Stikine Tidal Flats Wildlife Viewing Area

Location:
The Stikine Tidal Flats are located at the mouth of the Stikine River in the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness Area, approximately 10 miles north of Wrangell.

Description:
The Stikine Flats are diverse-grading from estuarine mud and grass flats to willow and alder brush to riverine cottonwood and spruce forests as one progresses up the Stikine River. Wildlife can be found here year-round, but the greatest abundance is found in spring and fall.

The mud flats are an important stopover in spring for hundreds of thousands of migrating shorebirds. The grass flats are important in spring and fall for migrating ducks, geese, and sandhill cranes. In spring, eulachon (a kind of smelt) move into the lower river to spawn, attracting bald eagles and other predators. During this time, the Flats support the second highest bald eagle concentration in the world.

Access:
There are no roads to the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness. Access is limited to boats and float planes. Access is also tide-dependent, with most reliable-easiest access at high tide. Charter boats and planes are available in Wrangell and Petersburg. Forest Service cabins are available for rent on the Flats.

What You'll See:
Shorebird is a general term for small to medium-sized birds which utilize fresh, brackish or saltwater habitats. They're usually found feeding on small mollusks or other invertebrates on rock, sand or mud beaches. The largest concentrations of shorebirds are usually seen on the mud flats west and north of Mallard Slough, where flocks of over 100,000 birds can sometimes be seen. This area can only be accessed at high tide, yet birds are actively feeding at low tide, so you may want to consider staying at the Mallard Slough cabin if you plan on visiting this area. The best time for shorebird watching is late April to early May.

The Western Sandpiper is by far the most common shorebird using the Stikine Flats. The largest concentrations occur in the spring, as huge flocks stop over to refuel on their way to nesting grounds on the coastal tundra of western Alaska from their wintering grounds from southern California to Peru. One of the small sandpipers, Westerns are characterized by black bills and legs and a rusty wash on their heads and shoulders.

Eulachon (called hooligan locally) spawn on the sandy river bottom of the Stikine River as far up as the Ketili River. They are a small oily fish, prized by both humans and several species of predators. As many as 1500 bald eagles can be seen perched in cottonwoods along the lower river or lining the shores of pools in the mud flats at low tide, feeding on the stranded eulachon. Harbor seals and Stellar sea lions also move in for the feast. Killer whales come to feed on eulachon as well as seals. The best time for "hooligan watching" is late March to early May.

The grass flats and tidal sloughs are important refueling stops in spring and fall for geese, ducks and sandhill cranes migrating from their winter grounds as far away as Central and South America to their summer nesting grounds in the Arctic tundra. The showiest are probably the snow geese, which can number in the thousands, although the site and sound of trumpeting sandhill cranes is pretty exciting, too. The highest concentrations of snow geese occur in April, with as many as 8,000 present in mid-month.

While watching these spectacular shows, keep your eyes open for more subtle wildlife species - moose in the willow thickets along the river banks, short-eared owls and northern harriers over the grass flats, and an occasional goshawk chasing ducks and other birds. Harbor seals give birth to their pups in spring on the ice floes in LeConte Bay. Frogs, toads and salamanders spawn in April in pools in the upper grass flats and in shallow lakes and ponds along the river. For the advanced birder, there's a challenging array of songbirds in spring and summer.

Note: The weather in Southeast Alaska in spring and fall is usually cool and wet. Warm clothes, rain gear and knee-high rubber boots are essential.

For more information: Contact the Wrangell Ranger District at (907) 874-2323 or the Petersburg Ranger District at (907) 772-3871.

Updated March 16, 2001