Kodiak Bird Species Guide | Alaska Bird Tours

Loons

Common Loon

Gavia immer

A large, striking diving bird with a haunting tremolo call that echoes across Kodiak's bays. Breeding adults display glossy black heads, red eyes, and bold black-and-white checkered backs.

Loons

Pacific Loon

Gavia pacifica

A medium-sized loon with a sleek dove-gray head and a striking purple throat patch in breeding plumage. Often seen in large flocks offshore during migration along Kodiak's coast.

Loons

Red-throated Loon

Gavia stellata

The smallest loon, recognized by its slim upturned bill and distinctive brick-red throat patch during breeding season. A regular visitor to Kodiak coastal waters.

Loons

Yellow-billed Loon

Gavia adamsii

The largest loon, distinguished by its massive pale yellow bill that angles upward. An uncommon but sought-after winter visitor to Kodiak's protected bays.

Grebes

Red-necked Grebe

Podiceps grisegena

A large grebe with a distinctive rusty-red neck and whitish cheeks in breeding plumage. An excellent diver found in Kodiak's harbors and sheltered bays.

Grebes

Horned Grebe

Podiceps auritus

A compact grebe named for its striking golden-orange 'horns' in breeding plumage. Commonly seen in Kodiak's harbors and nearshore waters during winter.

Grebes

Western Grebe

Aechmophorus occidentalis

The largest North American grebe, with a long snakelike neck, bright red eye, and striking black-and-white plumage. An uncommon visitor to Kodiak coastal waters.

Grebes

Eared Grebe

Podiceps nigricollis

A small grebe with a black neck, golden ear tufts, and fiery red eyes during breeding season. An uncommon but occasional visitor to Kodiak harbors.

Seabirds

Tufted Puffin

Fratercula cirrhata

An unmistakable seabird with a large orange-red bill, white face, and drooping golden head tufts in breeding plumage. One of Kodiak's most iconic birds, nesting in large colonies on offshore islands.

Seabirds

A chunky seabird with a large, flattened orange-and-yellow bill and a distinctive black fleshy 'horn' above each eye in breeding season. Nests alongside Tufted Puffins on Kodiak's rocky offshore islands.

Seabirds

Common Murre

Uria aalge

A sleek, torpedo-shaped seabird with a pointed bill and black-and-white plumage. One of the most numerous seabirds in the North Pacific, nesting in dense colonies on Kodiak's offshore rocks and cliffs.

Seabirds

Thick-billed Murre

Uria lomvia

Similar to the Common Murre but stouter, with a thicker bill marked by a pale gape line. Often seen alongside Common Murres on Kodiak's offshore waters.

Seabirds

Pigeon Guillemot

Cepphus columba

A compact, coal-black seabird with bold white wing patches and bright red feet. A year-round resident on Kodiak, often seen swimming in harbors and diving near shore.

Seabirds

Marbled Murrelet

Brachyramphus marmoratus

A small, cryptically plumaged seabird that is one of the rarest in North America due to its unusual nesting habit. In summer it sports brown-and-white marbled plumage; in winter, clean black and white.

Seabirds

Rhinoceros Auklet

Cerorhinca monocerata

A medium-sized, drab-brownish auk with distinctive white facial plumes and a stubby horn at the base of its orange bill during the breeding season. Seen offshore around Kodiak.

Seabirds

Ancient Murrelet

Synthliboramphus antiquus

A small, compact alcid with a distinctive silver-gray back, black head, and wispy white 'ancient' plumes around the face. Kodiak is within the core of this species' range.

Waterfowl

Harlequin Duck

Histrionicus histrionicus

One of Alaska's most spectacularly patterned ducks: males wear slate-blue plumage adorned with white crescents, spots, and chestnut flanks. A year-round resident along Kodiak's rocky coastlines.

Waterfowl

Surf Scoter

Melanitta perspicillata

A stocky sea duck with an oddly shaped, multicolored bill. Males are all black with white patches on the forehead and nape. Common in Kodiak's coastal bays and harbors during winter.

Waterfowl

White-winged Scoter

Melanitta deglandi

The largest North American scoter, identified by a white wing patch visible in flight and at rest. Males are black with a white teardrop eye patch. A common winter visitor to Kodiak's bays.

Waterfowl

Long-tailed Duck

Clangula hyemalis

A small sea duck with complex plumage that changes dramatically through the seasons. Males in winter sport long, elegant central tail feathers and bold black-and-white markings. Common on Kodiak's offshore waters.

Waterfowl

Common Eider

Somateria mollissima

The largest duck in the Northern Hemisphere. Males have striking white-and-black plumage with a distinctive sloping bill profile. Breeds on Kodiak and winters along the coast.

Waterfowl

Canada Goose

Branta canadensis

The familiar large goose with a black head and neck, white cheek patch, and brown body. A common resident and migrant on Kodiak's wetlands, meadows, and shorelines.

Waterfowl

Mallard

Anas platyrhynchos

The most familiar duck in the world. Males sport brilliant iridescent green heads, yellow bills, and chestnut-brown chests. Mallards are common year-round residents on Kodiak's fresh and brackish waters.

Waterfowl

Green-winged Teal

Anas crecca

The smallest North American dabbling duck. Males have a rich chestnut head with a broad green eye patch, and both sexes show a bright green wing speculum in flight.

Raptors

Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

The symbol of the United States and one of Alaska's most iconic birds. Adults have a brilliant white head and tail contrasting with a dark brown body. Kodiak has one of the highest densities of Bald Eagles in the world.

Raptors

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

The fastest animal on Earth, capable of reaching speeds over 240 mph in a hunting stoop. Adults have blue-gray upperparts, a dark helmet, and cream-colored underparts barred with black. Breeds on Kodiak's sea cliffs.

Raptors

Rough-legged Hawk

Buteo lagopus

A large hawk of the Arctic tundra, with two distinct color morphs (light and dark). Named for its feathered legs. Winters on open tundra and grasslands near Kodiak.

Raptors

Red-tailed Hawk

Buteo jamaicensis

North America's most widespread hawk, recognized by its rusty-red tail in adults. Seen year-round in Kodiak's open forests and meadows, where it soars on thermals.

Raptors

Merlin

Falco columbarius

A small, fierce falcon with rapid wingbeats and bold streaking on its underparts. Males are blue-gray above; females and immatures are brown. Passes through Kodiak during migration.

Raptors

Northern Harrier

Circus hudsonius

A slender, long-winged hawk that glides low over fields and marshes with wings held in a distinctive V shape. Males are gray; females and immatures are brown with a white rump patch.

Raptors

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Accipiter striatus

The smallest hawk in North America, a nimble forest hunter with short rounded wings and a long tail. Migrates through Kodiak in spring and fall, often appearing unexpectedly in backyards.

Shorebirds

Black Oystercatcher

Haematopus bachmani

A large, unmistakable shorebird with all-black plumage, a long bright orange-red bill, and yellow eyes. A year-round resident on Kodiak's rocky shores, rarely moving far from the intertidal zone.

Shorebirds

Dunlin

Calidris alpina

A small, hunch-backed sandpiper with a drooped bill tip. Breeds on coastal tundra; enormous flocks pass through Kodiak in fall, sweeping over mudflats in tight aerial formations.

Shorebirds

Western Sandpiper

Calidris mauri

One of the most numerous shorebirds in the world, staging in vast flocks along Alaska's coast during migration. A small sandpiper with a drooped bill tip and rufous wash in breeding plumage.

Shorebirds

Wandering Tattler

Tringa incana

A medium-sized gray shorebird with a bobbing 'teetering' walk and a loud wailing call. A characteristic bird of Kodiak's wave-washed rocky beaches and kelp-draped reefs.

Shorebirds

Black Turnstone

Arenaria melanocephala

A stout, dark shorebird that flips over stones and kelp to find invertebrates. Breeding adults have a bold black-and-white pattern; in winter they are uniformly dark above.

Shorebirds

Surfbird

Calidris virgata

A medium-sized, stocky shorebird of rocky wave-washed coastlines, with a short yellow-based bill and a distinctive white rump and tail with a dark terminal band. Closely associated with the surf zone.

Shorebirds

Rock Sandpiper

Calidris ptilocnemis

A robust sandpiper that is the western Alaska equivalent of the Purple Sandpiper. In winter plumage it appears dull gray, blending into rocky shores. An uncommon winter resident on Kodiak.

Shorebirds

Least Sandpiper

Calidris minutilla

The world's smallest shorebird, easily identified by its yellowish legs (unique among small sandpipers) and hunched posture. Passes through Kodiak in large numbers during both spring and fall migration.

Songbirds

Steller's Jay

Cyanocitta stelleri

The only crested jay in western North America, with a jet-black head and brilliant cobalt-blue body. A bold, noisy year-round resident in Kodiak's Sitka spruce forests.

Songbirds

Common Raven

Corvus corax

The largest passerine bird in the world, with all-black plumage, a massive bill, and a wedge-shaped tail in flight. Ravens are highly intelligent, curious, and an iconic presence throughout Kodiak Island.

Songbirds

American Crow

Corvus brachyrhynchos

A medium-sized all-black corvid of coastal Alaska. Birds formerly treated as Northwestern Crow are now included within American Crow.

Songbirds

Black-billed Magpie

Pica hudsonia

A large, flashy corvid with iridescent black-and-white plumage and an extremely long tail. Bold and curious, magpies are a visible year-round resident in open areas near Kodiak town.

Songbirds

Pacific Wren

Troglodytes pacificus

One of Alaska's tiniest birds, a dark brown, stubby-tailed wren with a disproportionately powerful song. A secretive but common resident in Kodiak's dense Sitka spruce understory.

Songbirds

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Poecile rufescens

The westernmost chickadee in North America, with a rich chestnut back and flanks, black cap, and white cheeks. A lively, acrobatic forager in Kodiak's coastal spruce forests.

Gulls & Terns

Glaucous-winged Gull

Larus glaucescens

The most common large gull in Alaska, with pale gray wings tipped in white and pink legs. A year-round resident of Kodiak's harbors, beaches, and fishing docks.

Gulls & Terns

Herring Gull

Larus argentatus

A large, classic gull with pink-gray wings, a red spot on the lower mandible, and yellow eyes. Present in Kodiak's harbors throughout the year, often mixing with Glaucous-winged Gulls.

Gulls & Terns

Short-billed Gull

Larus brachyrhynchus

A medium-sized gull with a small bill, yellow legs, and dark eyes. This North American species was formerly included within Mew Gull.

Gulls & Terns

Bonaparte's Gull

Chroicocephalus philadelphia

A small, tern-like gull with a black head in breeding plumage, pink-red legs, and buoyant flight. Named not for Napoleon but for his ornithologist nephew Charles Lucien Bonaparte.

Gulls & Terns

Arctic Tern

Sterna paradisaea

The world's greatest long-distance migrant, making an epic annual journey from the Arctic to Antarctic and back—up to 70,000 miles per year. Nests in colonies on Kodiak's coastal flats.

Gulls & Terns

Black-legged Kittiwake

Rissa tridactyla

A graceful, pelagic gull with clean white plumage, pale gray wings tipped in solid black ('dipped in ink'), and a distinctive nasal kitti-waake call. Nests in cliff colonies on Kodiak's rocky sea stacks.

Cormorants

Pelagic Cormorant

Urile pelagicus

The smallest and most slender North American cormorant, with iridescent green-purple plumage and tiny red facial skin. A common year-round resident nesting on Kodiak's sea cliffs.

Cormorants

Double-crested Cormorant

Nannopterum auritum

The most widespread cormorant in North America, with black plumage, an orange-yellow throat pouch, and briefly visible twin white or black crests in breeding season. Common in Kodiak's harbors.

Cormorants

Red-faced Cormorant

Urile urile

A large cormorant of the Bering Sea region, with brilliant red facial skin and a vivid blue throat pouch in breeding season. Kodiak is at the edge of this species' range.

Owls

Great Horned Owl

Bubo virginianus

The most powerful owl in North America, with large ear tufts, fierce yellow eyes, and a booming territorial hoot. A year-round resident in Kodiak's mixed forests, active year-round even in deep winter.

Owls

Short-eared Owl

Asio flammeus

A medium-sized owl that hunts in daylight, coursing low over open tundra on buoyant, floppy wingbeats. Mottled brown plumage and tiny ear tufts visible at close range. Nests on Kodiak's coastal meadows.

Owls

Barred Owl

Strix varia

A large, round-headed, earless owl with horizontal brown-and-white barring on the breast and vertical streaks below. An expanding invasive species that has recently reached Kodiak's forests.

Owls

Northern Saw-whet Owl

Aegolius acadicus

A tiny, round-headed owl with a large flat facial disc and no ear tufts. Its repetitive tooting call is a signature sound of Kodiak's spruce forests at night. Surprisingly common but rarely seen.

Woodpeckers

Downy Woodpecker

Dryobates pubescens

The smallest woodpecker in North America, with a compact body, white back stripe, and—in males—a small red patch on the head. A common visitor to backyard feeders and forest edges near Kodiak town.

Woodpeckers

Hairy Woodpecker

Dryobates villosus

A medium-sized woodpecker nearly identical to the Downy but much larger, with a long chisel-like bill. A year-round resident in Kodiak's mature Sitka spruce and mixed forests.

Woodpeckers

Northern Flicker

Colaptes auratus

A large, distinctive woodpecker often seen foraging on the ground for ants. In Alaska, the Red-shafted form shows salmon-red underwing linings and a red malar stripe on males.

Woodpeckers

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Sphyrapicus ruber

A striking woodpecker with a brilliant red head and breast and a bold black-and-white body. Creates neat rows of small holes (sap wells) in tree bark. A regular summer resident in Kodiak's alders and willows.

Sparrows & Finches

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Zonotrichia atricapilla

A large, handsome sparrow with a bright yellow crown bordered in black. One of the most distinctive sparrows of the Pacific coast, common on Kodiak during migration.

Sparrows & Finches

Fox Sparrow

Passerella iliaca

A large, robust sparrow with rich rufous-brown streaking and a distinctive double scratch feeding motion in leaf litter. The Sooty subspecies common in coastal Alaska is particularly dark.

Sparrows & Finches

Song Sparrow

Melospiza melodia

One of the most widespread and variable sparrows in North America. The heavy-streaked Aleutian subspecies found in Kodiak is large and dark. Sings persistently from shrubby cover.

Sparrows & Finches

Dark-eyed Junco

Junco hyemalis

A small, clean-looking sparrow with a dark hood contrasting with a white belly and white outer tail feathers that flash in flight. An abundant year-round resident around Kodiak.

Sparrows & Finches

Pine Siskin

Spinus pinus

A small, streaky, brown finch with flash patches of yellow in the wings and tail. Often found in large, nomadic flocks moving through Kodiak's coniferous forests in search of seeds.

Thrushes

American Robin

Turdus migratorius

One of North America's most familiar birds, with a warm orange-red breast and cheerful caroling song. An abundant summer resident on Kodiak, arriving in early spring and leaving in fall.

Thrushes

Varied Thrush

Ixoreus naevius

One of Alaska's most beautiful birds, with deep blue-gray upperparts, a burnt-orange breast, and a bold orange eyebrow. Its eerie, buzzy single-note song echoes through Kodiak's misty spruce forests.

Thrushes

Hermit Thrush

Catharus guttatus

A medium-sized, spotted thrush with a distinctive habit of slowly raising and then lowering its rufous tail. Considered by many to have the most beautiful song of any North American bird.

Thrushes

Swainson's Thrush

Catharus ustulatus

A buffy-faced, olive-brown thrush with a distinctive ascending, spiraling song. One of the most numerous thrushes migrating through Alaska, including Kodiak, each spring and fall.

Warblers

Yellow Warbler

Setophaga petechia

One of Alaska's brightest and most widespread warblers—a jewel of vivid yellow with rusty breast streaks on males. One of the earliest warblers to arrive in Kodiak each spring.

Warblers

Orange-crowned Warbler

Leiothlypis celata

One of Alaska's dullest warblers—olive-green overall with faint streaking and a hidden orange crown patch rarely visible in the field. Despite its appearance, it's a hardy early spring migrant.

Warblers

Wilson's Warbler

Cardellina pusilla

A tiny, bright yellow warbler with an olive back and—in males—a distinct black cap. One of the most abundant warblers in Alaska, passing through Kodiak in large numbers during migration.

Warblers

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Setophaga coronata

The most abundant and widespread warbler in North America, recognized by its distinctive yellow rump, yellow side patches, and yellow crown. The Myrtle form common in Alaska has a white throat.

Warblers

Townsend's Warbler

Setophaga townsendi

A strikingly beautiful warbler with bold black-and-yellow face pattern and olive-green back. A regular migrant through Kodiak, sometimes wintering in small numbers in spruce forests.

Swallows

Tree Swallow

Tachycineta bicolor

A sleek, iridescent blue-green swallow with clean white underparts. One of the first swallows to arrive in spring and one of the most common aerial insectivores over Kodiak's wetlands and coastal meadows.

Swallows

Violet-green Swallow

Tachycineta thalassina

A beautiful swallow with emerald-green upperparts, purple rump, and pure white underparts that wrap up around the eye. Nests in tree cavities and cliff crevices throughout coastal Alaska including Kodiak.

Swallows

Bank Swallow

Riparia riparia

The smallest North American swallow, brown above with a distinctive brown breast band. Nests in colonies by excavating burrows in sandy banks and bluffs—a common sight along Kodiak's coastal cliffs.

Swallows

Cliff Swallow

Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

A colonial swallow with a square tail, pale forehead, rusty throat, and buff rump. Builds distinctive mud-pellet gourd-shaped nests under eaves and cliff overhangs throughout Kodiak.

Kodiak bird species