KENAI PENINSULA WILDLIFE VIEWING CHART

WHAT’S HAPPENING

in the wildlife world?

Shorebirds such as rock sandpipers forage in winter flocks along rocky beaches.

Waterfowl such as goldeneyes, scoters, loons, mergansers and grebes winter in nearshore marine waters and open freshwater.

Swans winter in estuaries and open waters such as the upper Kenai River.

Pine siskins, crossbills, pine grosbeaks, redpolls and other seed-eating birds travel in flocks, feeding on spruce and alder cones.

Flocks of snow buntings feed along grassy dunes, estuaries, and shorelines.

Owls establish territories, and can be heard calling at night.

Ducks, geese, and swans migrate; some remain on the Peninsula through the summer to nest.

Enormous flocks of shorebirds migrate through, stopping at estuaries; some remain on the Peninsula through the summer to nest.

Sandhill cranes migrate through the Kenai Peninsula, stopping at estuaries, tundra areas, and wetlands. Some remain to nest.

Courting spruce grouse display in early mornings and late evenings in mixed spruce/hardwood forests.

Songbirds such as warblers and thrushes, plus swallows and hummingbirds, are in migration.

Pelagic birds such as shearwaters can be seen offshore, migrating in large flocks.

Resident waterfowl such as loons, grebes, mergansers, ducks, swans, and geese nest and raise young.

Seabirds such as gulls, terns, cormorants, puffins, murres, and guillemots gather at breeding colonies, nest, and raise young.

Alpine birds such as pipits, larks, redpolls, longspurs, and ptarmigan nest and raise young.

Raptors such as harriers, sharp-shinned hawks and falcons migrate. They can be seen in passes and estuaries.

Resident songbirds sing, nest, and raise young.

Songbirds form mixed flocks to migrate south.

Herring spawn (lay their eggs) on seaweed, drawing birds, fish and others to a spring feast.

Eulachon (hooligan), small oily fish, swim upriver to spawn.

Salmon smolts migrate from fresh water systems to the sea, attracting a variety of predators.

Chinook salmon return to spawn in larger rivers.

Sockeye salmon return to spawn in lake/river systems.

Pink salmon return to spawn in small streams and rivers.

Chum salmon return to spawn in small streams and rivers.

Coho salmon return to spawn in lake/river systems.

Wood frogs chorus in freshwater wetlands.

Beluga whales can be seen in Turnagain Arm and the Kenai River.

Sea lions pup at rookeries.

Harbor seals give birth, often on drifting ice from tidewater glaciers.

Humpback whales feed in offshore waters.

Black and brown bears are out of dens and active.

Moose, dall sheep and mountain goats give birth.

Dall sheep and mountain goats are most visible against snow-free mountain slopes.

Dall sheep and mountain goats are in rut.

Caribou calve.

Caribou graze in tundra areas, sometimes in small herds.

Caribou can be seen grazing on the Kenai Flats.

Caribou are in rut.

Moose are in rut; males spar with each other.

Marmots are out of dens and active.

Weasels, snowshoe hares and ptarmigan wear winter white.

Marine mammals active and present year-round include killer whales, harbor seals, sea otters, harbor porpoises and sea lions.

Land mammals active and present year-round include moose, caribou, wolves, and coyotes.

Birds active and present year-round include bald eagles, gulls, ravens, gray and Steller’s jays, magpies, and chickadees.