Species Guide

Kodiak Island Bird Species Guide

Kodiak Island — Alaska's Emerald Isle — hosts one of the richest concentrations of breeding and migratory birds in the North Pacific. From vast seabird colonies on the Barren Islands to Bald Eagles nesting in ancient Sitka spruce, the island offers world-class birdwatching year-round.

Winter brings sea ducks, loons, grebes, and alcids to sheltered bays. Spring migration peaks in May, with thousands of shorebirds on mudflats and songbirds filling alder thickets. Summer sees nesting puffins, kittiwakes, and eagles. Fall migration delivers rare Asian vagrants and large shorebird flocks.

Key viewing sites include: Barren Islands (seabird colonies), Cape Chiniak (pelagic seabirds, shorebirds), Buskin River estuary (shorebirds, waterfowl), Fort Abercrombie (forest birds, eagles), and Spiridon Bay (Harlequin Ducks, sea ducks).