Bird Checklists of the United States
Birds of Kachemak Bay
Kachemak Bay, Alaska
LEGEND
A - abundant - species occur repeatedly in proper habitats, with available habitat heavily
utilized, and/or the region regularly hosts great numbers of the species.
C - common - species occurs in all or nearly all proper habitats, but some areas of presumed
suitable habitat are occupied sparsely or not at all and/or the region regularly hosts large
numbers of the species.
U - uncommon - species occurs regularly but utilizes only some or very ittle of the suitable
habitat and/or the region regularly hosts relatively small numbers of the species; not observed
regularly, even in the proper habitats.
R - rare - species occurs, or probably occurs, regularly within the region, but in very small
numbers.
Ac- accidental - species has been recorded no more than a few times, but irregular observations
are likely over a period of years.
STATUS
r - resident
sr - summer resident
wr - winter resident
m - migrant
v - visitant; non-breeding species, also a species not directly en route between breeding and
wintering ranges.
Sp - spring F - fall
Su - summer W - winter
SPECIES
Sp Su F W Status
___ Red-throated loon C U C C r
___ Arctic loon C U C C wr
___ Common loon C U C C r
___ Yellow-billed loon U R R U wr
___ Horned grebe C U C C r
___ Red-necked grebe C C C C r
___ Northern fulmar U C C - v
___ Sooty shearwater U C C - v
___ Short-tailed shearwater U C C - v
___ Fork-tailed storm-petrel R U C R sr
___ Double-crested cormorant U U U U r
___ Pelagic cormorant C C C C r
___ Red-faced cormorant C C C C r
___ Great Blue Heron R R R R v
___ Tundra swan C - C - m
___ Trumpeter swan C U C - sr
___ Greater White-fronted Goose C U C R m
___ Snow Goose U - U - m
___ Emperor Goose - - - R v
___ Brant U R - - m
___ Canada Goose C C C - sr
___ Green-winged Teal C C C - sr
___ Mallard C C C C r
___ Northern Pintail C C C - sr
___ Blue-winged Teal R - R - m
___ Northern Shoveler U U U - m
___ Gadwall R - R - m
___ Eurasian Wigeon R - - - v
___ American Wigeon C C C - sr
___ Common Pochard Ac - - - v
___ Canvasback U U U - m
___ Redhead U U U - m
___ Tufted Duck Ac - - - v
___ Greater Scaup C C C C r
___ Lesser Scaup R R R - m
___ Common Eider C C C C r
___ King Eider U - U U wr
___ Steller's Eider U - C C wr
___ Harlequin Duck C C C C r
___ Oldsquaw C R C A wr
___ Black Scoter C C C C r
___ Surf Scoter C C C C r
___ White-winged Scoter C C C A r
___ Common Goldeneye C C C C r
___ Barrow's Goldeneye C U C C wr
___ Bufflehead C U C C r
___ Common Merganser U U U U r
___ Red-breasted Merganser C C C U r
___ Osprey U U U U r
___ Bald Eagle C C C C r
___ Northern Harrier C C C - sr
___ Sharp-shinned Hawk C C C C r
___ Northern Goshawk C C C C r
___ Swainson's Hawk U - U - m
___ Red-tailed Hawk U U U - sr
___ Rough-legged Hawk U U U - m
___ Golden Eagle R R R R v
___ American Kestrel R R R - sr
___ Merlin R R R - sr
___ Peregrine Falcon U - U U m
___ Gyrafalcon - - - R wr
___ Spruce Grouse C C C C r
___ Willow Ptarmigan C C C C r
___ Rock Ptarmigan C C C C r
___ White-tailed Ptarmigan U U U U r
___ American Coot - - Ac - v
___ Sandhill Crane C C C - sr
___ Black-bellied Plover C U C - m
___ Lesser Golden Plover C U C - m
___ Semipalmated Plover C C C - sr
___ Killdeer R R - - v
___ American Black Oystercatcher R R R - m
___ Greater Yellowlegs U U U - sr
___ Lesser Yellowlegs U U U - sr
___ Solitary Sandpiper U U U - sr
___ Wandering Tattler C C C - sr
___ Spotted Sandpiper U C C - sr
___ Whimbrel C C C - sr
___ Bristle-thighed Curlew R - - - v
___ Hudsonian Godwit U R R - m
___ Bar-tailed Godwit C C C - m
___ Ruddy Turnstone C U C - m
___ Black Turnstone C C C R m
___ Surfbird C C C - sr
___ Red Knot R - R - m
___ Sanderling U C U R m
___ Semipalmated Sandpiper C C C - m
___ Western Sandpiper A A U - m
___ Least Sandpiper C U C - sr
___ Baird's Sandpiper U R U - m
___ Pectoral Sandpiper U U C - m
___ Sharp-tailed Sandpiper - - U - v
___ Rock Sandpiper U - U C wr
___ Dunlin C C U - m
___ Short-billed Dowitcher U U U - sr
___ Long-billed Dowitcher C U C - sr
___ Common Snipe C C C R sr
___ Red-necked Phalarope C C C - sr
___ Red Phalarope R R R - m
___ Pomarine Jaeger U U U - m
___ Parasitic Jaeger U U U - m
___ Bonaparte's Gull C U U R m
___ Mew Gull C C C C r
___ Ring-billed Gull Ac Ac Ac Ac v
___ Herring Gull C C C C r
___ Thayer's Gull - - - R v
___ Slaty-backed Gull - - - R v
___ Glaucous-winged Gull C C C A r
___ Glaucous Gull C C C C r
___ Black-legged Kittiwake C C C U sr
___ Sabine's Gull R R R - m
___ Caspian Tern - Ac - - v
___ Arctic Tern C C C - sr
___ Aleutian Tern U C U - sr
___ Common Murre C C C C r
___ Thick-billed Murre U U U U r
___ Pigeon Guillemot C C C C r
___ Marbled Murrelet C C C C r
___ Kittlitz's Murrelet C C C R r
___ Ancient Murrelet R R R R r
___ Tufted Puffin C C C C sr
___ Horned Puffin C C C C sr
___ Mourning Dove - - R R v
___ Great Horned Owl C C C C r
___ Snowy Owl U - U U m
___ Northern Hawk-Owl U U U - sr
___ Great Gray Owl R R R R r
___ Short-eared Owl U U U - sr
___ Boreal Owl C C C C r
___ Northern Saw-whet Owl C C C U r
___ Common Nighthawk - R - - v
___ Rufous Hummingbird R U U - m
___ Belted Kingfisher C C C R sr
___ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - - - R v
___ Downy Woodpecker C C C C r
___ Hairy Woodpecker U U U U r
___ Three-toed Woodpecker C C C C r
___ Black-backed Woodpecker R R R R r
___ Northern Flicker U C U - sr
___ Olive-sided Flycatcher U U U - sr
___ Alder Flycatcher U C C - sr
___ Say's Phoebe R R R - sr
___ Horned Lark R R R - sr
___ Tree Swallow C A C - sr
___ Violet-green Swallow C C C - sr
___ Bank Swallow C C C - sr
___ Cliff Swallow C C C - sr
___ Gray Jay C C C C r
___ Steller's Jay C C C C r
___ Black-billed Magpie C C C C r
___ Northwestern Crow C C C C r
___ Common Raven C C C C r
___ Black-capped Chickadee C C C C r
___ Boreal Chickadee C C C C r
___ Chestnut-backed Chickadee - - - R v
___ Red-breasted Nuthatch U U U U r
___ Brown Creeper C C C C r
___ Winter Wren U U U U r
___ American Dipper C C C C r
___ Golden-crowned Kinglet C C C C r
___ Ruby-crowned Kinglet C C C U r
___ Northern Wheatear U U U - sr
___ Gray-cheeked Thrush C C C - sr
___ Swainson's Thrush C C C - sr
___ Hermit Thrush C C C - sr
___ American Robin C C C U r
___ Varied Thrush C C C U r
___ Water Pipit C C C - sr
___ Bohemian Waxwing R U C U m
___ Northern Shrike C C C C r
___ European Starling - - - R wr
___ Orange-crowned Warbler C C C - sr
___ Yellow Warbler C C C - sr
___ Yellow-rumped Warbler C C C - sr
___ Townsend's Warbler C C C - sr
___ Blackpoll Warbler U U U - sr
___ Northern Waterthrush U U U - sr
___ Wilson's Warbler C C C - sr
___ American Tree Sparrow U R C C wr
___ Savannah Sparrow C A C - sr
___ Fox Sparrow C A C - sr
___ Song Sparrow C C C C r
___ Lincoln's Sparrow U C C - sr
___ Golden-crowned Sparrow C C C U r
___ White-crowned Sparrow C C C C r
___ Harris' Sparrow - - - Ac v
___ Dark-eyed Junco C C C C r
___ Lapland Longspur C U C R m
___ Snow Bunting C R C C wr
___ McKay's Bunting - - - Ac v
___ Red-winged Blackbird U R R - m
___ Rusty Blackbird U U U R sr
___ Rosy Finch U - - C wr
___ Pine Grosbeak C C C C r
___ Red Crossbill R R R R v
___ White-winged Crossbill C C C C r
___ Common Redpoll C C C C r
___ Hoary Redpoll U R R U wr
___ Pine Siskin C C C C r
SUGGESTED BIRDING AREAS
1) Beluga Lake and Outwash: watch for spring migrants as Trumpeter and Tundra Swans, goldeneye,
Canvasback and scaup. Look for Varied Thrush and Steller's Jay in Nearby woods.
2) Homer Spit: tidal flats attract thousands or migrating Western Sandpipers and other birds
such as Least Sandpipers, Black and Ruddy Turnstones, Surfbirds and Wandering Tattlers. In
winter, Bald Eagles, gulls and Rock Sandpipers are common. Offshore look for eiders, three
species of scoter, Oldsquaw and Harlequin Ducks.
3) East End Road, a 26 mile scenic drive: Sandhill Cranes frequent the fields. In spruce woods
look for Saw-whet Owls, Three-toed Woodpeckers, Spruce Grouse and Townsend's Warblers.
4) Gull Island: Among the eight or nine nesting seabirds watch for Tufted and Horned Puffins,
Red-faced and Pelagic Cormorants, Common Murres and Black-legged Kittiwakes. In surrounding
waters, look for murrelets, Aleutian Terns and Harlequin Ducks.
5) Seldovia: Abundant local nesters are Song Sparrows, Northwestern Crows and Varied Thrush.
American Dippers and Winter Wrens are found along mountain streams.
This resource is based on the following source:
Erikson, David, Davidson, Mairlls, and Klein, Janet. 1983. "Birds of Kachemak
Bay". Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Unpaginated.
This resource should be cited as:
Erikson, David, Davidson, Mairlls, and Klein, Janet. 1983. "Birds of Kachemak
Bay". Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Unpaginated. Jamestown, ND: Northern
Prairie Wildlife Research Center Online.
http://www.npwrc.usgs.govkachem.htm.
(Version 1983)
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