USFWS
Migratory Bird Management
Alaska Region

Shorebirds

SPECIES IN ALASKA

Visit the FWS Digital Library System for images of many of the birds below!

Species
Seasonal
Occurrence
Breeding
Habitat
Wintering
Areas
Black-bellied Plover B* low, wet tundra NAM/CAM/
SAM/OCE
American Golden-Plover B upland tundra SAM
Pacific Golden-Plover B* upland tundra OCE/AUS
Mongolian Plover b rocky tundra SEA/OCE
Snowy Plover v    
Common Ringed Plover b* sand/gravel beaches AFR
Semipalmated Plover B sand/gravel beaches NAM/CAM/
SAM
Little Ringed Plover v    
Killdeer B gravel beaches/pastures NAM/CAM/
SAM
Eurasian Dotterel b rocky tundra AFR
Black Oystercatcher B gravel/rocky beaches NAM
Black-winged Stilt v    
American Avocet v    
Oriental Pratincole v    
Common Greenshank m    
Greater Yellowlegs B muskegs/marshes NAM/CAM/
SAM
Lesser Yellowlegs B muskegs/marshes NAM/CAM/
SAM
Marsh Sandpiper v    
Spotted Redshank m    
Wood Sandpiper b marshes SEA
Green Sandpiper v    
Solitary Sandpiper B muskegs/marshes CAM/SAM
Wandering Tattler B gravel beaches OCE/NAM/
CAM
Gray-tailed Tattler m    
Common Sandpiper b sand/gravel beaches SEA/AUS
Spotted Sandpiper B sand/gravel beaches NAM/CAM/
SAM
Terek Sandpiper m    
Upland Sandpiper B upland tundra SAM
Little Curlew m    
Eskimo Curlew E* upland tundra SAM
Whimbrel B upland tundra OCE/NAM/
CAM/SAM
Bristle-thighed Curlew B* upland tundra OCE
Far Eastern Curlew m    
Black-tailed Godwit m    
Hudsonian Godwit B low,wet tundra/muskegs SAM
Bar-tailed Godwit B* low, wet tundra OCE/AUS
Marbled Godwit B upland tundra NAM/CAM
Ruddy Turnstone B* upland tundra OCE/NAM/
CAM/SAM
Black Turnstone B* low, wet tundra NAM/CAM
Surfbird B rocky tundra NAM/CAM/
SAM
Great Knot m    
Red Knot B* rocky tundra SEA/AUS/
NAM/SAM
Sanderling b* low, wet tundra SAM/CAM/
NAM
Semipalmated Sandpiper B* low, wet tundra SAM/CAM
Western Sandpiper B* upland tundra CAM/NAM/
SAM
Rufous-necked Stint b* low, wet tundra AUS/SEA
Little Stint m    
Temminck's Stint m    
Long-toed Stint m    
Least Sandpiper B low, wet tundra/muskegs NAM/CAM/
SAM
White-rumped Sandpiper B* low, wet tundra SAM
Baird's Sandpiper B* upland tundra SAM
Pectoral Sandpiper B* low, wet tundra SAM
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper M    
Purple Sandpiper v    
Rock Sandpiper B* upland/rocky tundra NAM
Dunlin B* low, wet tundra NAM/CAM/
SEA
Curlew Sandpiper b* upland tundra SEA/AUS
Stilt Sandpiper B* low, wet tundra SAM/CAM
Spoonbill Sandpiper m    
Broad-billed Sandpiper m    
Buff-breasted Sandpiper B* upland tundra SAM
Ruff b low, wet tundra AFR/SEA
Short-billed Dowitcher B muskegs/marshes NAM/CAM/
SAM
Long-billed Dowitcher B* low, wet tundra NAM/CAM
Jack Snipe v    
Wilson's Snipe B muskegs/upland tundra NAM/CAM/
SAM
Pin-tailed Snipe v    
Wilson's Phalarope b marshes SAM
Red-necked Phalarope B low, wet tundra OCE/SAM
Red Phalarope B* low, wet tundra SAM
Occurrence: Season occurrence in Alaska; B = common, regular breeds, b = irregular of breeds in small numbers, M = regular migrant, m = irregular or migrates in small numbers, v = vagrant, * = nesting restricted to arctic and subarctic tundra regions.

Wintering areas: NAM = North America, CAM = Central America, SAM = South America, AUS = Australia, OCE = Oceania, SEA = Southeast Asia, AFR = Africa/Mideast

 

Last Updated: September 18, 2008