Alaska News

  • 2023 Update to the Checklist of Alaska Birds

    In January 2024, an update to the Checklist of Alaska Birds was released by the Alaska Checklist Committee. The Checklist provides a list of bird species that are officially recognized as having naturally occurred in Alaska and includes 545 species in 67 families and 21 orders.

  • Alaska Shorebird Group 2023 Annual Summary now available

    The 2023 Annual Summary of the Alaska Shorebird Group is now available. This document summarizes all shorebird work conducted throughout the state in 2023.

  • New Data and Tools for eBird Status and Trends

    eBird Status and Trends products are updated annually with millions of new observations submitted by eBirders to provide the most up-to-date information on the status and trends of bird populations. This year, the team released new tools, added regional trends summaries, and made Trends data available for download.

  • 2022 Update to the Checklist of Alaska Birds

    In January 2023, an update to the Checklist of Alaska Birds was released by the Alaska Checklist Committee. The Checklist provides a list of bird species that are officially recognized as having naturally occurred in Alaska and includes 541 species in 67 families and 21 orders.

  • Exotic Species Updates to Life Lists, Targets, Top 100, and More

    Exotic species categories and icons now appear on eBird Life Lists, Targets, and the eBird Mobile app, and Escapee birds are counted separately in outputs. These updates align your personal lists with eBird's improved Exotic species policies and make it easier than ever to report and track the establishment of human-introduced species.

  • Bank Swallow Colonies in Alaska - report your observations

    Bank Swallow populations in North America have declined steeply (89%) since 1970, with even greater losses in Canada (98%).  Recently, a group of biologists from Alaska and Canada are trying to understand drivers of decline during both breeding and non-breeding seasons to inform conservation efforts.  This includes documenting occupancy of colony sites and determining migratory […]

  • Global Big Day 2022 - Alaska

    The Global big day is tomorrow! On Saturday, May 14th, birders in Alaska will participate in this 24-hour event to celebrate birds and represent the Alaskan birding community.  By taking part in the Global Big Day, you’re also celebrating World Migratory Bird Day.

  • Cook Inlet Gull (Herring x Glaucous-winged Gull hybrid) Identification in Alaska

    Even for experienced birders, gull identification can be tricky – and, to make matters worse, they hybridize! Gull hybrids are fertile and may breed with each other or either parent species, so individuals in a hybrid swarm can span the full spectrum from one parent species to the other.

  • 2022 Copper River Delta Shorebird Festival

    Registration is OPEN for the 32nd Annual Copper River Delta Shorebird Festival in Cordova, Alaska! This hybrid event will take place both virtually and in person May 5th–8th, 2022.

  • 2022 Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival

    Registration is OPEN for the 30th Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival in 2022! This annual event put on by The Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges and the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge will take place May 4th-8th, 2022 in Homer, AK.