Potter Marsh: A Popular place for birds and humans

Content provided by Bird TLC volunteer Lisa Pajot. Blog post written by Bird TLC staff.

Potter Marsh, 564 acres of freshwater marsh on the south end of Anchorage, is part of the 16-mile long Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge. Bird enthusiasts, families, couples, and tourists stroll the 1/2 mile of elevated boardwalk, and wildlife photographers flock to the highway pullouts for photos of Tundra Swans, Arctic Terns, Bald Eagles, Red-necked Grebes, Greater Scaups, and more. 

Arctic Terns at Potter Marsh

But popularity doesn’t always result in familiarity. Visitors are often not aware of the marsh’s fascinating history or how important it is to migratory birds.

What we know as Potter Marsh was originally a tidal estuary of traditional Dena’ina lands that was open to the tides of Turnagain Arm. The Dena’ina foraged for driftwood, food, and plants in the estuary.

How does a tidal estuary become a marsh? When a railroad is built. 

With the construction of the Alaska Railroad in 1916-1917, water from the creeks flowing through the estuary was impounded, and fill from the southern end of the marsh was pulled, forming the deep ponds used by birds today.

While construction often decimates habitat, Potter Marsh is an exception. As the marsh filled, vegetation changed, and a dynamic ecosystem for birds was created with 160 species regularly migrating through and nesting in the marsh. 

Trumpeter Swans and cygnet at Potter Marsh

In December 2024, a new chapter in the history of Potter Marsh began with the establishment of the 300-acre Potter Marsh Watershed Park. Great Land Trust, the nonprofit organization that raised $6 million for the park, notes that the Watershed Park, by protecting the waters that flow into Potter Marsh, will maintain the water quality in the marsh and protect over 800 acres of habitat for birds and other wildlife in both the park and the marsh. 

Potter Marsh Watershed Park is managed by the Municipality of Anchorage Parks and Recreation Department. The department, with input from the community, has developed a master plan for the park. 

The next time you visit Potter Marsh, look for the birds listed below, and look toward the Chugach Mountains to see the now-protected watershed that provides these birds with the habitat they need to survive.

Bald Eagles nesting at Potter Marsh

• Winter residents include:

  • Bald eagle

  • Great-horned Owl

  • Raven

  • Black-billed Magpie

  • Hairy Woodpecker

  • Downy Woodpecker

  • Black-capped Chickadee

  • Red-breasted Nuthatch

  • Spruce Grouse

  • Occasionally: Great-grey Owl, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Redpolls, and Pine Siskins

Northern Pintail at Potter Marsh

Summer nesting birds include:

• Belted Kingfisher

• Bald Eagle

• Northern Harrier

• Raven

• Black-billed Magpie

• Hairy Woodpecker

• Downy Woodpecker

• Black-capped Chickadee

• Red-breasted Nuthatch

• Tree Swallow

• Violet-green Swallow

• Bank Swallow

• Lincoln’s Sparrow

• Fox Sparrow

• Orange-crowned Warbler

• Alder Flycatcher

• Ruby-crowned Kinglet

• Yellow-rumped Warbler

• Yellow Warbler

• Savannah Sparrow

• White-crowned Sparrow

• Dark-eyed Junco

• Lesser Yellowlegs

• Red-necked Phalarope

• Short-billed Dowitcher

• Solitary Sandpiper

• Semipalmated Plover

• Least Sandpiper

• Common Snipe

• Sandhill Crane

• Hudsonian Godwit

• Green-wing Teal

• American Widgeon

• Northern Shoveler

• Northern Pintail

• Mallards

• Glaucus-winged, Short-billed, and Bonaparte’s Gulls

• Tundra Swans

• Arctic Terns

• Red-winged Blackbirds

• Red-necked Grebes

• Greater Scaup

• Canada Geese

• Great-horned Owls

• Merlin

• Hermit Thrush

• Swainson’s Thrush

• Black-poll Warbler

• Occasionally: Red-tailed Hawk, Short-eared Owl, American Goshawk, Merlin 

Love at First Sight? The Risks of Imprinting in Wild Birds

Author: J.K. Ullrich

Love at first sight might seem like a stale romance trope, but it can determine life or death for baby birds. Chicks quickly learn to recognize the first moving object they see after they hatch, usually a parent. This psychological phenomenon is called imprinting. Unlike behavior learned through experience, imprinting is a genetically programmed response that helps birds survive.

Precocial birds such as waterfowl imprint within hours of hatching so they can follow their parents to food and safety.

Mallard ducklings following their mother. Photo credit: T.Voekler, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Altricial birds, which are born blind and require more intensive parental care, take longer to develop these associations. A study of doves found that chicks entered their optimal imprinting window about a week after hatching. However, the complex social lives of altricial species still demand strong bonds: think of juvenile magpies calling for food delivery from Mom and Dad!

A young magpie begs for food. Photo credit: T.Voekler, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

German zoologist Konrad Lorenz conducted some of the first studies on imprinting in the 1930s and gave the concept its name. He used the German word prägung, which means to stamp or emboss. In one experiment, Lorenz separated a clutch of goose eggs and allowed a female goose to brood half in the normal fashion while he artificially incubated the rest. The latter goslings saw Lorenz as the first moving object in their world and began to follow him around. When they matured, they even courted him instead of other geese.

Lorenz’s flirtatious flock illustrates why imprinting on humans can be harmful to birds. Not only does this mechanism identify a parent, it is how chicks identify themselves as birds. Wild animals that imprint on people will identify as humans rather than their own species. This does not mean they necessarily enjoy human company. Instead, it inhibits their ability to learn the appropriate behaviors and vocalizations for their species. 

Birds that imprint on humans may struggle to communicate with other birds, find a mate, or acquire key skills like finding food and avoiding predators.  For example, BirdTLC's Ambassador Shavila could not be released because he had imprinted on humans. His lack of inhibition around people could prove dangerous in the wild.

A young Ambassador Shavila shortly after he first arrived at Bird TLC. His behaviors, such as begging for food from people, demonstrated that he had imprinted on humans rather than on magpies.

Rehabilitators at BirdTLC therefore take care to prevent orphaned chicks in their care from imprinting on humans. They may even wear bird masks while feeding or handling chicks!

While imprinting is often a problem for rehabilitators, it can occasionally support bird conservation. In the early 2000s, scientists breeding endangered Siberian cranes at a nature reserve near Moscow encountered a problem. The birds needed to migrate from Russia to the Caspian Sea, but they had no parents to show them the way. Furthermore, the traditional route passed over conflict zones that might expose the birds to gunfire. To solve the dilemma, the chicks were allowed to imprint on a hang glider. When it came time to fly, the birds followed their mechanical “parent” on a 3,000 mile journey. A similar initiative called Operation Migration teaches captive-born whooping cranes to follow small aircraft south for the winter.

While these stories are uplifting, baby birds have the best chance of surviving in the wild if they imprint on an adult bird that can teach them the correct behaviors to survive. If you find an abandoned nest or chick, call BirdTLC immediately. If you find an abandoned nest or chick, call BirdTLC. Our trained rehabilitators will give orphaned Alaskan birds their best chance at a wild life, cherishing the imprint they leave on our hearts long after they’ve flown.

Let Your Inner Scientist Take Wing This Winter With Citizen Science

Author: J.K. Ullrich

‘Tis the season for bird surveys! Wintertime in North America brings three annual citizen science events that invite communities to help study their avian neighbors. Taking a moment during the holidays to count the wild Alaskan birds in your yard could give some species the gift of survival.

What is citizen science?

Citizen science–also called participatory science and community monitoring–involves research contributions from the general public. Anyone can participate, providing they use a standard protocol for data consistency and quality. Now that technological developments have made information-sharing accessible beyond formal research labs, any citizen with a smartphone can advance scientific inquiry.

Crowdsourced data generated by a vast network of observers gives professional scientists a richer pool of information to study. Many disciplines have embraced this collaborative approach. SciStarter.org maintains a database of projects in different fields, ranging from environmental monitoring to astronomy to ecology. Volunteers might record information about local weather events, mark features in deep-space telescope photos, or track the abundance of regional wildlife.

Citizen science for birds

Birdwatching is well-suited to citizen science. Novices and experts alike can record the species they encounter, capturing valuable data about spatial and seasonal distributions. Observations from amateurs might seem unreliable, but researchers demonstrated in early 2025 that data from iNaturalist and eBird accurately reflected bird migration patterns in Northern California and Nevada.

Collective birdwatching can yield powerful insights. A highly publicized study published in May 2025 used eBird data to track 14 years of population changes among 495 bird species and found 83% of them in decline. The data also conveyed a spark of hope: the authors identified areas with population increases as possible refuges where conservation action could facilitate recovery.

In 2019, information from eBird helped an international team of scientists develop a plan for protecting the habitats of neotropical birds—like warblers, orioles, and tanagers—that migrate across the Northern Hemisphere. The more people contribute, the better our knowledge to protect wildlife.

If you’re ready to research Alaska’s birds this winter, here are three flagship citizen-science projects surveying bird populations.

Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count (CBC)

Audubon’s CBC began in 1900 when a small group of conservationists decided to replace the traditional Christmas Day bird hunt with a bird census. Their local act of advocacy grew into the nation's longest-running citizen science bird project, which occurs every year from 14 December through 5 January. Alaskans have participated since before statehood, conducting the Last Frontier’s first Christmas Bird Counts in 1941. CBC is a highly organized census, with local coordinators arranging survey dates and sites for volunteers. Visit Audubon’s website to find a group near you.

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) 

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology orchestrates the GBBC every February. Launched in 1998, the GBBC was the first online citizen science project. It went global in 2013 when participants began entering data into eBird, one of the world’s largest biodiversity-related community science platforms. Bird lovers across the planet now tally birds in their favorite local hotspots during the four-day GBBC event. Many continue recording data in eBird throughout the year: users contribute an estimated 100 million bird sightings annually.

Project FeederWatch

If stalking birds in the snow isn’t for you, conduct research from a cozier perch with Project FeederWatch. This winter-long project counts birds that visit backyards, nature centers, and other community areas across North America. While the CBC and GBBC focus on a limited time frame, Project FeederWatch volunteers can count as often or as infrequently as they like between November and April. The flexible model enables citizen scientists of any age, expertise, or mobility level to participate.

Fledgling scientists

The three community monitoring events highlighted above are a great introduction to citizen science. You don’t have to be a trained ornithologist to make real research contributions. Chances are, you already have the right equipment: curiosity, observation skills, and an internet connection. So grab a warm hat and a pair of binoculars! Whether you’re surveying Potter Marsh, Westchester Lagoon, or your own backyard, you’ll help represent the birds of Alaska in conservation studies. Together we can preserve our winter wildlife wonderland for many seasons to come.

Happy holidays from your (feathered and unfeathered) friends at BirdTLC!

Nevermore Confused: How to Tell a Raven from a Crow

Author: J.K. Ullrich

A murder of crows. A conspiracy of ravens. How did these shadow-winged birds swoop into our imaginations as bad omens? Both belong to the Corvid family, known for their problem-solving ability and complex social interactions. Their cleverness and sound mimicry may have seemed uncanny to early observers. Scavenging carrion for food also associated them with death. Whatever the initial inspiration, superstition about crows and ravens goes back millennia.

In Celtic folklore, a war goddess called the Morrígan appears on battlefields as a crow or raven to foretell the warriors’ fate. Norse myth also casts ravens in a supernatural role: a pair of birds named “Thought” and “Memory” fly around the world to collect knowledge for the chief god, Odin. Ancient influences evolved into a Gothic literature motif. Nineteenth-century author Edgar Allan Poe made the bird a messenger of grief in his poem The Raven, with the corvid croaking the famous catchphrase “nevermore”.

Today, Halloween decorations often feature spooky black birds. But are they crows or ravens? Among the birds of Alaska, they are most likely Common Ravens (Corvus corax) or American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos), although some ornithologists argue that crows found in the Pacific Northwest are a distinct subspecies from those in the Lower 48. These species may look similar at a glance, but it doesn't take a seer to distinguish them, just keen eyes and ears. Three clues to telling a raven from a crow are movement, vocalization, and appearance.

Movement

Like hungry trick-or-treaters swarming through a neighborhood, crows move in large flocks. Young ravens will sometimes group together, too, but adults usually travel alone or in pairs. Crows have a straightforward flight style with smooth flapping motions. Ravens are acrobats. A dark bird that rolls and dives in the air, or circles on the thermals like a raptor, is probably a raven.

Examine the silhouette as the bird soars overhead. Raven tails have a wedge shape, and primary feathers point out from their wingtips like witch's fingers. A crow's wings and tail are blunter.

Note the differences in size and tail feathers between Crows and Ravens. Sourced from: https://www.wildawareutah.org/wildlife/crows-ravens/]

Vocalization

Both species use a range of sounds to communicate with others. The crows’ repertoire includes clicks, rattles, and the classic caw caw believed to be a territorial call. A raven’s deeper croak carries for more than a mile. Short shrieks chase off interlopers. A rasping cry indicates a disturbance near their nest. Dominant females may make a series of knocking sounds. Ravens can mimic other birds, and even learn words when raised in captivity. Scientists have identified more than 30 different raven vocalizations. Listen to crow and raven calls in this video from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Appearance

Both corvid cousins dress in black, but it's far from a funeral outfit. Their plumage shimmers with iridescent purples and greens. A raven's feathers often have more sheen than a crow's. Despite the birds' similar coloration, there's a significant difference in size. Ravens are much larger, comparable to Red-tailed Hawks. Crows are roughly the size of pigeons (a species that gives some city-dwellers more nightmares than any Corvid). The average raven weighs twice as much as a crow, tipping the scale at more than two pounds!

Up close, the birds have subtly different facial features. Crows' necks are smooth, while ravens boast a luxuriant ruff of feathers (not unlike a cravat Mr. Poe might have worn). Still unsure of the identification? The nose knows: ravens' beaks are larger and more curved than crows, with longer bristles at the base.

Left: American Crow in Whitter. Photo credit: Ianaré Sévi, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Right: Common Raven, Alaska. Photo credit: USFWSAlaska, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Are Corvids Really Creepy?

If you still think corvids are creepy, schedule one of the Bird Treatment and Learning Center's educational programs and meet their corvids, Shavila, a Black-billed Magpie and Zahra, an American Crow (Zahra is our newest Ambassador and not quite ready for programs but will be in the near future). Our plucky Ambassadors will convince you that the scariest thing about these birds is how people mischaracterize them as unlucky. A truly unlucky bird is one that suffers injury or illness, especially through a negative encounter with humans.

Bird TLC’s rehabilitation staff tries to give those horror stories happy endings. We have treated 423 birds so far in 2025, returning many of them. Since our patients can't ring your doorbell this Halloween for a treat, please consider a small donation to sponsor their care. With support from our community, we can keep giving birds—even those branded as symbols of death—a second chance at life.

Why Rehabilitation Matters: How Humans Harm Wild Birds

In the past few weeks, we have cared for multiple patients whose injuries demonstrate why we believe rehabilitation is an act of responsible stewardship.

Most of the birds we care for have been injured due to human activities. Rehabilitation gives us the chance to undo the harm done to these birds and, hopefully, give them a second chance at life in the wild. 

Two birds, a gull and a mallard, were affected by fishing line and hooks that were not properly disposed of. 

This mallard suffered from a fishhook embedded in her mouth. Fortunately, we were able to remove it and send her back to the wild. 

A young gull found himself in a dire predicament when the line from the fishhook embedded in his mouth wrapped around his beak and his legs. We untangled the line, removed the fishhook, and gave him his second chance at life in the wild.

Because we often see birds tangled in fishing line, we partner with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Anchorage Waterways Council on Loons, Lines, and Lead (LLL) to educate our community about the dangers of improperly discarded fishing line and lead tackle. You will find a map on the LLL webpage of the fishing line collection bins maintained by Anchorage Waterways Council.

While causing harm to wild birds is generally unintentional, sometimes it is not - as you can see in the radiographs of two of our patients who were shot. We are guardedly optimistic that their injuries will heal and they can return to the wild. Sadly, this was not the case with the Great Horned Owl, whose wing was damaged so badly that he could no longer fly. 

Every time we release a bird back to the wild who has been harmed by humans, by human activity, or by increasing urbanization, we are reminded why rehabilitation is responsible stewardship and that it matters - especially to that bird who has a second chance. 

Bird TLC is here to help if you have found an injured or orphaned bird.

Your donation will help injured wild birds, like those in this article, return to the wild.

The Case of the Crooked Keratin: How You Can Help Investigate A Mysterious Alaskan Bird Disease

Author: J.K. Ullrich

Imagine if your teeth would not stop growing. They elongate over your face like tusks, lower and upper sets curling in opposite directions. Twisted teeth make it difficult to eat, drink, and speak. Even when your dentist files them down, they just grow out again. How would you manage? This is the fate of birds with avian keratin disorder (AKD), a beak deformity first observed in Alaska in the late 1990s.

The emergence of Black-capped Chickadees and Northwestern Crows with deformed beaks alarmed birdwatchers and ornithologists alike. Some birds’  beaks became long and thin like Pinocchio’s nose. In others, one half of the beak outgrew and overlapped the other. Afflicted birds struggled to eat, preen, and perform other behaviors essential to their survival. Studies between 1999 and 2008 found symptoms in 6.5% of Alaska’s Black-capped Chickadees. Almost 17% of Alaska’s Northwestern Crow population displayed the characteristic bill overgrowth, with instances as high as 36% in the Kenai Peninsula.

Black-capped Chickadee with Avian Keratin Disorder. Photo credit: Rob Tapanna

Scientists termed the new bird disease AKD. It appeared in at least 28 other Alaskan species, from woodpeckers and nuthatches to jays and magpies. As the disease spread to new hosts, it also spread to new regions. Freaky beaks were reported in Canada and the Pacific Northwest, then the lower forty-eight states. A few cases were even documented in Europe and Asia. What caused this debilitating condition? Researchers spent 20 years hunting for answers. Bacterial and fungal infections, nutritional deficiencies, and physical damage all proved innocent. AKD remained elusive. 

Then, in 2016, a team from the California Academy of Sciences, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) used new genetic techniques to search for pathogens in AKD samples from Alaska. They identified a previously unknown virus. Based on those results, the team tested 28 birds with bill deformities and 96 without deformities. The virus appeared in all the affected birds, but in less than 10% of the control cases. Could this be the culprit?

The researchers named their discovery Poecivirus, after the genus of black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) in which AKD was first documented. It belongs to the picornavirus family, whose other infamous members cause human illnesses such as polio, hepatitis A, and the common cold. The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses officially recognized the new find in 2020. Ongoing investigations seek to confirm whether Poecivirus causes AKD, its effects on beak growth, and how it is transmitted.

Nuthatch with Avian Keratin Disorder. Photo credit: Rob Tappana

Bird diseases often spread at congregation sites like bird feeders. If you spot a bird with a deformed beak at your seed station, take the feeder down and clean it, then quarantine it for several weeks before putting it out again. Consider contacting BirdTLC if the affected bird is too ill to fly. Sadly, since there is no known treatment for AKD, humane euthanasia is the only option for these birds. But learning more about Poecivirus may lead to better outcomes. 

You can help by reporting observations of birds with unusually curved or elongated beaks to the USGS. These data points provide insight into AKD’s geographical patterns and species vulnerable to infection. It took twenty years to uncover the potential cause of AKD: with support from citizen scientists, it hopefully won’t take that long to develop a cure.

Touring Alaska’s Five Bird Biomes

Author: J.K. Ullrich

Summer invites millions of visitors and locals to explore Alaska’s incredible landscapes. Almost 90% of the state is publicly owned land, including 9 of the 10 largest national parks in the country. These protected spaces host an equally vast array of bird life. More than 500 species of birds have been recorded in the state. To better study their diverse habitats, ornithologists divide Alaska into five Bird Conservation Regions. Come along on a tour of the regions’ unique ecology and avifauna; these threatened places may not survive the century.

Alaska Science Center. (2021). Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs) in Alaska [map]. Alaska Landbird Conservation Plan, version 2. https://www.usgs.gov/media/files/alaska-landbird-conservation-plan-version-2

1. Aleutian and Bering Sea Islands

Indigenous Alaskan folklore tells how the Aleutian Islands were created by a Raven. The archipelago includes 150 islands spanning 1,800 km between North America and Asia. Although it’s a small area, it provides an important migratory stops for many birds. Other islands in the Bering sea also provide key bird habitat. St. Mathew and Hall Islands support almost the entire known breeding population of McKay’s Bunting, Alaska’s only endemic landbird.

The islands’ chilly surf kisses the feet of Alaskan royalty: the Emperor Goose. Western explorers chose this magisterial moniker because the birds’ white heads resembled fur trim on royal robes. Its Yupik name, nacaullek, loosely means “the one having a parka hood”. When most migratory birds head south in autumn, “Alaska's goose” flies north to molt, venturing as far as Russia. Families travel together to winter habitats, where parents show their young how to forage. Emperor Goode numbers plummeted between the 1960s and the 1980s for unknown reasons—hunting and oil pollution may have played a role—but 30 years of conservation efforts helped the population recover.

Emperor Geese flying over Alaska

Photo credit: USFWSAlaska, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

2. Western Alaska

Geologically complex Western Alaska extends from the volcanic peaks of the Alaska Peninsula to the riverine lowlands around Kotzebue Sound. More than half of this region is federal land, including the Yukon Delta, the second largest wildlife refuge in the national system,. Half a million shorebirds use the refuge annually, migrating from around the world to raise young. Bar-Tailed Godwits fly non-stop between Alaska and New Zealand, a journey of about 8,000 miles!

The Delta becomes a dance floor when the Sandhill Cranes arrive. Prospective pairs will bow, strut, and flap their six-foot wings in elaborate courtship rituals. They are believed to mate for life. Chicks, called colts for their long legs, remain with their parents until the following spring. Sandhill Cranes’ distinctive red caps aren’t feathers, but a patch of bare skin that recedes as they age. A bigger bald spot indicates good health and experience.

Sandhill Cranes on Kigigak Island, Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge

Photo credit: Kristine Sowl, USFWS

3. Arctic Plains and Mountains

Although the Arctic conjures images of frozen landscapes, most of this region receives less than 30cm of rain per year, making it a desert biome. The rugged Brooks Range creates a boundary from the Canadian border in the east to the Chukchi Sea in the west. Foothills slope into coastal plain that meets the Beaufort Sea. Here boggy tundra provides a summer haven for nesting waterfowl. Loons and phalaropes fill the ponds, while a variety of warbler species breed in the shrub thickets. But when the midnight sun sets, only a few hardy species remain for the long, dark winters. 

The Arctic’s most iconic year-round resident, the Snowy Owl, is not as white as its name suggests. Males are barred with dark brown when young and get paler with age. Females keep some dark markings throughout their lives. Thick, warm feathers make them the heaviest North American owl, weighing about four pounds. Unlike most owls, Snowy Owls are diurnal and prefer open spaces where they can hunt sitting on the ground. Their favorite prey is a small rodent called a lemming. An adult Snowy Owl can eat more than 1,600 lemmings in a single year!

Snowy Owl on the Arctic tundra

Photo credit: USFWS

4. Northwestern Interior Forest

Larger than the state of Texas, the Northwestern Interior Forest covers almost half of Alaska’s land area, including Denali, the highest peak in North America at 18,000 feet. During the Pleistocene era, an ice-free corridor ran east through this area, allowing species to transfer between Asia and North America. Echoes of this biodiversity are still visible today in the varied plant and animal life. Ecosystems range from highlands to river valleys to boreal forests.

Just as the region has many habitats, one of its charismatic inhabitants has many names. The Canada Jay is also known as the Gray Jay, Camp Robber (for its bold habit of raiding campsites for food), and Whiskyjack, an anglicization of its Algonquin name Wisakedjak. Like the Raven, the Canada Jay features as a trickster character in the folklore of several indigenous cultures. Perhaps the Jay’s niftiest trick is to store food for lean months by gluing it to trees with sticky saliva.

Canada Jay at Wonder Lake in Denali National Park

Photo license

5. Northern Pacific Rainforest

Rainforests aren’t always tropical! Warm currents between the Gulf of Alaska and the North Pacific Ocean provides constant moisture for a temperate rainforest along the coast. Between the mossy woods lie ice fields, marshy terrain called muskeg, and marine environments. More than 2,000 islands support seabirds such as gulls, puffins, murres, cormorants, and sea ducks. They nest on high rock outcrops, nourishing their young with abundant Alaskan seafood.

But they need to beware of thieves. Despite being revered in both Indigenous and modern American cultures as a symbol of courage, the Bald Eagle isn’t above stealing a meal from other animals. Bald Eagles prefer to eat fish, and their powerful talons can lift up to five pounds. If a fish proves too heavy to lift, the eagle may swim with it, using powerful wings to “row” the meal ashore. Alaska boasts the largest Bald Eagle population in the country, estimated at 30,000 birds.

Puffins in Seward, Alaska

Photo credit: Diego Delso, delso.photo, License CC BY-SA" legibly next to the image.

Protecting Imperiled Landscapes

All five bioregions, and the birds that inhabit them, face threats from human activity. Climate change is warming the Arctic at least three times faster than the rest of the planet. If global emissions continue to increase through this century, climate scientists forecast that average temperatures in Alaska will rise up to 12°F in the north, 10°F in the interior, and 8°F in the rest of the state. In addition to altering Alaskan landscapes effects, heightened temperatures draw warmer-range wildlife northward to compete with native species for resources.

Extraction of oil, gas, and minerals destroys habitat and creates pollution. Runoff from mining sites contaminates watersheds. Alaska’s gulf coast ecosystems still show effects from the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, demonstrating the long-term consequences of human behavior. Even individuals can have an impact. For example, lead fishing tackle commonly used for recreational angling can poison fish-eating birds like loons and eagles.

But individual impacts can also be positive. The five actions below can help protect birds and biomes across the Last Frontier:

• Petition elected officials to support wildlife and habitat conservation;

• Keep cats indoors or leashed to prevent attacks on birds;

• Put up window decals to prevent bird strikes;

• Turn off outdoor lights, especially during migration season; and

• Support local nature non-profits like Bird Treatment and Learning Center

In Alaska, that “partridge in a pear tree” might be a Northern Hawk Owl

Author: J.K. Ullrich, Bird TLC volunteer

The first six gifts in the carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” are birds (seven, if you consider that “five golden rings” may have originally referred to goldfinches or the ringed plumage on a pheasant’s neck). To celebrate the holiday season, BirdTLC is reimagining the lyrics with native Alaskan birds. Visit our blog every week from now until the end of December for fun, festive facts about our wildlife.

A Northern Hawk Owl sits at the top of a frosty tree. Photo credit: Richard Hoeg richardhoeg, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

What’s that feathery figure perched atop a spruce? Here in Alaska, it’s not a partridge in a pear tree, but more likely a Northern Hawk Owl. One of only a few owl species active during the day, this crow-sized raptor takes up a high post to scan for prey, relying more on sight than sound. When it detects a potential meal, it swoops in on stiff flight feathers that make its wingbeats as audible as any hawk’s.

The Northern Hawk Owl resembles its namesake in other ways. It shares treetop hunting habits with the Red-Tailed Hawk; its long tail and agile flight style are similar to the Cooper's Hawk; and its sharp ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki alarm call evokes an American Kestrel. Like other daytime predators, Hawk Owls have symmetrical ear openings. Although this makes their hearing slightly less sensitive than nocturnal owls with asymmetrical ear openings, they can still hear prey moving beneath a foot of snow.

Because of their hawk-like hunting style, Northern Hawk Owls prefer habitats with spaced trees, such as the taiga or boggy muskeg in Alaska’s interior. Prey availability influences their range. For example, a study in Denali National Park found that 94% of the resident Hawk Owls’ diets consisted of red-backed voles and mice; if the rodent population declined, the owls might move south in search of food. Ornithologists call this phenomenon irruption. (Other Alaskan species such as Common Redpolls and Red-Breasted nuthatches are also irruptive.) 

Following the food helps Northern Hawk Owls—especially inexperienced young birds—survive lean seasons, but habitat loss puts them at risk. Audubon's climate model predicts that Northern Hawk Owls will lose all of their current summer range and 77% of their current winter range by 2080. The owls also face more immediate threats. Perching in exposed treetops makes them vulnerable to poachers, and flying low to the ground can cause collisions with vehicles. 

A car strike late last year brought a Northern Hawk Owl to BirdTLC with a broken wing bone. After a few weeks of care and rehabilitation, he returned to the wild in December 2023. This gift of a second chance came from our dedicated staff and supporters. We hope you’ll join us in the New Year as we advocate for Alaska’s birds, who bless us with beauty and biodiversity all year long.

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Sandhill Cranes, Alaska’s Unlikely “Turtledoves”

Author: J.K. Ullrich, Bird TLC volunteer

The first six gifts in the carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” are birds (seven, if you consider that “five golden rings” may have originally referred to goldfinches or the ringed plumage on a pheasant’s neck). To celebrate the holiday season, BirdTLC is reimagining the lyrics with native Alaskan birds. Visit our blog every week from now until the end of December for fun, festive facts about our wildlife.

Image: two Sandhill Cranes dancing together.

Photo credit: Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The “two turtledoves” in the iconic holiday carol probably didn’t have long, spindly legs or six-foot wingspans. But among Alaskan birds, no species better evokes human ideas of romance than the Sandhill Crane. Gangly yet graceful, these birds are famous for their elaborate courtship dances.

Prospective partners bob their heads and bow. Leaping and strutting, they might toss sticks into the air. They run with broad wings extended. Loud rattling calls echo across Alaska’s wetlands. If the display succeeds, the lovebirds will also sing a unison call. Believed to mate for life, cranes stay with their partners year-round.

Ritualized choreography seems to play a role in bonding. Although performances peak during breeding season, it can occur at any time of year. Sandhill crane couples dance together even after they are paired. Once a pair starts a dance, the entire flock may join in! Young birds also dance, even chicks just a few days old, suggesting it may contribute to motor development.

Dance moves aren’t the only measure of a partner’s appeal. A Sandhill Crane’s distinctive red cap is not feathers, but a patch of bare skin that recedes as the bird ages. (The oldest crane on record was nearly 40 years old.) A bigger bald spot indicates the bird has survived multiple migrations, a badge of experience and good health that attracts potential mates.

Crane parents build a ground nest out of plant materials and care for it together. The two eggs take about a month to hatch, and a further two months for the chicks—called colts—to reach independence. Autumn finds the family migrating south together. In a few years, the juveniles reach sexual maturity and begin dancing for their own mates.

These dances can only continue if we preserve the stage. Alaska hosts two distinct groups of sandhill cranes: the larger one breeds on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and in the Interior, wintering in the southwestern United States, while a smaller population breeds in the Cook Inlet region and winters in California. All rely on migratory corridors, but habitat loss along the route could mean curtains for the cranes. Conservation organizations like BirdTLC work to ensure these unlikely “turtledoves” live happily ever after.

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Three Ptarmigans

Author: J.K. Ullrich, Bird TLC volunteer

The first six gifts in the carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” are birds (seven, if you consider that “five golden rings” may have originally referred to goldfinches or the ringed plumage on a pheasant’s neck). To celebrate the holiday season, BirdTLC is reimagining the lyrics with native Alaskan birds. Visit our blog every week until the end of December for fun, festive facts about wildlife.

Some people give their paramours “three French hens”, but Alaska presents birdwatchers with different members of the order Galliformes: three species of ptarmigan. Although related to chicken-like birds such as grouse, ptarmigan comprise a genus all their own. The word ptarmigan comes from the Scottish Gaelic “tàrmachan,” the old name for Willow Ptarmigan in the northern British Isles. Early ornithologists, mistakenly believing the word had Greek origins, added a “p”.

Willow and Rock ptarmigan live in Europe and North America, while the White-tailed ptarmigan resides exclusively on the latter continent. Sometimes all three species can be found on a single mountain, although altitude separates their habitats. Willow ptarmigan live closest to the timberline. Rock ptarmigan claim the middle slopes and low ridges. White-tails make their homes high among rocky screes close to glaciers and snowfields.

The Willow Ptarmigan is the largest of the trio. Its scientific name, Lagopus lagopus, means “rabbit foot.” The bird’s large, fluffy feet retain heat in winter and act like snowshoes to help the ptarmigan walk atop snow. Long, sharp talons also get traction on icy ground. Alaskan school children chose the Willow Ptarmigan as the state bird in 1955. 

Adult willow ptarmigan in Denali National Park.

Photo atribution: Yathin S Krishnappa, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

White-tailed Ptarmigan are camouflage specialists, with snowy plumage in winter and twig-colored feathers in summer. They nest above the timberline in the alpine tundra, and are the only birds in North America that spend their entire life cycle at such high elevations. Perhaps this is why they generally prefer walking over flight: it may conserve energy in their harsh habitat. 

White-tailed Ptarmigan, Loveland Pass, CO.

Photo attribution: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Rock Ptarmigan occur throughout Alaska, and are the only ptarmigan species on the Aleutian Islands. Some ornithologists have suggested that the the evermanni subspecies, found on Attu and Agattu, should be recognized as a unique species. Unlike their mainland cousins, Aleutian rock ptarmigan range down to coastal areas.

A pair of Rock Ptarmigan in Norway.

Photo attribution: Jan Frode Haugseth, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Winter is a sociable season for Ptarmigan. Moving between patches of shelter and food, they often roost together in the snow. Spring sends flocks in their thousands back to breeding grounds. Males of all three species defend territories, but only Willow ptarmigan males stay to care for the family; they will even take charge of the brood if their mate dies. Among Rock and White-tailed ptarmigans, the females alone raise the chicks. Hens lead their broods around various locations, usually within half a mile of the nest. In crowded nesting areas, some chicks may wind up with different families!

The dynamics of Ptarmigan populations, known for extremes of abundance and scarcity, are not well-understood. But one risk to their survival is climate change. Prolonged snow-free periods leave the birds’ molts out of sync with their surroundings: a white bird against spring earth makes an easier target for predators. Stewardship of the planet is the best gift we can give these tough little birds.

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Four Calling (Raven) Birds

Author: J.K. Ullrich, Bird Treatment and Learning Center Volunteer

The first six gifts in the carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” are birds (seven, if you consider that “five golden rings” may have originally referred to goldfinches or the ringed plumage on a pheasant’s neck). To celebrate the holiday season, BirdTLC is reimagining the lyrics with native Alaskan birds. Visit our blog every week until the end of December for fun, festive facts about wildlife.

“Four calling birds” weren’t always a musical gift. The song’s first published version in 1780 contained “four colly birds”. “Colly” meant “coal-y”, as in dusted with coal, and colly birds was a common term for blackbirds. (At the time they were edible game—remember the old rhyme about “four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie”?) Language shifts eventually changed the carol’s lyrics into the “calling birds” we sing about today. 

Both the color and the communicativeness apply to Common Ravens. These year-round Alaskan residents make a wide variety of calls. The classic croak can carry more than a mile, often in response to other ravens heard in the distance. A chicken-like cluck means a predator has been spotted; short, sharp calls accompany chasing off a trespasser. Ravens dueling over food will trill at one another. Females make knocking sounds to establish territorial dominance or during courtship displays.

Photo credit: Raven calling along the Firehole River. Author: Yellowstone National Park. Public domain.

Ravens raised in captivity can imitate human speech (Roman emperor Julius Caesar reportedly bought trained ravens that would address him as “the victorious commander”). Scientists have identified more than 100 different raven vocalizations. A researcher at the University of Alaska Fairbanks is even using artificial intelligence to categorize raven sounds and search for patterns.

But diversity isn’t the most remarkable aspect of raven vocalization. Biologist Bernd Heinrich argues that the Raven is one of only four animals—along with bees, ants, and humans—that can communicate about things beyond the immediate present. For example, if a lone juvenile raven discovers a carcass guarded by a pair of adult ravens, it will recruit other unattached youngsters to chase off the guards and secure the food for themselves.

Ravens communicate with more than their voices. A 2011 study found that ravens use “referential gestures”, using their beaks and wings to point out objects much like we humans do with our hands. Researchers observed ravens pointing out objects to other birds, usually members of the opposite sex. The ravens would then interact or even manipulate the item together. Such gestures might be a way to assess a prospective partner. If so, these “calling birds” might use their unique communication abilities to find their own “true love”!

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Six (Emperor) Geese A'Laying

The first six gifts in the carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” are birds (seven, if you consider that “five golden rings” may have originally referred to goldfinches or the ringed plumage on a pheasant’s neck). To celebrate the holiday season, BirdTLC is reimagining the lyrics with native Alaskan birds. Visit our blog every week until the end of December for fun, festive facts about wildlife.

An Emperror Goose standing on ice. Photo credit: Thorsten Hackbarth, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Emperor geese a’laying is certainly a gift after the species’ sharp decline in the late 20th century. This stocky blue-grey bird goes by many names. Its Yupik name, nacaullek, loosely means “the one having a parka hood”. Western explorers dubbed it emperor because its white head resembled fur trim on royal robes. Painted goose likewise refers to its distinctive plumage. Beach goose evokes the bird’s coastal habitat—although mostly a northern resident, strays have been observed as far south as Hawaii. Yet the birds’ life cycle centers on the Last Frontier, earning it the moniker of Alaska’s goose.

Most the Emperor Goose population breeds on the Yukon-Kuskoquim Delta. Paired females lay one to eight eggs in nests made from dead plant material and down (occasionally other females’ nests). After almost a month of incubation, hatched goslings leave the nest in less than a day. They can walk and swim just hours after birth, following their parents through the brief Arctic summer.

Family time doesn’t end when autumn arrives. “The emperor goose is pretty unique in that it hangs out with its kids all winter long,” says Robyn Thomas, who studies the birds’ wintering ecology and population dynamics as part of a joint project between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Emperor Goose families travel together to winter habitats along the Aleutian chain, where parents show their young how to forage. Offspring may even return to associate with mom and dad the following season.

Even with devoted care, only one in ten goslings survive their first year. Still fewer reach the breeding age of three. This slow reproductive rate makes Emperor Geese less resilient against population-level threats, such as when their numbers plummeted from more than 100,000 birds in 1982 to fewer than 45,000 in 1986. Hunting and oil pollution likely contributed to the decline. Coastal waterfowl are also highly vulnerable to climate change.

A hunting ban and 30 years of conservation efforts helped the Emperor Goose population slowly recover. The most recent surveys, from 2014-2016, counted an average of almost 86,000 birds. Subsistence harvest resumed in 2017, but may be suspended again if the population drops below a certain threshold. Research like Thomas’ will help us better understand what these birds need to thrive, while advocacy from organizations like BirdTLC will help keep “Alaska’s goose” a’laying!

If your “true love” is Alaskan birds, connect with BirdTLC all year long for education and advocacy.

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Seven (Trumpeter) Swans A’Swimming

Author: J.K. Ullrich, Bird TLC Volunteer

The first six gifts in the carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” are birds (seven, if you consider that “five golden rings” may have originally referred to goldfinches or the ringed plumage on a pheasant’s neck). To celebrate the holiday season, BirdTLC is reimagining the lyrics with native Alaskan birds.

Photo credit: Andy Reago and Chrissy McClarren, Creative Commons license

A century ago, “seven swans a’swimming” was almost an accurate census of Trumpeter Swans in the United States. Hunted for their feathers and skins, the species came perilously close to extinction: a 1935 survey counted only 69 trumpeter swans a-swimming in American waters. Legal protection helped the population slowly recover. 

Scientists hoped that Alaska’s wilderness concealed hidden troves of swans. The first comprehensive aerial survey of Alaska’s trumpeter swans, in 1968, counted nearly 3,000 birds. Encouraged by the discovery, wildlife authorities removed Trumpeter Swans from the rare species list. Alaska’s remote sanctuaries may have helped save the swans, and the ecosystems they support.

Trumpeter Swans are more than just stately ornaments: they host a holiday buffet for their lake-dwelling neighbors. Their large feet generate currents that dislodge roots from the mud for other animals to eat. Long necks allow them to forage deeper than other water birds, dredging up insects and other tasty morsels. Dabbling ducks may follow swans around to scavenge food. An ecological version of the lyrics might reference “swans a-serving”!

Even more impressive is “swans a’soaring”. Weighing more than 25 pounds—twice the size of a Tundra swan—Trumpeters are North America’s heaviest flying bird, and the country’s largest native waterfowl. Despite a six-foot wingspan, they need a hundred yards of “runway” to get airborne. 

In the sky or in the water, Trumpeter Swans announce themselves with a distinctive hornlike cry. Their scientific name, Cygnus buccinator, comes from the Latin words Cygnus (swan) and buccinare (to trumpet). The two-syllable call keeps families together, sounds alarms, or defend territories. Pairs also use a softer monosyllabic note to locate each other. Young swans have higher-pitched voices, developing their adult tone around 6-8 months old. These snowy singers are a perfect species to feature in a holiday carol!

Meet the Merlin, A Small Raptor with Big Charm

Author: J.K. Ullrich, Bird TLC Volunteer

Legend has it that the wizard Merlin, advisor to Britain’s mythological King Arthur, could transform into a bird. Although he’s no relation to the raptor called a Merlin—the bird’s name comes from esmerillon, the French word for a female falcon, while the character’s name references a Welsh bard—these winged wonders have enchanted humans for centuries. Medieval falconers called Merlins the “Lady's Hawk” because many royal women flew them for sport, including Catherine the Great and Mary, Queen of Scots. 

Merlins specialize in targeting other birds. Small and compact, they pursue their quarry at speeds up to 30 mph. They have even been observed hunting in pairs, with one bird flushing prey towards its partner. But it’s their exquisite maneuverability that gives Merlins their magic. Instead of doing the dramatic dive that the peregrine falcon uses to catch its prey, Merlins take the opposite approach,” says BirdTLC’s Rehabilitation Program Coordinator Katie Thorman. “They use horizontal bursts of speed and acrobatic aerial maneuvers to fly directly into flocks of birds like pigeons, waxwings, and starlings to catch their prey.” 

A Merlin perches on a fence post at Lake Hood, Anchorage.

This agility also impresses mates. Merlins court through elaborate flight displays, taking steep dives and fluttering their wings. Bonded pairs may stay together for several seasons. Rather than build their own nests, they prefer to reuse one abandoned by another bird. Three Merlin subspecies nest in North America: the “Black” Merlin of the Pacific Coast region, the central “Prairie” Merlin, and the “Taiga” Merlin found in Alaska. Habitat loss has contracted the Merlin’s range, but the species has adapted successfully to urban environments. Cities provide abundant prey like pigeons, and plenty of old crow nests for Merlin families. 

A Merlin perches at the top of a tree snag. Photo credit: Dana Foley | FD Foley Photography (Facebook) | @danafo63 ( Instagram)

While many raptors are in decline, Merlin populations in the U.S. and Canada more than tripled between 1970 and 2014. This doesn’t mean Merlins lead charmed lives. Few survive more than five years because they often collide with cars, buildings, and trees. Similar accidents befell three merlins recently brought to BirdTLC. One had been hit by a car and stunned; clinic staff treated it for head trauma, allowing it to recover in a dark, quiet space. Another Merlin received care for a fractured wing. 

The third patient, a young Merlin separated from its parents, required the most attention. Not quite ready to fly or feed itself, the fledgling needed constant support. Clinic staff fed it five to six times a day for almost a week.

Video: staff examines the fledgling Merlin when he arrives at the clinic.

They began offering the Merlin live mice to hone its hunting instinct. Once the bird could secure its own food, caretakers modified the bird’s enclosure so it could start practicing flight. On September 10, the young Merlin spread its wings for release from BirdTLC property, flying confidently into its future.

Video: the young Merlin is released into the wild.

Why the influx of Merlins? “It is not unusual to have merlins come to us in small waves,” says Thorman. While there’s no clear reason for the surge, she notes that all three were juveniles hatched this year, which might make them more vulnerable. “The first few weeks on their own, Merlins are still figuring out the world and their wings.” With a little help from friends at BirdTLC, all three young merlins broke misfortune’s spell and returned to the wild.

Sick of Plastic: How Your Consumer Choices Can Help Fight a New Bird Disease

Author: J.K. Ullrich, Bird TLC Volunteer

In 2023, scientists described a new disease afflicting shearwaters on Australia’s Lord Howe Island. It damages the birds’ organs, alters their body chemistry, and reduces survival in chicks. The cause? Not bacteria, viruses, or parasites, but ingested plastic. 

Termed plasticosis, this disease occurs when plastic damages a bird’s digestive tracts. Scar tissue builds up over time and impairs organ function, a process called fibrosis. Humans develop a similar condition in their lungs from long-term smoking, and in their livers from alcohol abuse. (We may not be spared plasticosis, either. A 2019 study found that people may consume a credit card’s worth of plastic every week. That’s almost a pound per year!)

Some birds mistake plastic for food or the stones they swallow as digestive aids. Others accumulate it from the fish they eat. As many as 90% of young birds are fed plastic by their unknowing parents. In extreme cases, the chicks starve to death as their stomachs fill up with plastic, preventing digestion of any real food. Scientists reported that 40% percent of Laysan Albatross chicks on Midway Atoll die before fledging, their stomachs full of plastic trash.

Birds can hardly avoid plastic meals when 17.6 billion pounds of plastic enters the ocean every year. That’s equivalent to a garbage truck dumping its load into the waves every minute. Plastic takes centuries to decompose—450 years for a plastic water bottle, 600 years for fishing lines and nets—but wears down into particles that infiltrate the food chain. Larger pieces also create hazards for birds.

Gannets nest amind plastic. Photo credit: "The Age of Plastic Waste" by Tyros.andi, licensed by CC BY-SA 4.0

Plastic entanglement is documented in 265 bird species: 147 seabirds,  69 freshwater birds, and 49 land birds. Despite the iconic images of birds with six-pack rings around their necks, fishing gear accounts for 83% of the incidents. Some birds also mistake plastic for leaves, twigs, and other natural materials used to build their nests. Plastic-lined nurseries can injure delicate chicks. A 2014 study found that 85% of American crow nests contained plastic, which entangled 11 of 195 nestlings. 

An Osprey brings plastic to its nest. Photo credit: "Untitled photo" by john58, licensed CC BY 2.0

With new bird generations at risk, addressing plastic pollution is a key part of conservation. The United Nations resolved in 2022 to draft an agreement about curbing plastic waste, but you can make simple changes to help right now. First, be aware that the famous arrow-triangle icon doesn’t necessarily mean a plastic item is recyclable! Depending on your local services, only certain numbers can be processed. In Anchorage, most curbside recycling only accepts numbers 1 and 2. A new center that opened last month also takes numbers 4 and 5. 

Although recycling plastic beats throwing it away, it’s not a reliable solution. Many objects are made of mixed plastic types, which cannot be separated and made into anything new. Only 9% of the plastic waste created as of 2015 had been recycled, according to one study; almost 80% ended up in landfills or the environment. It’s better to just use less. Keep plastic from harming our ecosystems with these strategies:

• Reduce the amount of plastic you consume. Buy goods in truly recyclable glass or paper packaging when possible. Store food in reusable containers rather than plastic zipper bags. 

• Refuse throwaway plastic items like shopping bags and utensils. Bring your own reusable versions, and talk to your favorite venues about switching to sustainable options.

• Rethink. Do you really need that plastic bauble or single-use party decor? Save money and birds by saying ‘no’ to frivolous plastics. Use a refillable water bottle instead of buying flimsy ones by the case. Beware plastic-based fabrics in “fast fashion”; look for alternatives made from natural materials. 

With a little forethought and creativity, you can help keep plastic out of birds’ bellies! And if you find a bird harmed by plastic waste, contact us at 907-562-4852.

Alaska is a Seabird Sanctuary, But There’s Trouble in Paradise

by J.K. Ullrich

Summer is tourist season in Alaska, and the largest group of visitors arrives on the wing. Every year millions of birds travel the Pacific Flyway, a migratory route that stretches from Patagonia to this Arctic oasis. Alaska’s 46,000 miles of coastline offers protected nesting areas, and the surrounding seas produce lots of food. These conditions attract more than 40 species of seabirds and one-third of the world’s shorebird species to raise new generations in the Last Frontier.

Alaska’s coastal birds are as diverse as its habitats. Lake Clark’s mud flats host more than 100,000 Sandpipers and Dunlins each spring. Endangered Kittlitz’s Murrelets nest in Wrangell-St. Elias and Glacier Bay National Parks. Further north, tundras provide a chilly nursery for Steller’s Eiders and the Yellow-billed Loons. Numerous other seabird types inhabit Alaskan waters:

• Cormorants go ashore after fishing to dry their short wings in the sun.

• Guillemots rank among the deepest bird divers, reaching depths of more than 300 feet.

• Kittiwakes are small gulls that nest on high cliffs, where their chicks have few predators.

• Murrelet populations have declined due to habitat loss and global warming.

• Petrels live on the open ocean and only return to land to breed.

• Sea ducks comprise 15 species in North America—such as eiders, mergansers, and scoters— and all nest in Alaska.

• Terns are known for their long-distance migrations; thanks to its polar travels, the Arctic tern may see more daylight every year than any other animal.

• Puffins sport brightly colored beaks during breeding season, which help them dig burrows up to 50 feet long for their egg.

Puffins in particular serve as sentinels for ocean health. Nearly all of the world’s three million tufted puffins breed in Alaska. They are generalist hunters, so when a puffling hatches, the parents feed it a buffet of local seafood. Researchers collect these diet samples to study fish populations and inform fisheries management. Insights from puffin catches also help monitor the state of Alaska’s marine ecosystems, which have suffered a difficult few decades. 

Tufted Puffins. Photo credit: J.K. Ullrich

It began with shifts in ocean conditions in the late 1970s, which triggered long-term declines in many bird, mammal, and crustacean populations. Then the tanker vessel Exxon Valdez ran aground in 1989, spilling 42 million liters of oil into Prince William Sound. This ecological disaster killed up to a quarter-million seabirds, along with other animals. Bird TLC’s founder, Dr. James Scott, helped care for affected birds in the aftermath. 

While seabird populations fought to recover from long-term ecosystem damage, new challenges arose. Two and a half decades after the oil spill, a prolonged marine heatwave in the the Gulf of Alaska collapsed multiple fisheries. Many seabirds starved. From 2015 to 2019, warming ocean temperatures in the Bering Sea changed the distribution of both fish and the seabirds that eat them. More disruptions loom as glacier loss in Southeastern Alaska threatens to alter coastal ecosystems.

Gulls are possibly the most recognizable seabird. As icons of adaptability, they make themselves comfortable in urban settings during the nesting season—buildings offer nesting sites that resemble cliffs and dumpsters provide reliable food. Because of the number of gulls in urban areas, people often find orphaned chicks and bring them to Bird Treatment and Learning Center. 20 gull chicks have been raised by volunteers and staff so far this summer, all Short-billed Gulls save for a single Cook Inlet Gull (a hybrid between Herring Gull and Glaucous Winged Gull).

A young gull skims along the water. Photo credit: J.K. Ullrich

With help from dedicated caretakers and conservation support from all their human allies, seabirds can continue to flourish on Alaska’s coastlines.

Tonsina, Alaska. Photo credit: J.K. Ullrich

Loons, Lines, and Lead

Author: J.K. Ulrich, Bird TLC Volunteer

Alaskans with and without feathers enjoy fishing beneath the midnight sun, but the tackle human anglers use often proves fatal for birds, especially loons. These iconic waterfowl “are extremely susceptible to lead toxicity due to their feeding behavior," says Bird TLC veterinarian Dr. Karen Higgs. Loons can mistake sinkers for fish, or for the small pebbles they swallow to help digest their food. Just one sinker can kill a loon. Accidental ingestion of lead fishing tackle causes up to half of all adult loon deaths.

Although Bird TLC has treated several birds with lead poisoning, most victims don’t show symptoms until it is too late. The best way to keep lead out of birds is to keep it out of tackle boxes. Loons, Lines, and Lead, an Anchorage-based conservation initiative, recommends two simple steps anglers can take to help preserve Alaska’s ecosystems:

1. Switch to non-toxic tackle made from materials like steel, glass, tungsten, and tin.

2. Properly dispose of used monofilament so it will not entangle and harm wildlife.

Bird TLC is proud to partner with this effort. Learn more about loons, lead, and responsible fishing in this month’s issue of Senior Voice Alaska.

Pacific Loon at Nancy Lakes Recreation Area. Photo by Lisa Hupp_USFWS

Three Things To Know Before You “Rescue” A Baby Bird

Author: J.K. Ullrich, Bird TLC volunteer

Summertime turns some Alaskan birdwatchers into accidental kidnappers. “That baby bird hopping around outside must have fallen out of the nest. Maybe I should take it home…” Wait! Most “abandoned” baby birds are healthy fledglings, and human intervention can harm their development. It’s also illegal. Before attempting to “rescue” a baby bird, consider these three critical points.

1. Baby Birds Are Less Helpless Than You Think

While not all baby birds make it, nature’s support systems give them a fighting chance. Biologists classify species into two categories based on their development at birth: precocial and altricial. 

Precocial birds are equipped for survival right from the egg. They hatch with their eyes open, already covered in down. Within a few hours, they can follow their parents and forage. Ducks, shorebirds, and ground-nesting birds are usually precocial.

Altricial birds start life as scrawny pink creatures, nest-bound and dependent. But their devoted parents provide everything they need. The investment pays off in larger brain size. Highly intelligent birds like corvids and parrots, as well as raptors and songbirds, raise altricial young. 

Recognizing baby birds’ growth stages can help determine whether they need human help:

• Hatchlings (0-3 days old) have their eyes shut, and wisps of down on their wrinkly bodies.

• Nestlings (3-13 days old) have opened their eyes, but their wing feathers are still in protective sheaths.

• Fledglings (13-14 days or older) are fully feathered and ready to leave the nest, although they may not be confident flyers yet. They flutter around exploring while their parents keep watch nearby.

Many chicks mistaken for orphans are actually normal fledglings. Taking them from the wild is kidnapping, and runs afoul (or more literally, a-FOWL) of federal law. 

Nestling Black-capped Chickadees brought to Bird TLC’s clinic the summer of 2023.

2. Birdnapping is Illegal and Harmful

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act bans anyone except licensed wildlife rehabilitators from keeping wild birds. This discourages poaching and preserves the birds’ instincts, since raising chicks by hand “removes the opportunity for them to learn from their own species,” says Maggie McConkey, a Rehabilitation and Education Specialist at Bird TLC.

Inexperienced caretakers can inadvertently make birds ill. Without appropriate food, chicks suffer malnutrition and metabolic bone disease. Even birds that appear healthy may be at risk when released. McConkey recalls one case where a young thrush raised by a non-expert collided with an object on its first flight, breaking so many bones that it had to be euthanized.

If a baby bird does need care, it must come from trained rehabilitators. Bird TLC has received an average of 277 young birds annually over the past five years. Uninjured orphans comprise almost 20% of total patient intakes. Dedicated volunteers raise many of these foundlings. “Although we do a great job raising these babies to the best of our capability, we’re not a bird,” says McConkey. Humans should only intervene during genuine emergencies.

Maggie McConkey feeds a young Common Raven.

3. Give Nature A Chance

No matter how adorably that fledgling robin gapes at you, only its parents can teach it how to be a bird. “It’s important to remember to give nature a chance—give parents a chance to raise their young,” says McConkey. Here are some things you can do to help wild baby birds survive:

• Monitor cats and dogs outdoors to prevent them hunting chicks.

• Avoid trimming trees during nesting season.

• Don’t disturb nesting areas.

• Support preservation of wild environments.

When you observe a chick that might be in trouble, this flowchart can help you identify how to handle the situation. If you’re unsure, call Bird TLC!

Meet The BirdTLC Team: Katie Thorman, Rehabilitation Program Coordinator

Author: J.K. Ullrich, Bird TLC volunteer

BirdTLC couldn’t support its patients and ambassador birds without a dedicated crew of humans. Get to know one of them in this Q&A session with our Rehabilitation Program Coordinator, Katie Thorman. She’ll discuss her surprising journey into bird rehabilitation, her favorite patients, and the rescue of one very sticky raven!

How did you get into wild bird rehabilitation?

I started my career in a totally opposite direction, thinking I wanted to work in the hospitality industry. I lasted about three months at a luxury hotel and I hated it and I wanted to do something else entirely. I had always loved being outdoors and wildlife, but the idea of a science degree sounded overwhelming—I was terrified of the chemistry and calculus, and hadn’t been a great student in high school. I finally decided to just go for it. I quit my job and started a degree in biology.

From there, I started looking at how I could get involved in more hands-on wildlife experience. I found the Savannah Wildlife Rescue (SWR) and applied to volunteer. After my first shift, I was hooked! SWR was a seasonal wildlife rescue that mainly dealt in rehabbing orphaned baby wildlife. I spent many hours helping care for raccoons, possums, squirrels, white-tailed deer, and river otters. I spent two and half years with SWR, thinking “this is something I can see myself doing forever.” 

Midway through the third year, in July 2020, my husband and I found out we were moving to Alaska. While I was researching wildlife rehabilitation opportunities in Alaska, my search led me to Bird TLC. I had always loved birds of prey and it was an area I didn’t have experience in, so I thought I would give it a try. My first shift at Bird TLC was in August 2021, and once again, I became hooked! I volunteered in the rehabilitation clinic, which eventually led to a job offer in June 2022. Working somewhere like Bird TLC was (and still is!) my dream job. I now work full-time as the rehabilitation program coordinator as well as with the education team, helping care for our wonderful collection of ambassador birds.

Are there unique challenges and rewards in working with birds, as opposed to other animals?

There are so many different types of birds! The diversity among species can sometimes be challenging, especially if you have never had a certain type of bird in a rehabilitation setting before. That being said, this is something I also love about wild bird rehabilitation: there is always something new to learn.

Katie assists Dr. Karen Higgs with the examination of a Great Horned Owl.

There is a special kind of magic around being able to help a bird regain their flight. Because we see birds of all species in our day-to-day lives, it’s easy to become desensitized to just how uniquely adapted they are to fly. To help restore that and see the bird you spent your time caring for take flight at the finish line is so rewarding.

Katie releases a rehabilitated juvenile Bald Eagle.

Tell me about one of your most memorable cases.

My very first day as part of the staff, I got a call about a raven stuck to the top of a restaurant’s roof. After going on top of the roof, I found a huge grease pit that this raven had likely flown into. The grease acted as an adhesive, and the raven likely became covered after struggling to get out. I brought him back to the clinic and, after many baths and de-grease treatments, he was released without damage to his feathers. 

Is there a species you like to work with the most or the least?

Each species is unique and interesting! If I had to pick, I really enjoy my time with bald eagles and northern saw-whet owls. Bald eagles are the raptor we see the most, and I have gained a lot of experience in caring and handling these birds. With that experience has come an appreciation and love for the species.

Saw-whet owls are my other favorite because how can you not love a tiny owl? They are tiny, but mighty! Owls will clack their beaks when they feel threatened and want you to stay away from them. When you have to handle a saw-whet owl for medical treatments, their beak clacks sound like a small and adorable typewriter. While they are doing their best to be fierce and tough, they often come off looking very silly and cute. These behaviors have only endeared them to me more. 

Katie dons an owl mask to feed an orphaned Northern Saw-whet Owl.

What can people do to help wild birds thrive?

There are lots of things!

• Keep your cat indoors

• Dimming lights and outfitting windows with visual patterns to prevent window strikes can be helpful for our songbirds, especially during migration.

• Throw away trash and fishing lines to prevent entanglements

• If you are a hunter, switch to lead free ammunition, avoid the use of lead sinkers when fishing, and bury entrails when field-dressing a carcass. 

• Plant native plants in your garden 

• If you have chickens, make their living area predator proof. We’ve had raptors get tangled up in netting—I suggest wire mesh instead. 

• Stay informed about what is going on in your community! It’s a great way to get involved in conserving important wildlife habitats in your area.

My Feathered Valentine: How Three Alaskan Bird Species Woo Their Mates

Author: J.K. Ullrich, Bird TLC volunteer

If you lavish someone special with candy, bouquets, or shiny objects this Valentine’s Day, you’re courting like a bird. Bird species around the world woo their intended with treats, present prospective mates with flower petals, and even bring their partners pebbles to help build a nest (more like giving your true love a brick than jewelry). Alaska’s chilly climate doesn’t cool this avian ardor. Our native lovebirds win their valentines in some extraordinary ways.

The Dancers: Sandhill Cranes

Photo courtesy of Paul Arneson

Springtime turns Alaskan marshes into ballrooms for cranes who perform a famous pas de deux. The male and female exchange bows, then perform a sequence of moves. Leaps. Struts. Bobs. Aerial pirouettes with long legs dangling. The cranes might toss tufts of grass into the air, frolicking with their six-foot wingspan extended. Although dancing is often associated with courtship, it can occur year-round: once a pair starts a dance, the entire flock may join in!  

Dance moves aren’t the only measure of a partner’s appeal. While humans may fret about baldness, sandhill cranes find it an attractive trait. Their distinctive red caps aren’t feathers, but a patch of bare skin that recedes as they age. A bigger bald spot indicates the bird has survived multiple migrations, telegraphing experience and good health to potential mates.

The Troubadours: Great Horned Owls

Photo courtesy of J. Hunter Photography

Not all Alaskan birds need to strut and sway: music alone is enough to get them in the mood. A basso croon late at night might not be Barry White, but a Great Horned Owl. Nesting earlier than any other North American owl species, their courtship begins in autumn, often with a duet. According to Audubon, “the female usually hoots first, and the male replies at a lower pitch.” Females are about a third bigger in body size, but males have larger voice boxes. Listen carefully to distinguish their parts in the song.

Great Horned Owls usually pick their mates by December and begin nest-hunting in January. Notoriously unfussy  homeowners, they have been observed nesting in tree cavities, abandoned buildings, and old eagle nests. When the owlets have fledged and winter comes again, the same ballads ring through the frosty woods. Even though most Great Horned Owl pairs mate for life, they engage in courtship behavior each year to reinforce their bond and establish their territory. 

The Showoffs: Grouses

Several species of grouse call Alaska home, and these gaudy Galliformes attract mates with elaborate performances. Sharp-tailed Grouse gather at open display areas called leks. Up to 20 males may occupy this love arena at once, competing in the avian equivalent of speed dating. They spread their wings, rattle their tails, and and execute fancy footwork. Violet throat sacs inflate to coo and gobble at their female audience, showing off their best features.

The Ruffed Grouse prefers a solo act. With a stump or log as his stage, he fans his wings to compress the air, making a ‘thump’ sound. He accelerates until the noise becomes a drumroll that carries up to a quarter mile. Ornithologist Arthur Cleveland Bent described this sound as "the throbbing heart of awakening spring.” It’s a loud advertisement to females in the neighborhood, and also warns other males away from his territory, which can extend to ten acres.

Show birds some love with a wildlife-friendlier Valentine’s Day:

• People exchange an estimated 180 million cards on Valentine’s Day, and most end up in landfills. Recycle cards—even better, choose cards with recycled paper—to preserve trees for birds.

• February is too cold to grow roses in most of North America, so many iconic red roses come from South America in refrigerated trucks that use 25% more fuel than regular trucks. Rather than accelerate the greenhouse gas emissions that threaten bird habitats, consider giving a houseplant or potted herb.

• Cacao cultivation often involves deforestation and pesticides that harm wildlife. Avoid chocolate with rainforest-destroying palm oil, and use reputable resources like the Chocolate Scorecard to choose sustainable candy products.