Birds seen along Dalton Highway
with NatureAlaska Tours, 1981 to 2005,
29 families and 148 species.
The occurrence of resident birds found along the Dalton Highway reflects the diversity of ecology and physiography - habitats. Kessel (1979) describes 28 avian habitats in Alaska. Wetzel, et al(1992) in a broader delineation for birders, describes 14 habitats along the Dalton Highway. As is the nature of birding, new or unexpected birds may be seen, yet more common, regular species missed. Some species are erratic or eruptive in abundance: Snowy Owl at Prudhoe Bay may be scattered across the tundra during years of abundant lemmings, but the next year totally absent.
Standard birding notations that assign an index of abundance are not useful for birding. Abundance in the context of diverse avian habitats is relative from place to place. The number of birds found within a defined habitat may vary substantially depending on the regional ecology and biogeography where found. Smith's Longspurs eg, nest in extremely low densities in medium shrub thickets in a few locations along the Denali Highway. But they thrive in abundance in same habitat on the north side of the Brooks Range, the heart of their North American breeding grounds.
Phylogenetic sequence and English names according to Checklist of Birds of Alaska, Gibson(1999), University of Alaska Museum.
Printable lists are available in the Downloads section of this website.
Loons (Gaviidae) Red-throated Loon - Pacific Loon - Common Loon - Yellow-billed Loon
Grebes (Podicipedidae) Horned Grebe - Red-necked Grebe
Swans, Geese, Ducks (Anatidae) Greater White-fronted Goose - Snow Goose - Canada Goose - Brant - Trumpeter Swan - Tundra Swan - Gadwall - American Wigeon - Mallard - Blue-winged Teal - Northern Shoveler - Northern Pintail - Green-winged Teal - Canvasback - Redhead - Greater Scaup - Lesser Scaup - Spectacled Eider - King Eider - Common Eider - Harlequin Duck - Surf Scoter - White-winged Scoter - Long-tailed Duck - Bufflehead - Common Goldeneye - Barrow's Goldeneye - Common Merganser - Red-breasted Merganser
Hawks, Eagles (Accipitiridae) Bald Eagle - Northern Harrier
Northern Goshawk - Swainson's Hawk - Red-tailed Hawk - Rough- legged Hawk - Golden Eagle
Falcons (Falconidae) American Kestrel - Merlin - Gyrfalcon - Peregrine Falcon
Grouse, Ptarmigan (Phasianidae) Ruffed Grouse - Spruce Grouse - Willow Ptarmigan - Rock Ptarmigan
Cranes (Gruidae) Sandhill Crane
Plovers (Charadriidae) Black- bellied Plover - American Golden- Plover - Semipalmated Plover - Killdeer |
Sandpipers (Scolopacidae) Lesser Yellowlegs - Solitary Sandpiper - Wandering Tattler - Gray-tailed Tattler - Spotted Sandpiper - Upland Sandpiper - Whimbrel - Bar-tailed Godwit - Ruddy Turnstone - Semipalmated Sandpiper - Least Sandpiper - Baird's Sandpiper - Pectoral Sandpiper - Dunlin - Stilt Sandpiper - Buff-breasted Sandpiper - Long-billed Dowitcher - Wilson's Snipe - Red-necked Phalarope - Red Phalarope
Jaegers, Gulls, Terns (Laridae) Pomarine Jaeger - Parasitic Jaeger - Long-tailed Jaeger - Bonaparte's Gull - Mew Gull - Herring Gull - Glaucous Gull - Sabine's Gull - Ross's Gull - Arctic Tern
Owls (Strigidae) Great Horned Owl - Snowy Owl - Northern Hawk-Owl - Great Gray Owl - Short-eared Owl
Kingfishers (Alcedinidae) Belted Kingfisher
Woodpeckers (Picidae) Downy Woodpecker - Hairy Woodpecker - Three-toed Woodpecker - Northern Flicker
Flycatchers (Tyrannidae) Olive-sided Flycatcher - Alder Flycatcher - Hammond's Flycatcher - Say's Phoebe
Shrikes (Laniidae) Northern Shrike
Jays, Crows (Corvidae) Gray Jay - Black-billed Magpie - Common Raven |
Larks (Alaudidae)
Horned Lark
Swallows (Family Hirndinidae) Tree Swallow - Violet-green Swallow - Bank Swallow - Cliff Swallow
Chickadees (Paridae) Black- capped Chickadee - Boreal Chickadee
Kinglets (Regulidae) Ruby- crowned Kinglet
Old World Warblers (Sylviidae) Arctic Warbler
Thrushes (Turdidae) Bluethroat - Northern Wheatear - Mountain Bluebird - Townsend's Solitaire - Gray-cheeked Thrush - Swainson's Thrush - Hermit Thrush - American Robin - Varied Thrush
Pipits, Wagtails (Motacillidae) Yellow Wagtail - American Pipit
Waxwings (Bombycillidae) Bohemian Waxwing
Warblers (Parulidae) Orange- crowned Warbler - Yellow Warbler - Yellow-rumped Warbler - Townsend's Warbler - Blackpoll Warbler - Northern Waterthrush - Wilson's Warbler
American Sparrows (Emberizidae) American Tree Sparrow - Savannah Sparrow - Fox Sparrow - White-crowned Sparrow - Golden-crowned Sparrow - Dark-eyed Junco - Lapland Longspur - Smith's Longspur - Snow Bunting
Marsh Blackbirds(Icteridae) Red-winged Blackbird - Rusty Blackbird
Finches (Fringillidae) Gary- crowned Rosy-Finch - Pine Grosbeak - White-winged Crossbill - Common Redpoll - Hoary Redpoll - Pine Siskin |
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