Birds in Alaska in August: What to Photograph (60 Species)

60 birds were recorded seen in Alaska in August in our iNaturalist sample; 7 of the top 50 are at their peak this month. The list is ranked by number of research-grade observations.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Top birds in August

Bald Eagle1,141 obs.

Black-legged Kittiwake493 obs.

Black-billed Magpie430 obs.

Glaucous-winged Gull425 obs.

Tufted Puffin413 obs.

Short-billed Gull361 obs.

Common Raven349 obs.

Common Murre347 obs.

Sandhill Crane293 obs.

Pigeon Guillemot274 obs.

Greater Yellowlegs223 obs.

Mallard223 obs.

All birds seen in Alaska in August

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	1,141	Jul (past peak)
2	Black-legged Kittiwake	Rissa tridactyla	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	493	Jul (past peak)
3	Black-billed Magpie	Pica hudsonia	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	430	Jul (past peak)
4	Glaucous-winged Gull	Larus glaucescens	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	425	Jul (past peak)
5	Tufted Puffin	Fratercula cirrhata	Auks, Murres, and Puffins	413	Aug (peak)
6	Short-billed Gull	Larus brachyrhynchus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	361	Jul (past peak)
7	Common Raven	Corvus corax	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	349	Jul (past peak)
8	Common Murre	Uria aalge	Auks, Murres, and Puffins	347	Jul (past peak)
9	Sandhill Crane	Antigone canadensis	Cranes	293	May (past peak)
10	Pigeon Guillemot	Cepphus columba	Auks, Murres, and Puffins	274	Jul (past peak)
11	Greater Yellowlegs	Tringa melanoleuca	Sandpipers and Allies	223	Aug (peak)
12	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	223	May (past peak)
13	Steller's Jay	Cyanocitta stelleri	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	223	Aug (peak)
14	Belted Kingfisher	Megaceryle alcyon	Kingfishers	197	Aug (peak)
15	Spruce Grouse	Canachites canadensis	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	179	Sep (rising)
16	Canada Jay	Perisoreus canadensis	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	158	Jun (past peak)
17	Orange-crowned Warbler	Leiothlypis celata	New World Warblers	157	Jun (past peak)
18	Common Merganser	Mergus merganser	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	156	Jul (past peak)
19	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	148	Jul (past peak)
20	Pelagic Cormorant	Urile pelagicus	Cormorants and Shags	147	Jun (past peak)
21	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	145	Jun (past peak)
22	Trumpeter Swan	Cygnus buccinator	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	143	Jun (past peak)
23	Red-necked Grebe	Podiceps grisegena	Grebes	141	Jun (past peak)
24	Red-necked Phalarope	Phalaropus lobatus	Sandpipers and Allies	140	Jun (past peak)
25	White-crowned Sparrow	Zonotrichia leucophrys	New World Sparrows	139	Jun (past peak)
26	Bonaparte's Gull	Chroicocephalus philadelphia	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	130	Jul (past peak)
27	Common Loon	Gavia immer	Loons	127	Jun (past peak)
28	Savannah Sparrow	Passerculus sandwichensis	New World Sparrows	124	Jun (past peak)
29	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	123	Jul (past peak)
30	Black Oystercatcher	Haematopus bachmani	Oystercatchers	122	Jun (past peak)
31	Northern Yellow Warbler	Setophaga aestiva	New World Warblers	118	Jun (past peak)
32	Wilson's Warbler	Cardellina pusilla	New World Warblers	115	May (past peak)
33	American Wigeon	Mareca americana	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	112	May (past peak)
34	Green-winged Teal	Anas crecca	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	110	May (past peak)
35	Glaucous Gull	Larus hyperboreus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	109	Jun (past peak)
36	Merlin	Falco columbarius	Falcons and Caracaras	106	Aug (peak)
37	Least Sandpiper	Calidris minutilla	Sandpipers and Allies	97	May (past peak)
38	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	96	Jun (past peak)
39	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Setophaga coronata	New World Warblers	91	May (past peak)
40	Northern Pintail	Anas acuta	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	89	May (past peak)
41	Harlequin Duck	Histrionicus histrionicus	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	88	Jun (past peak)
42	Spotted Sandpiper	Actitis macularius	Sandpipers and Allies	86	Jul (past peak)
43	Red-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta canadensis	Nuthatches	85	Aug (peak)
44	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	84	Jun (past peak)
45	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	83	Aug (peak)
46	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	82	Jun (past peak)
47	Fox Sparrow	Passerella iliaca	New World Sparrows	80	Jun (past peak)
48	Pacific Loon	Gavia pacifica	Loons	77	Jun (past peak)
49	Semipalmated Plover	Charadrius semipalmatus	Plovers and Lapwings	74	May (past peak)
50	Greater White-fronted Goose	Anser albifrons	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	74	May (past peak)

Birds Seen in Alaska in August

Top birds in August

All birds seen in Alaska in August