Palmer Hay Flats Audubon Important Bird Area and State Game Refuge BIRD CHECKLIST John Schoen

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Palmer Hay Flats Audubon Important Bird Area and State Game Refuge BIRD CHECKLIST www.MiloBurcham.com John Schoen

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE PALMER HAY FLATS REFUGE AND NORTHERN PINTAIL IMPORTANT BIRD AREA ACCESS POINTS For more information on Alaska bird festivals ACCIDENTAL, CASUAL, UNSUBSTANTIATED KEY The Palmer Hay Flats encompass a rich estuary and birding maps for Anchorage, Fairbanks, n Casual: Occasionally seen, but not every year of about 45,000 acres. This mosaic of freshwater and Kodiak, contact Audubon Alaska at n Accidental: Only one or two ever seen here streams, silty glacial rivers, saltwater, lakes, ponds, www.AudubonAlaska.org or 907-276-7034. X Unsubstantiated: no photographic or sample evidence to support sighting marshes, bogs, mudflats exposed by forty-foot tides, and upland birch forests draws tens of thousands W Listed on the Audubon Alaska WatchList of declining or threatened species For more information on birding in Alaska, visit of ducks, geese, swans, shorebirds, and other birds www.birding.alaska.gov when they stop to refuel during migration to and from northern nesting grounds. Many species of birds

SPECIES SPRING SUMMER FALL WINTER also stay to nest and raise young here. Checklist Compiler Brant W Spring: March 16–May 31 Aaron Bowman, Audubon Alaska Blue-winged Teal Summer: June 1–July 31 About three-quarters of this area is protected within Cinnamon Teal Fall: August 1–November 30 the Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge. The Alaska Contributors Surf Scoter Winter: December 1–March 15 Department of Fish and Game manages the refuge, White-winged Scoter created in 1975, to protect wildlife habitat and allows Black Scoter compatible public uses. Palmer Hay Flats is one of Long-tailed Duck Southcentral Alaska’s most popular birding locations. Rock Ptarmigan The fall waterfowl hunting season is open from Sep- Sora tember through mid-December, so take note if you American Coot are birding then. Visit www.refuges.adfg.alaska.gov for more information on the refuge. Pacific Golden-Plover Upland Sandpiper The refuge is designated an Important Bird Area Reviewers Red Phalarope for the thousands of Canada Geese, Snow Geese, Common Murre Bob Winckler, Dan Crowson, and and Tundra Swans that rely on these wetlands during David Sonneborn Black-legged Kittiwake migration. Visit www.AudubonAlaska.org for more Mourning Dove information about Important Bird Areas. Audubon Snowy Owl Alaska uses science to identify and conserve impor- For a full list of data sources, visit Red-eyed Vireo tant habitat for birds across Alaska, emphasizing www.AudubonAlaska.org public lands and waters. Pacific Wren Printed on sustainably-sourced paper

Marsh Wren with 10% post-consumer recycled content www.MiloBurcham.com Brown-headed Cowbird Red Crossbill FRONT COVER: NORTHERN HAWK OWL REVISED 2017 CHECKLIST KEY HERONS JFMAMJJASOND PIGEONS JFMAMJJASOND NUTHATCHES, Great Blue Heron Rock Pigeon (Introduced) CREEPERS, DIPPERS JFMAMJJASOND n Very Common: Easily found in the right habitat and season Red-breasted Nuthatch N HAWKS AND EAGLES OWLS n Common: Found in the right habitat and season Brown Creeper N Osprey N Great Horned Owl N n Uncommon: Found, with persistence, every year in the right habitat and season American Dipper Golden Eagle Northern Hawk Owl n Rare: Seen in most years, but in small numbers KINGLETS Northern Harrier N Great Gray Owl N n Casual: Occasionally seen, but not every year Ruby-crowned Kinglet N Sharp-shinned Hawk Short-eared Owl N N Documented nesting Northern Goshawk Boreal Owl THRUSHES W Listed on the Audubon Alaska WatchList of declining or threatened species Bald Eagle N Northern Saw-whet Owl Townsend’s Solitaire Gray-cheeked Thrush Red-tailed Hawk* N HUMMINGBIRDS Swainson’s Thrush N Rough-legged Hawk Rufous Hummingbird WATERFOWL JFMAMJJASOND Hermit Thrush N CRANES Greater White-fronted Goose W* KINGFISHERS American Robin N Sandhill Crane N Snow Goose Belted KingfisherN Varied Thrush N W PLOVERS Cackling Goose WOODPECKERS STARLINGS Canada Goose N Black-bellied Plover Downy Woodpecker N European Starling American Golden-Plover W Trumpeter Swan N Hairy Woodpecker N PIPITS Semipalmated Plover N Tundra Swan American Three-toed Woodpecker N American Pipit Gadwall N Killdeer Black-backed Woodpecker WAXWINGS Eurasian Wigeon SANDPIPERS JFMAMJJASOND Northern Flicker Bohemian Waxwing American Wigeon N Spotted Sandpiper N FALCONS JFMAMJJASOND BUNTINGS Mallard N Solitary Sandpiper N W American Kestrel Lapland Longspur Northern Shoveler N Wandering Tattler W Merlin Snow Bunting Northern Pintail N Greater Yellowlegs Gyrfalcon Green-winged Teal N Lesser Yellowlegs N W Peregrine Falcon WARBLERS Northern Waterthrush N Canvasback N Whimbrel W FLYCATCHERS Redhead N Hudsonian Godwit W Orange-crowned Warbler N Olive-sided Flycatcher N W Ring-necked Duck N Ruddy Turnstone Yellow Warbler N Western Wood-Pewee N Greater Scaup N Sanderling Blackpoll Warbler N W Alder Flycatcher N Lesser Scaup Semipalmated Sandpiper Yellow-rumped Warbler N SHRIKES Harlequin Duck Western Sandpiper Townsend’s Warbler Northern Shrike N Wilson’s Warbler Bufflehead Least Sandpiper N Common Goldeneye Baird’s Sandpiper JAYS, CROWS, RAVENS SPARROWS JFMAMJJASOND Barrow’s Goldeneye Pectoral Sandpiper Gray Jay American Tree Sparrow Hooded Merganser Dunlin N Steller’s Jay Savannah Sparrow N Common Merganser Short-billed Dowitcher N W Black-billed Magpie N Fox Sparrow N Red-breasted Merganser Long-billed Dowitcher Common Raven N Song Sparrow Lincoln’s Sparrow N GROUSE JFMAMJJASOND Wilson’s Snipe N LARKS JFMAMJJASOND White-crowned Sparrow N Ruffed Grouse N Red-necked Phalarope N Horned Lark Golden-crowned Sparrow Spruce Grouse N GULLS, TERNS, SWALLOWS Dark-eyed Junco N Willow Ptarmigan JAEGERS JFMAMJJASOND Tree Swallow N Bonaparte’s Gull BLACKBIRDS LOONS AND GREBES Violet-green Swallow N Mew Gull N Red-winged Blackbird N Red-throated Loon N W Bank Swallow N Herring Gull N Rusty Blackbird N W Pacific LoonN Cliff Swallow N Glaucous-winged Gull N FINCHES Common Loon CHICKADEES Glaucous Gull Pine Grosbeak Horned Grebe N Black-capped Chickadee N Arctic Tern N White-winged Crossbill Red-necked Grebe N Boreal Chickadee N Parasitic Jaeger Common Redpoll N Long-tailed Jaeger Hoary Redpoll Pine Siskin *Tule subspecies is on the WatchList, other subspecies are not. *Most Red-tailed Hawks are Harlan’s subspecies in this range. CHECKLIST KEY HERONS JFMAMJJASOND PIGEONS JFMAMJJASOND NUTHATCHES, Great Blue Heron Rock Pigeon (Introduced) CREEPERS, DIPPERS JFMAMJJASOND n Very Common: Easily found in the right habitat and season Red-breasted Nuthatch N HAWKS AND EAGLES OWLS n Common: Found in the right habitat and season Brown Creeper N Osprey N Great Horned Owl N n Uncommon: Found, with persistence, every year in the right habitat and season American Dipper Golden Eagle Northern Hawk Owl n Rare: Seen in most years, but in small numbers KINGLETS Northern Harrier N Great Gray Owl N n Casual: Occasionally seen, but not every year Ruby-crowned Kinglet N Sharp-shinned Hawk Short-eared Owl N N Documented nesting Northern Goshawk Boreal Owl THRUSHES W Listed on the Audubon Alaska WatchList of declining or threatened species Bald Eagle N Northern Saw-whet Owl Townsend’s Solitaire Gray-cheeked Thrush Red-tailed Hawk* N HUMMINGBIRDS Swainson’s Thrush N Rough-legged Hawk Rufous Hummingbird WATERFOWL JFMAMJJASOND Hermit Thrush N CRANES Greater White-fronted Goose W* KINGFISHERS American Robin N Sandhill Crane N Snow Goose Belted KingfisherN Varied Thrush N W PLOVERS Cackling Goose WOODPECKERS STARLINGS Canada Goose N Black-bellied Plover Downy Woodpecker N European Starling American Golden-Plover W Trumpeter Swan N Hairy Woodpecker N PIPITS Semipalmated Plover N Tundra Swan American Three-toed Woodpecker N American Pipit Gadwall N Killdeer Black-backed Woodpecker WAXWINGS Eurasian Wigeon SANDPIPERS JFMAMJJASOND Northern Flicker Bohemian Waxwing American Wigeon N Spotted Sandpiper N FALCONS JFMAMJJASOND BUNTINGS Mallard N Solitary Sandpiper N W American Kestrel Lapland Longspur Northern Shoveler N Wandering Tattler W Merlin Snow Bunting Northern Pintail N Greater Yellowlegs Gyrfalcon Green-winged Teal N Lesser Yellowlegs N W Peregrine Falcon WARBLERS Northern Waterthrush N Canvasback N Whimbrel W FLYCATCHERS Redhead N Hudsonian Godwit W Orange-crowned Warbler N Olive-sided Flycatcher N W Ring-necked Duck N Ruddy Turnstone Yellow Warbler N Western Wood-Pewee N Greater Scaup N Sanderling Blackpoll Warbler N W Alder Flycatcher N Lesser Scaup Semipalmated Sandpiper Yellow-rumped Warbler N SHRIKES Harlequin Duck Western Sandpiper Townsend’s Warbler Northern Shrike N Wilson’s Warbler Bufflehead Least Sandpiper N Common Goldeneye Baird’s Sandpiper JAYS, CROWS, RAVENS SPARROWS JFMAMJJASOND Barrow’s Goldeneye Pectoral Sandpiper Gray Jay American Tree Sparrow Hooded Merganser Dunlin N Steller’s Jay Savannah Sparrow N Common Merganser Short-billed Dowitcher N W Black-billed Magpie N Fox Sparrow N Red-breasted Merganser Long-billed Dowitcher Common Raven N Song Sparrow Lincoln’s Sparrow N GROUSE JFMAMJJASOND Wilson’s Snipe N LARKS JFMAMJJASOND White-crowned Sparrow N Ruffed Grouse N Red-necked Phalarope N Horned Lark Golden-crowned Sparrow Spruce Grouse N GULLS, TERNS, SWALLOWS Dark-eyed Junco N Willow Ptarmigan JAEGERS JFMAMJJASOND Tree Swallow N Bonaparte’s Gull BLACKBIRDS LOONS AND GREBES Violet-green Swallow N Mew Gull N Red-winged Blackbird N Red-throated Loon N W Bank Swallow N Herring Gull N Rusty Blackbird N W Pacific LoonN Cliff Swallow N Glaucous-winged Gull N FINCHES Common Loon CHICKADEES Glaucous Gull Pine Grosbeak Horned Grebe N Black-capped Chickadee N Arctic Tern N White-winged Crossbill Red-necked Grebe N Boreal Chickadee N Parasitic Jaeger Common Redpoll N Long-tailed Jaeger Hoary Redpoll Pine Siskin *Tule subspecies is on the WatchList, other subspecies are not. *Most Red-tailed Hawks are Harlan’s subspecies in this range. Palmer Hay Flats Audubon Important Bird Area and State Game Refuge BIRD CHECKLIST www.MiloBurcham.com John Schoen

Marsh Wren with 10% post-consumer recycled content www.MiloBurcham.com Brown-headed Cowbird Red Crossbill FRONT COVER: NORTHERN HAWK OWL REVISED 2017 Palmer Hay Flats Audubon Important Bird Area and State Game Refuge BIRD CHECKLIST www.MiloBurcham.com John Schoen

Marsh Wren with 10% post-consumer recycled content www.MiloBurcham.com Brown-headed Cowbird Red Crossbill FRONT COVER: NORTHERN HAWK OWL REVISED 2017