Birding Alaska

Often when a species has an obvious and diagnostic field mark the tendency is to quickly identify the bird, ignore its other marks, and move on.  Identifying a Red-legged Kittiwake is easy if you see the field mark for which the bird is named, and if you travel to the Pribilof Islands during the breeding season you’ll have that opportunity.  However, on a flying bird or a bird seen at sea the red legs are difficult to see, so to pick out an out of range Red-legged Kittiwake you’ll need to focus on other identifying marks.  Once learned, these marks help to make the identification of a flying Red-legged Kittiwake straight forward even at a distance.

Red-legged Kittiwake and the similar and more widespread Black-legged Kittiwake are the only gulls in the genus Rissa. Both are small, cliff-nesting gulls that spend the non-breeding season primarily at sea.  Unlike the Black-legged Kittiwake which is circumpolar in distribution the Red-legged is endemic to the Bering Sea region, nesting at the Pribilof Islands and a few islands in the Aleutians, most notably Bogoslof and Buldir Island.  The species also breeds at the Commander Islands, in the waters of the Russian Bering Sea (Gibson and Byrd 2007).  Red-legged Kittiwake is rarely seen at sea away from its colonies and its winter distribution is poorly studied.  There are records of Red-legged Kittiwake for the Gulf of Alaska (Iseib and Kessel 1973) and even as far south as southern California (Cambell et al. 2008).

Red-legged Kittiwake Rissa brevirostris, St. Paul Island, Pribilofs, 5 July 2006.

Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa trydactyla, Eastern Bering Sea, 25 July 2009.

On the above pictures you can see that Red-legged Kittiwake is smaller, more compact, and slightly shorter legged than Black-legged.  On this bird note the short bill–for which it’s named brevirostris–and the large, round eye.  This imparts a gentle dove-like and “cute” expression that is lacking on the longer-billed Black-legged Kittiwake.

Red-legged Kittiwake (top) and Black-legged Kittiwake (bottom) in flight, Bering Sea, 4 October 2009.

These next two photos show the upperwing of both species in flight.  On the Red-legged Kittiwake the upperwing is uniformly slaty gray.  On the Black-legged Kittiwake the upperwing is light gray, especially on the outer wing, or “hand”, which is paler gray than the inner wing.  Even at a distance this two-toned appearance to the wing is evident.  Because of the paler wing on the Black-legged Kittiwake, the white trailing edge to the secondaries contrasts less with the upperwing coverts and there is no striking trailing edge to the primaries.  On the Red-legged Kittiwake upperwing note the strong contrast between the trailing edge and the upperwing coverts.  This contrast is evident on both the secondaries and the primaries.  Red-legged Kittiwake also appears more compact in flight with smoother wingbeats.  The small bill and large eye of the Red-legged Kittiwake are also evident in these flight shots.

Red-legged Kittiwake (top) and Black-legged Kittiwake (bottom) in flight, Bering Sea, 4 October 2009.

The underwing pattern of the two species differs as well.  On the Black-legged the underwing is gleaming white.  On the Red-legged the underwing is grayish on the innerwing and darker gray on the outerwing.  This makes for much less contrast between the primary tips and the rest of the primaries on the underwing of the Red-legged Kittiwake.

Red-legged Kittiwake, Bering Sea, 4 October 2009.

This shot shows all the features of the Red-legged Kittiwake: uniform slaty upperwing with contrasting white trailing edge; grayish underwing; the small billed, large-eyed, “cute” face; and the red legs (barely visible underwater). See Howell and Dunn (2007) for more information and photos of Red-legged and Black-legged Kittiwakes.

• Cambell, W. R., Sealy, S. G., Wahl, T. R., and Walker, R. P. 2008. Status of Red-legged Kittiwake (Rissa Brevirostris) in British Columbia with notes on its occurrence in Canada and the Continental United States. Wildlife Afield 5: 3-11.
• Gibson, D. D., and Byrd, G. V. 2007. Birds of the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Nuttall Ornithological Club and the American Ornithologists’ Union. Series in Ornithology 1.
• Howell, Steven N.G., and Dunn, J. 2007. Gulls of the Americas. Houghton Mifflin.
• Isleib, M. E., and Kessel, B. 1973. Birds of the North Gulf Coast-Prince William Sound region, Alaska. Biol. Papers Univ. Alaska 14.

Mottled Petrel Pterodroma inexpectata, southern Bering Sea, 9 October 2009.

This Mottled Petrel was one of five seen today from the NOAA Ship Miller Freeman about 100 miles north of Dutch Harbor.  This distinctive seabird is told from other similar pterodroma petrels by its unique gray belly.  It breeds on small islands off New Zealand and spends the non-breeding season–April to October–in the North Pacific and the deep waters of the southern Bering Sea.  It is the only regularly occurring pterodroma in Alaska.  There are two records of Cook’s Petrel Pterodroma cookii from Alaskan waters and it is considered accidental on the Alaska Checklist.

Peter Harrison’s Seabirds of the world: A photographic guide describes the flight of the Mottled Petrel as “wild and impetuous.”  Perfect.

Brambling Fringilla montifringilla, Bristol Bay, 7 October 2009.

After spending the morning watching primarily Northern Fulmars, Short-tailed Shearwaters and few Least Auklets, my attention was diverted by this Brambling which made a brief appearance just after lunch as it flew past my bridge window.  At the time we were heading southeast through western Bristol Bay and were approximately 73 miles south-southwest of Cape Newenham, the nearest point of land.  The Brambling flew in from the east or northeast, checked out the bow, and then made a few laps around the ship before heading off to the southeast not to be seen again.  I was able to snap off a few photos as it flew along side the ship.  The nearest point of land in the direction it was flying is the east end of Unimak Island, 162 miles away.

Looks like it might be shaping up to be a good fall for Brambling. There is also a report of a Brambling today (7 October 2009) from California.

Short-tailed Albatross Phoebastria albatrus, 64 miles southeast of St. Matthew Island, Bering Sea, 28 September 20o9.

Marbled Murrelet Brachyramphus marmotus, 117 miles north of St. Paul Island, Bering Sea, 28 September 2009.

Two rarities from the Bering Sea today: one big, one small.  Short-tailed Albatross is a nice find anywhere.  Marbled Murrelet is very rare this far north, nesting no closer than the Aleutian Islands and Alaska Peninsula.  There are several records from the Pribilof Islands, mostly from spring and early summer. In the northern Bering Sea Marbled Murrelet is considered casual at St. Lawrence Island (Lehman 2005).

• Lehman, P. E. 2005. Fall migration at Gambell, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska. Western Birds 36:2-55.

Short-tailed Shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris, Bering Sea, 25 September 2009.

Pretty slow birding from the NOAA Ship Miller Freeman today.  The ship’s mission during this cruise is to retrieve and replace oceanographic moorings in the Bering Sea and conduct physical oceanographic studies.  We left Dutch Harbor two days ago and we’ll be out until October 13th.  I’m riding along as a seabird observer and I spent some time today observing Short-tailed Shearwaters while the crew worked on a couple oceanographic moorings.  Here are a few photos to improve the previous post on shearwater ID from April. Coincidentally, these recent photos were taken in the exact spot as those I took in April.

I was in Unalaska (the name of the island and the city where the port of Dutch Harbor is located) for a few days early this week and had some time to get out birding with local birder Suzie Golodoff for a few hours each day.  The birding is always good on the island, but this trip had a few very welcome surprises!

The first two Emperor Geese Chen canagica of the fall return to Unalaska on 21 September 2009.

Emperors winter in the Unalaska/Dutch Harbor waterfront by the hundreds.  We found these two birds on the Dutch Harbor spit; they are the first reported for the season.

Brambling Fringilla montifringilla in the spruce trees on Strawberry Hill, Unalaska, 21-22 September 2009.

Strawberry Hill was the hotspot this week.  This Brambling, one of a flock of six, was our first surprise find in the introduced stand of Sitka spruce on the hill.  These trees act as magnets for any lost forest loving passerines that find their way to the island and have hosted many past rarities.

Townsend’s Warbler Dendroica townsendi, on Strawberry Hill, Unalaska, 22 September 2009.

This Townsend’s Warbler was probably the best bird the trees had to offer.  It’s only the third report of the species from the Aleutians.  The first was an immature male on Shemya on 3 October 1977 (Gibson and Byrd 2007). The second was a find that Suzie made last year: 2 birds in Unalaska on 20 October 2008.

Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata, on Strawberry Hill, Unalaska, 22 September 2009.

Still reeling from the Townsend’s Warbler, we found this Yellow-rumped Warbler about 50 feet farther down the road in the same stand of trees only a few minutes later!   It is the first record of Yellow-rumped Warbler for Unalaska.

The one that got away: while we were trying to pin down the Townsend’s Warbler for photos after the brief initial look a Red-throated Pipit flew over the hill, giving it’s distinctive “speee” flight call.  Unfortunately we were unable to relocated the pipit, another first for Unalaska.

Merlin Falco columbarius, Strawberry Hill, Unalaska, 22 September 2009.

This Merlin was on the hill both days and on both days we saw it carrying prey.  I wonder what rare birds this Merlin has eaten lately.

Thanks Suzie for two great days of birding!

• Gibson, D. D., and Byrd, G. V. 2007. Birds of the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Nuttall Ornithological Club and the American Ornithologists’ Union. Series in Ornithology 1.

I just returned from 12 days of birding in the village of Gambell on St. Lawrence Island with Wilderness Birding Adventures. Our fall tour was conducted from September 1st through the 7th, after which a few of us stayed on longer to see what else the island might produce.  As it turned out the bulk of the excitement occurred during our first three days on the island.  Without question the highlight of the trip was the discovery of both Pallas’s and Yellow-breasted Buntings on September 2nd.  There are about 5 previous North American records for each species, all from Alaska.  Late on September 5th the winds switched to north and remained there more or less for the rest of our stay making the birding a bit slow.  The first few days of rarities, however, more than made up for the slow ending to the trip.

Juvenile Pallas’s Bunting Emberiza pallasi, Far Boneyard, Gambell, 2 September 2009.  More photos here.

Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola, Far Boneyard, Gambell, 2 September 2009.  More photos here.

Fresh out of the bath, the bird appears a bit bedraggled.  In over seven hours of attempting to get good looks of these two skulking buntings, this was the only time that I saw the Yellow-breasted Bunting on the ground and completely in the open.  With a bit of diligence and fortitude everyone in the group eventually got great views of both buntings.

Black-headed Gull Croicocephalus ridibundus, Troutman Lake, Gambell, 5 September 2009.

Its larger and more robust build, thicker bill, darker legs, less extensive hood, and under-wing pattern separate adult Black-headed Gulls from the somewhat similar Bonaparte’s Gull.

Female-type Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus, Far Boneyard, Gambell, 1 September 2009.

Common Rosefinches have a strongly curved culmen and an unmarked face, giving them a blank-faced and beady-eyed look.  Of the three other North American Carpodacus finches female Common Rosefinch is most similar to female House finch (which also have a curved culmen and plain face) but can be separated by voice, range and possibly by the slightly blurrier breast streaking of the House Finch.  However, there is very little information in print (none?) on separating House Finch and Common Rosefinch, and no region where they have ever overlapped in range.  While House Finch is extremely unlikely at Gambell, it has strayed to southeast and south coastal Alaska and is listed as casual on the state checklist.

This individual had especially warm plumage with the rump appearing warmer brown than the rest of the upperparts and the flight feathers showed warm, slightly greenish tones.  The only other Carpodacus recorded from St. Lawrence Island is Purple Finch for which there are three records. Click here for discussion on the identification of the other Carpodacus finches.

Female Brambling Fringilla montifringilla, Far Boneyard, Gambell, 3 September 2009.

This female Brambling spent a few sunny hours catching flying insects in the far boneyard. It was found in the afternoon and not seen in subsequent days.

Juvenile Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis, Gambell, 4 September 2009.

Getting a bit late for most shorebirds at this latitude, this Red-necked Stint tied the late date record for the island.

“Asian” Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica rustica, Gambell, 4 September 2009.

Two races of “Asian” Barn Swallow occur as vagrants to Alaska–rustica and gutturalis. This individual probably represents rustica because of the complete and thick blue breast band.  The North American subspecies eurythrogaster, which has an incomplete breast band and a reddish belly, regularly breeds no closer to St. Lawrence Island than Cordova in Prince William Sound, Alaska.  This bird arrived at Gambell on the 3rd and was seen at widely scattered locations around town.  It was not seen perched until the evening of the 4th when it cooperated for about 30 minutes before disappearing.

Juvenile Gray-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes, Troutman Lake, Gambell, 3 September 2009.

Both species of Tattler are rare but regular fall migrants at Gambell.  The heavy spotting on the upperparts, especially the tertials and great coverts, and the pure white flanks identify this bird as a juvenile Gray-tailed Tattler. The wing coverts of Gray-tailed Tattler also show faint brownish-gray tones.  Juvenile Wandering Tattlers show more blueish-gray tones.  The distinctive two-note “too-weet” call is diagnostic for the species.  For more photos of juvenile Gray-tailed Tattlers and a side-by-side comparison with juvenile Wandering Tattler click here.

Juvenile Red Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius, Corner Marsh, Gambell, 7 September 2009.

Red Phalaropes are regular migrants past Gambell in the fall and we encountered several hundred each day we were there.  This bird is beginning to acquire its winter garb in the form of grayish scapular and mantle feathers.

Just a quick note from Gambell to post these photos of two great birds, present together!  They were here only yesterday in the far boneyard at Gambell!  When I get more time on-line (too much time birding to post much) I’ll post photos of Brambling, Common Rosefinch, and hopefully much more to come.

Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola Far Boneyard, Gambell, 2 September 2009.

Pallas’s Bunting Emberiza pallasi Far Boneyard, Gambell, 2 September 2009.

This bird is believed to be a juvenile because of the overall rufous tones especially on flight and tail feathers, and the streaking on the breast, crown and rump.  Comments from anyone familiar with Pallas’s Buntings would be most welcome!