrive in the spring to take advantage of this valuable food source. Gull species present at this time include: Bonaparte’s, herring, glaucous, glaucous-winged, California, mew, ring-billed, Thayer’s and black-legged kittiwake.

On the other hand, migrating waterfowl feast on the grasses and sedges that grow in the intertidal zone.

Snow Geese, 15,000 or more, stop in mid-April on their way to Wrangel Island in Siberia.

In addition to the birds on the checklist you might also discover Eurasian wigeons or subspecies such as the Tule’s white-fronted geese or Vancouver Canada geese.

The islands at the mouth of the Stikine and the tidal flats provide critical habitat for migrating shorebirds. As many as 200,000 shorebirds stop to refuel on invertebrates in late April to early May.

In addition to the birds on the list, watch for: marbled godwit, red knot, sanderling, Baird’s sandpiper, sharp-tailed sandpiper, solitary sandpiper, killdeer, lesser golden plover, upland sandpiper and stilt sandpiper. Western sandpipers, some color-banded in Peru and Mexico, make up 90% of the shorebird flocks.

During the breeding season, the Stikine River gives access to interior deciduous forest habitats unusual for Southeast Alaska. Look for breeding northern waterthrush, common yellowthroats, yellow warblers and western tanagers along the river corridor.

USDA Forest Service - Tongass National Forest Accessibility Statement
Last Modified: February 09, 2007