Page 37 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Alaska

A POR TR AIT OF ALASK A  35

Freshwater birds Arctic terns, frequently
During the spring and summer observed swooping over
mating season, Alaska’s lakes and lakes throughout Alaska,
muskeg attract ducks, snow geese, migrate 25,000 miles
trumpeter and tun dra swans, blue (40,000 km) each year
between their Arctic
herons, loons, and several species breeding grounds and
of grebes. Sandhill cranes, which their wintering grounds in
perform an elaborate mating dance, Antarctica. Usually smaller
can be most easily seen in Creamer’s than gulls, they will attack
Field in Fairbanks (see p174). anything – even a human –
that approaches their chicks.
Horned puffins are excellent swimmers,
spending the winters offshore and nest ing
in rock clefts in the summer.
Red-legged kittiwakes,
found in the Pribilof Islands,
build cliff nests made of mud,
grass, and kelp.

The red-throated loon,
much rarer than the iconic
common loon, is one of
Alaska’s five loon species.
Their haunting calls are sig­
nature sounds of the North
American wilderness.

Trumpeter swans,
with wingspans of up
to 7 ft (2 m), are the
world’s largest waterbirds.
Surprisingly efficient flyers,
they migrate at altitudes
up to 10,000 ft (3,000 m)
at speeds of up to 60 mph
(100 kph). They are most
readily seen in their nesting
grounds on the Copper
River Delta (see p123).
Snowy owls are perhaps the most
spectacular summer birds on the
Arctic coast. Diving from the sky
with outstretched talons, these
birds can drive away even an
advancing caribou.

Raptors
Bald eagles, although established
Alaska is home to a variety of raptors, across the Lower 48, are found in
not the least of which is the US national their greatest numbers in Alaska.
bird, the magnificent bald eagle. Denali From October to December,
National Park (see pp166–9) and other thousands of eagles gather
parts of the Interior also have a healthy along the Chilkat River, but
population of golden eagles. Other they can also be readily
common raptors include merlins, spotted almost anywhere
red-tailed hawks, harriers, ospreys, in southern Alaska from
peregrines, and numerous species of owl. late spring to early fall.

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