A CHECKLIST (1993) - ANCHORAGE AUDUBON SOCIETY, INC.

Download the Birds of Anchorage checklist in PDF format.

As of October 1993, 229 species, representing 40 families, have been recorded in the Municipality of Anchorage, excluding unsubstantiated reports or species of suspect origin. This checklist summarizes the general seasonal status for each of these species. Of the total recorded in Anchorage, 150 species occur annually as either regular migrants or breeders (112).

Phylogenetic sequence and English names follow the A.O.U. Check-list of North American Birds (Sixth ed., 1983, and supplements); and the Checklist of Alaska Birds (D.D. Gibson, University of Alaska Museum, January 1993).

Download the Birds of Alaska checklist from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game "Wings over Alaska" program that encourages people to enjoy and learn more about Alaska's birds.

The area covered by this checklist extends from the Knik River in the north, south to Portage, and the Chugach Mountains on the east, west to Turnagain Arm-Knik Arm (Eastern Upper Cook Inlet). This area covers about 800 square miles. The avian habitats represented in this area can be divided into three general groups; coastal zone, birch/spruce forest, and alpine. The coastal zone includes the saline waters of the Eastern Upper Cook Inlet, tidal mudflats, and brackish-water wetlands. This zone is used by staging or passage migrant, principally waterfowl, shorebirds, and gulls. The birch/spruce forest zone occupies the upland between the coast and the Chugach Mountains, present mostly around the north of the metropolitan area. This zone is mainly used by breeding water birds and passerines, including most of the resident species. The majority of the subject land area comprises subalpine and alpine of the Chugach Mountains. Except for the ptarmigan and ravens, few species are resident of this zone. Rather, this area is utilized during migration (raptors) or for breeding by such species as Golden Eagle, Surfbird, American Pipit, Northern Wheatear, American Tree Sparrow, and Rosy Finch.

LEGEND

C - common : occurs in nearly all proper habits, but some suitable areas only sparsely or not at all, and /or the region regularly hosts large numbers of the species.

U - uncommon : occurs fairly regularly uses little of the suitable habitat, and /or the region regularly hosts relatively small numbers of the species.

R - rare : species within or near its normal range, but may not occur annually; usually in very small numbers.

CA - casual : species beyond its normal range; few records, typically less than about 10, but irregular sightings are likely; usually in very small numbers.

AC - accidental : species well beyond its normal range and further sightings unlikely; only one or two records.

Status in parentheses (ca) or (ac) indicates records are for species known to have lingered from the previous season

* breeder
+ variable numbers
† Anchorage and Eagle River Christmas Bird Count records(s)

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  SPECIES                      SP  S   F   W
  ___________________________________________________
__Red-throated Loon*           R   R   R
__Pacific Loon*                U   U   U
__Common Loon*                 U   U   U
  ___________________________________________________
__Pied-billed Grebe            AC (ac)
__Horned Grebe*                C   C   C
__Red-necked Grebe*            C   C   C
  ___________________________________________________
__Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel             CA
__Leach's Storm-Petrel                 AC
  ___________________________________________________
__Double-crested Cormorant         CA  CA
__Pelagic Cormorant                    AC
__Red-faced Cormorant                      AC
  ___________________________________________________
__Great Blue-Heron             CA      CA (ca)†
  ___________________________________________________
__Tundra Swan                  C       U
__Trumpeter Swan*              U   CA  U
__Greater White-fronted Goose  U   CA  R
__Snow Goose                   U   AC  CA
__Brant                        CA  CA  AC
__Canada Goose*                C   C   C  (ca)†
__Green-winged Teal*           C   C   C  (ca)†
__Mallard*                     C   C   C   C†
__Northern Pintail*            C   C   C   CA†
__Blue-winged Teal             R   R   R
__Cinnamon Teal                CA
__Northern Shoveler*           C   C   C
__Gadwall*                     U   R   R   CA†
__Eurasian Wigeon              R   AC
__American Wigeon*             C   C   C  (ca)†
__Canvasback*                  U   U   U
__Redhead                      U   CA  R  (ac)†
__Ring-necked Duck*            U   U   U  (ca)†
__Tufted Duck                  AC
__Greater Scaup*               C   C   C  (ca)†
__Lesser Scaup*                U   U   U  (ca)†
__Common Eider                         CA
__Steller's Eider              CA      CA
__Harlequin Duck*              R   R   R   CA†
__Long-tailed Duck*            R   CA  R
__Black Scoter                 CA  R   R
__Surf Scoter                  R   R   R
__White-winged Scoter          CA  R   U
__Common Goldeneye*            C   U   C   U†
__Barrow's Goldeneye*          U   U   U   U†
__Bufflehead                   U       U   CA†
__Hooded Merganser             AC      CA
__Common Merganser*            U   R   U   U†
__Red-breasted Merganser       R       CA (ac)†
  ___________________________________________________
__Osprey                       R   CA  R
__Bald Eagle*                  U   R   U   R†
__Northern Harrier*            C   U   U
__Sharp-shinned Hawk*          U   U   U   CA†
__Northern Goshawk*            U   U   U   U†
__Swainson's Hawk              AC      AC  AC
__Red-tailed Hawk*             U   R   U
__Rough-legged hawk            U       R   CA
__Golden Eagle*                U   U   U   CA†
  ___________________________________________________
__American Kestrel*            R   CA  R
__Merlin*                      U   R   U   R†
__Peregrine Falcon             R   AC  R   CA†
__Gyrfalcon*                   CA  CA  CA  R†
  ___________________________________________________
__Spruce Grouse*               C   C   C   C†
__Willow Ptarmigan*+           C   C   C   C†
__Rock Ptarmigan*+             R   R   R   R†
__White-tailed Ptarmigan*+     U   U   U   U†
  ___________________________________________________
__Sora                             AC
__American Coot                CA  CA  CA
  ___________________________________________________
__Sandhill Crane*              C   R   U
  ___________________________________________________
__Black-bellied Plover         R   CA  R
__American Golden-Plover       U       U
__Pacific Golden-Plover        R?      U
__Semipalmated Plover*         C   C   C
__Killdeer*                    R   R   R
  ___________________________________________________
__Black Oystercatcher              AC
  ___________________________________________________
__Greater Yellowlegs*          C   C   C
__Lesser Yellowlegs*           C   C   C
__Solitary Sandpiper*          U   U   U
__Wandering Tattler*           U   R   R
__Spotted Sandpiper*           C   C   C
__Terek Sandpiper                  CA  CA
__Upland Sandpiper                     CA
__Whimbrel                     U   R   R
__Bristle-thighed Curlew       AC
__Hudsonian Godwit*            U   U   U
__Bar-tailed Godwit            CA  CA  CA
__Marbled Godwit               CA
__Ruddy Turnstone              R   AC
__Black Turnstone              CA  U   U
__Surfbird*                    U   R   R
__Red Knot                         AC  AC
__Sanderling                   R       CA
__Semipalmated Sandpiper       U   U   U
__Western Sandpiper            C   C   U
__Rufous-necked Stint              AC
__Least Sandpiper*             C   C   U
__Baird's Sandpiper            R   R   CA
__Pectoral Sandpiper           U   CA  U
__Sharp-tailed Sandpiper               CA
__Rock Sandpiper               CA      AC
__Dunlin                       R   CA
__Stilt Sandpiper              AC      AC
__Ruff                                 AC
__Short-billed Dowitcher*      C   C   C
__Long-billed Dowitcher        U   R   U
__Wilson's Snipe*              C   C   C
__Wilson's Phalarope(*?)       CA  CA     (ca)†
__Red-necked Phalarope*        C   C   U
__Red Phalarope                    AC
  ___________________________________________________
__Parasitic Jaeger             CA  CA  CA
__Long-tailed Jaeger           CA      AC
__Franklin's Gull              AC
__Common Black-headed Gull         CA  CA
__Bonaparte's Gull*            C   C   U
__Mew Gull*                    C   C   C   CA†
__Ring-billed Gull             CA      AC
__California Gull              CA  CA  CA
__Herring Gull*                C   U   U   CA†
__Iceland Gull (inc Thayer's)  R   AC  U   CA
__Slaty-backed Gull            CA      CA
__Glaucous-winged Gull*        C   C   C   CA†
  (mostly hybird w/Herring)
__Glaucous Gull                R   CA  U   CA†
__Black-legged Kittwake        CA  CA  CA  AC†
__Sabine's Gull                        AC
__Ivory Gull                   AC
__Caspian Tern                     CA
__Arctic Tern*                 C   C   U
  ___________________________________________________
__Common Murre                 AC  AC  AC  CA†
  ___________________________________________________
__Rock Dove*                   C   C   C   C†
__Mourning Dove                AC  AC  CA
  ___________________________________________________
__Great Horned Owl*            U   U   U   U†
__Snowy Owl                    AC      CA  CA†
__Northern Hawk Owl*+          R   R   R   R†
__Great Gray Owl               CA  CA  CA  CA†
__Short-eared Owl*             U   CA  R
__Boreal Owl*                  U   U   U   U†
__Northern Saw-whet Owl*       U   U   U   U
  ___________________________________________________
__Anna's Hummingbird                   CA (ac)
__Costa's Hummingbird              AC (ac)
__Rufous Hummingbird*          U   U   R
  ___________________________________________________
__Belted Kingfisher*           U   U   U   R†
  ___________________________________________________
__Downy Woodpecker*            U   U   U   U†
__Hairy Woodpecker*            U   U   U   U†
__Three-toed Woodpecker*       R   R   R   R†
__Black-backed Woodpecker      CA  CA  CA  CA†
__Northern Flicker*            U   U   R   CA†
  ___________________________________________________
__Olive-sided Flycatcher*      U   U   R
__Western Wood-Pewee*          U   U   U
__Alder Flycatcher*            CA  C   U
__Willow Flycatcher                AC
__Least Flycatcher                 AC
__Hammond's Flycatcher         AC
__Say's Phoebe*                CA  CA  CA
__Eastern Kingbird                     AC
  ___________________________________________________
__Horned Lark*                 U   U   U
  ___________________________________________________
__Purple Martin                AC
__Tree Swallow*                C   C   U
__Violet-green Swallow*        C   C   U
__Bank Swallow*                U   C   U
__Cliff Swallow*               U   U   U
__Barn Swallow*                R   CA  AC
  ___________________________________________________
__Gray Jay*                    U   U   U   U†
__Steller's Jay*               U   R   U   U†
__Black-billed Magpie*         C   C   C   C†
__Northwestern Crow            CA  AC  CA  AC
__Common Raven*                C   C   C   C†
  ___________________________________________________
__Black-capped Chickadee*      C   C   C   C†
__Boreal Chickadee*            C   C   C   C†
__Chestnut-backed Chickadee   (ac)(ac)(ac) CA
  ___________________________________________________
__Red-breasted Nuthatch*+      U   U   U   U†
  ___________________________________________________
__Brown Creeper*               U   U   U   U†
  ___________________________________________________
__Winter Wren                          CA
  ___________________________________________________
__American Dipper*             U   U   U   U†
  ___________________________________________________
__Arctic Warbler                   AC
__Golden-crowned Kinglet*      U   U   U   R†
__Ruby-crowned Kinglet*        C   C   C   CA†
__Northern Wheatear*           CA  R   R
__Townsend's Solitaire*        CA  R   R   CA†
__Gray-cheeked Thrush*         U   R   R
__Swainson's Thrush*           C   C   C
__Hermit Thrush*               C   C   C
__American Robin*              C   C   C   R†
__Varied Thrush*               C   C   C   CA†
  ___________________________________________________
__Northern Mockingbird        (ac) AC  AC (ac)†
  ___________________________________________________
__Siberian Accentor            AC      AC
  ___________________________________________________
__Yellow Wagtail                       AC
__White Wagtail                        AC
__American Pipit*              C   C   C
  ___________________________________________________
__Boheman Waxwing*             U   R   C   U†
__Cedar Waxwing                        AC
  ___________________________________________________
__Brown Shrike                         AC
__Northern Shrike*             U   U   U   U†
  ___________________________________________________
__European Starling*           CA  CA  R   R†
  ___________________________________________________
__Warbling Vireo               AC  CA
__Red-eyed Vireo                   AC
  ___________________________________________________
__Orange-crowned Warbler*      C   C   C
__Yellow Warbler*              U   U   U
__Magnolia Warbler                 AC
__Yellow-rumped Warbler*       C   C   C  (ac)†
__Townsend's Warbler*          U   U   R
__Blackpoll Warbler*           U   U   U
__Northern Waterthrush*        U   U   R
__Common Yellowthroat              AC
__Wilson's Warbler*            C   C   C
__Indigo Bunting                       AC
__American Tree Sparrow*       U   R   U   CA†
__Chipping Sparrow             AC  AC  CA (ac)†
__Savannah Sparrow*            C   C   C
__Fox Sparrow*                 C   C   C   CA†
__Song Sparrow*                U   U   R
__Lincoln's Sparrow*           C   C   U   CA†
__Swamp Sparrow                    AC
__Golden-crowned Sparrow*      C   C   C   CA†
__White-crowned Sparrow*       C   C   C   R†
__Dark-eyed Junco*             C   C   C   R†
__Lapland Longspur             C       C
__Snow Bunting*                C   U   U   CA†
__Red-winged Blackbird*        R   R   R  (ac)†
__(Western) Meadowlark                 AC
__Yellow-headed Blackbird          AC
__Rusty Blackbird*             C   C   C   R†
__Brown-headed Cowbird             CA  CA
__Brambling                    CA      CA (ca)†
__Rosy Finch*                  R   R   R   CA†
__Pine Grosbeak*+              U   U   U   U†
__Red Crossbill                AC      CA
__White-winged Crossbill*+     U   U   U   U†
__Common Redpoll*+             C   C   C   C†
__Hoary Redpoll                CA          R† 
__Pine Siskin*+                U   U   U   U†
__Eurasian Bullfinch                   AC  AC
__Evening Grosbeak             AC

Species recorded elsewhere in UCI, but not within the area addressed by this checklist (Municipality of Anchorage) include; Western Grebe (Wasilla, 1 Nov 1983), Western Tanager (Hope, 28 may 1993), and Harris Sparrow (Hope, Nov 1984-mar 1985).