PROJECT MANAGERS AND EDITORS
Anne Sutton; Riley WoodfordAlaska Department of Fish and Game
ILLUSTRATIONS
George C. West (www.birchsidestudios.com)
DESIGN AND LAYOUT
Annie Kincheloe (A Sign of Design)
PHOTOS
Cover: John Hyde (Harlequin Duck)Back cover: Jim Williams (Common Loon; Common Murre; Common Mergansers) Bob Armstrong (White-winged Scoter; Bonaparte’s Gull)Karla Hart (Chilkat Mountains)
Thanks to Deb Rudis, Bob Armstrong and ADF&G staff Kristen Romanoff and Ken Marsh for their editorial assistance.
This project was developed for the Wildlife Viewing Program of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game with funding from the National Scenic Byways Program.
©2015 Alaska Department of Fish and GameAll rights reserved.
www.wildlifeviewing.alaska.gov
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You’re out on the water—the boat’s tossing, sun’s glinting off the waves—and that silhouette bobbing in the distance could be just about any kind of bird. But train a pair of binoculars on it and an array of field marks and unique behaviors come into view. Identifying marine birds can be challenging, but the tips in this guide can help by pointing out those tell-tale features.
Our illustrations include the birds most com-monly seen (or seasonally abundant) on inside waters. Key features are highlighted and chara-cteristic behaviors noted. There are always exceptions but, in most cases, general truisms should help identify the bird. For example, oystercatchers are usually seen on the beach, murrelets are frequently in pairs, scoters are normally found in big flocks known as rafts. First identify the kind of bird—is it a loon or a merganser—then you can narrow it down to the exact species.
Size and weight are useful for relative comparison. The familiar mallard weighs about two pounds
What’sthat bird?
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and is about 23 inches long. That’s about the same size as a merganser, and noticeably bigger than a bufflehead or a harlequin duck. Marbled murrelets are the smallest of the common resident seabirds. Cormorants and loons are the largest (disregarding gulls, which are pretty distinct relative to other seabirds). The familiar glaucous-winged gull is noticeably larger than a kittiwake or mew gull, and the relatively small size of a Bonaparte’s gull is a good clue.
Generally, sea ducks are more common dur-ing spring migration and winter, as many nest farther north or inland in summer. A big flock of ducks in winter may include a mix of species, ages and sexes. That’s a good chance to compare species and pick out the more distinctive males.
This guide identifies all birds by their common name and gives the bird’s sex where plumages vary. With some birds, like loons, murres, murrelets and gulls, the sexes are similar and plumages vary by season. With others, like the oystercatcher, the sexes are similar and plumage stays consistent year-round. All birds shown, with the exception of one gull, are adults. Illustrations are not to scale and colors may look different in the field based on light, location and the artist’s interpretation.
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Harlequin Duck
Threewhitepatchesonhead;darkbrownish-grayoverall
Bold,variedcolors
Harlequin Duck
•Swiftflightwithabruptturns
•Oftenseenbobbingnearshoreoronrocksatwaterline
•Colorfulmalemayappearsoliddarkfromadistance
•Squeakycalls
L 17in
W 1.5lb
FEMALE
MALE
Identifying
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Bufflehead
Buff
lehe
ad
Distinctivewhitecheekpatch;darkgray-brownbody
FEMALE
Large,roundhead;largewhitepatchonbackofhead;bodylargelywhiteexceptfordarkglossybackandhead
MALE
•Low,swiftflight
•Fliesstraightupfromawatertake-off
•Usuallyinsmallflocks
L 13.5in
W 13oz
Identifying
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Long-tailed Duck
•Swift,lowflightwithchangingformations
•Usuallyinsmallgroups
•Veryvocal;incessantcalloftensoundslikeow-owoolee
Breeding:darkbrownoverall;palepatchonhead;whiteflanks;stubbybill
MALE
ShorttailFEMALE
Non-breeding:whiteoncrown,back,andunderneath;darkcheeks
MALE
Long-tailed Duck
Identifying
L 16.5in
W 1.6lb
SPRING
WINTER
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Red-breasted Merganser
Red-
brea
sted
Mer
gans
er
Shaggycrest;thinbill;deepredeyecolor;reddish-brownchest
MALE
Orange-brownhead
•Frequentssaltwaterbaysandinlets
•Oneofthefastestflyingducks
Identifying
L 23in
W 2.3lb
FEMALE
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Comm
on Merganser
•Flocksmoveinsinglefilelowoverwater
•Foundinsaltwaterbaysandinletsbutpreferfreshwater
Identifying
L 25in
W 3.4lb
Shortcrest;roundedhead;distinctcolorchangeatbaseofneck
FEMALE
Mostlywhitebody;blackback;smooth,darkhead
MALE
Common Merganser
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Common Goldeneye
Com
mon
Gol
dene
ye
L 18.5in
W 1.9lb
Identifying
Round-shapedpatch
MALE
Darkunderwing;whistlingwings
MALE
•Barrow’sandcommongoldeneyesflyhighandstrong
•Wingsofbothspeciesmakedistinctivewhistlingsoundinflight
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Barrow’s Goldeneye Barrow
’s Goldeneye
Crescent-shapedpatch
MALE
L 18in
W 2.1lb
Identifying•Notedifferenceinblackand
whitewingmarksbetweencommonandBarrow’s
•CommonandBarrow’sfemalesverysimilar,butcommonhasadarkbillwithyellowtip
FEMALE
Mostlyyellowbill
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Surf Scoter
Surf
Sco
ter
Multicoloredbill;slopingbillprofile;whitepatchesonheadandnape
MALE
L 20in
W 2.1lb
Identifying•Scoterstravelinloose
flocks,ofteninirregular,wavylinesclosetowaves
•Gatheronwaterinsmalltolargeflocksofthousands,oftenamixofscoters
FEMALE
Palespotsonhead;darkerbrownupperparts
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White-wingedScoter W
hite-winged Scoter
Darkbrownwithlightgrayspotsonhead
Whitepatchesonwing;whitecrescentbeloweye;red-orangebilltip
L 21in
W 3.7lb
Identifying•White-wingedhas
noticeablefeatheringonbill
•Surfandwhite-wingedoftenflocktogether
MALE
FEMALE
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Common Murre
Com
mon
Mur
re
L 17.5in
W 2.2lb
Identifying•Solitaryorinsmallgroups
•Penguin-likewhenperched
•Winterplumagesimilarexceptneckismostlywhitewithdarklinebehindeye
•Sexeshavesimilarplumage
SUMMER
Breeding:long,pointedbill;dark,sootybrownupperparts,whitebelow;whitetrimonwing
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SUMMER
PigeonGuillemot Pigeon Guillem
ot
L 13.5in
W 1.1lb
Identifying•Seldomfarfromland
•High,squeakywhistlesaroundnest
•Sexeshavesimilarplumage
•Winterplumagewhitewithblackmottlingonupperpartsandcrown
Breeding:brightredfeetandmouthlining;whitewingpatches
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Non-breeding:darkgray-brownupperparts;darkcapandcheek;whitecollarandpatchesonupperwing
SUMMER
Breeding:brownoverall;heavilymottledonunderparts
MarbledMurrelet
Mar
bled
Mur
rele
t
L 9.75in
W 8oz
Identifying•Ofteninpairs
•Flieslowwithfastbeatsoflong,pointedwings
•Oftendiveswhenapproached
•Sexeshavesimilarplumage
WINTER
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Red-necked Phalarope
Red-necked Phalarope
L 7.75in
W 1.2oz
Identifying•Oftengathersinflocks
onthewaterduringmigrationandwinter
•Spinswhenfeeding,creatingasmallwhirlpool
•Sexeshavesimilarplumage,butfemaleisbrighter
Redneck;whitethroatpatch
SUMMER
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PacificLoon
Paci
fic
Loon
Breeding:palegrayhead;whitestripesonblackneck;iridescentthroatpatch;slendergraybill
SUMMER
L 25in
W 3.7lb
Identifying•Loonsareusuallysolitary
butmayformsmallloosegroups
•Long-bodied
•Lowtothewater
•Pacificlooncallscharacterizedbyhigh,yodelingsounds
Non-breeding:darkgrayupperparts;chinstrap
WINTER
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CommonLoon
Comm
on Loon
L 32in
W 9lb
Identifying•Notedifferences
inheadandneckbetweencommonandPacificloons
•Commonloonhasdistinctivelow,wailingcall
Breeding:glossyblackhead;stoutblackbill;checkeredback
SUMMER
Non-breeding:grayorbrownupperparts;whiteunderparts,chinandforeneck
WINTER
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BlackOystercatcher
Blac
k O
yste
rcat
cher
L 17.5in
W 1.4lb
Identifying•Crow-sizedshorebird
commonlyseennearwaterlineonrockyislands
•Voiceisaloudpiercingwhistle
•Juvenilebillispink
•Sexeshavesimilarplumage
Long,brightorange-redbill;yelloweyes;pinklegs
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PelagicCormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
L 28in
W 3.9lb
Identifying•Usuallysolitary
•Directflightwithquick,choppywingbeatsandneckstretchedstraight
•Oftenseenperchedonrocks
•Diveswithadistinctivelunginghop(mergansersmayalsodothis)
Breeding:blackwithiridescentsheen;long,slenderneck;billhookedattip;whitepatchonflanks
SUMMER
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Mew Gull
Mew
Gul
l
L 16in
W 15oz
Identifying•Graceful,buoyantflight
•Neckhasbrownwashinwinterplumage
•Sexeshavesimilarplumage(sameforallgullspecies)
Breeding:darkgraymantle;shortyellowbill
SUMMER
Whitespotsonblackwingtips
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Glaucous-winged Gull
Glaucous-w
inged Gull
L 26in
W 2.2lb
Identifying •MostcommongullinSoutheastAlaska
•Robust;chunky
•Broad-winged
•Oftennestswithothergullsproducinghybrids,makingIDdifficult
JUVENILE
ADULT
Heavyblackbill;browntogray-browncoloring
Breeding:palegraymantle;whiteheadandneck;darkergraywingtips;yellowbillwithreddotnearlowertip;pinklegs
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Breeding:palegraymantle;blackwingtips;yellowbill;blacklegs
Black-legged Kittiwake
Blac
k-le
gged
Kit
tiw
ake
L 17in
W 14oz
Identifying•Smallergullwithrelatively
longwings
•Oftenforagesbyhoveringandplungediving
•Wintersonopenocean
•Juvenileslargelybrownandgraywithblackbill
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Bonaparte’s Gull
Bonaparte’s Gull
L 13.5in
W 7oz
Identifying•Smallestofcommongulls
•Maygatherinflocksbythehundredswhenfoodisabundant
•Distinctivebuzzy,almostduck-likecall
SUMMER
Thinblackbill;red-orangelegs;whiteouterprimaries;darkwingtips
Non-breeding:mostlywhiteheadwithdarkearspot
Breeding:blackhood
WINTER
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A Checklist for Common Birds of the Inside WatersThis is not meant to be an exhaustive check-list for Southeast Alaska; that list would contain more than 300 birds! Instead we’ve included birds commonly seen in and around the inside waters and noted the seasons in which they are most abundant. Some birds not listed here may be very common, but only in particular areas. For example, tufted and even horned puffins or Kittlitz’s murrelets are frequently seen in Glacier Bay, while in outside waters like Cross Sound and Dixon Entrance, common pelagic (or ocean-going) birds include shearwaters, fulmars, storm petrels and albatross. As for the seasons, spring and fall refer to migration periods, which can vary by species. The number of species appears most sparse in summer because many birds will fly to Interior, Arctic or Western Alaska breeding grounds to nest.
Red-throatedLoonPacificLoonCommonLoonHornedGrebeRed-neckedGrebePelagicCormorantTundraSwanGreaterWhite-frontedGoose
SPECIES SPRING SUMMER FALL WINTER
• •• • •• • • •• • •• •• • • •• •• •
Snow GooseCanada GooseGreen-winged TealMallardNorthern PintailNorthern ShovelerAmerican WigeonGreater ScaupLesser ScaupHarlequin DuckLong-tailed DuckSurf ScoterWhite-winged ScoterCommon GoldeneyeBarrow’s GoldeneyeBuffleheadCommon MerganserRed-breasted MerganserBald EagleRed-necked PhalaropeBonaparte’s GullMew GullHerring GullThayer’s GullGlaucous-winged GullBlack-legged KittiwakeArctic TernCommon MurrePigeon GuillemotMarbled MurreletBelted Kingfisher
SPECIES SPRING SUMMER FALL WINTER
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
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