spring birding

March in Alaska

March marks the slow transition toward spring as daylight surpasses 12 hours and the first waterfowl begin returning to coastal Alaska. Resident raptors like Gyrfalcon may still be seen hunting ptarmigan on windswept ridges. Early migrants trickle in along the southern coast.

First returning waterfowl along the southern coast

Gyrfalcon hunting ptarmigan on open tundra

Steller's Jay and American Crow active in Southeast

Daylight rapidly increasing toward equinox

Trip planning notes

Southeast Alaska thaws first—Juneau and Ketchikan are good early spring destinations.
Check coastal harbors and river mouths for the first returning ducks and gulls.
Be prepared for rapidly changing weather; layers and waterproof gear are essential.

Regional reality check

Conditions vary enormously across Alaska. Southeast Alaska, Anchorage, the Interior, Nome, the Aleutians, and the Arctic coast can have very different weather, access, migration timing, and daylight in the same month. Treat statewide averages as orientation, not a local forecast.

Key species in the dataset

GyrfalconSteller's EiderMallardSteller's JayCommon GoldeneyeAmerican Goshawk