• Horned Puffins (Fratercula corniculata) resting at a cliffside seabird colony on Kolyuchin Island in the Chukchi Sea (Arctic Ocean), Russia.

    Horned Puffins (Fratercula corniculata) resting at a cliffside seabird colony on Kolyuchin Island in the Chukchi Sea (Arctic Ocean), Russia.

  • Ivory Gulls (Pagophila eburnea) resting on sea ice in the Arctic Ocean north of Svalbard, above 81-degrees North.

    Ivory Gulls (Pagophila eburnea) resting on sea ice in the Arctic Ocean north of Svalbard, above 81-degrees North.

  • An adult Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) runs across the water before lifting into flight in the Copper River Delta.

    An adult Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) runs across the water before lifting into flight in the Copper River Delta.

    Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA.

  • Common Guillemots (Uria aalge), aka Common Murre, Brunnich's Guillemots (Uria lomvia arra), aka Thick-billed Murre, and Pelagic Cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicus) in a seabird colony.

    Common Guillemots (Uria aalge), aka Common Murre, Brunnich's Guillemots (Uria lomvia arra), aka Thick-billed Murre, and Pelagic Cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicus) in a seabird colony.

    Kolyuchin Island, Chucki Sea (Arctic Ocean), Russia.

  • A Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) in winter plumage is well-camouflaged against the snowy ground.

    A Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) in winter plumage is well-camouflaged against the snowy ground.

    Near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.

  • Little Auks (Alle alle) flying to and from their nesting colony on the scree slopes at Ingeborgfjellet in Volbukta, Bellsund, Spitsbergen. Svalbard Archipelago, Norway.

    Little Auks (Alle alle) flying to and from their nesting colony on the scree slopes at Ingeborgfjellet in Volbukta, Bellsund, Spitsbergen. Svalbard Archipelago, Norway.

  • An adult Ivory Gull (Pagophila eburnea) pauses to rest on a chunk of sea ice as it forages for invertebrates in the icy water.

    An adult Ivory Gull (Pagophila eburnea) pauses to rest on a chunk of sea ice as it forages for invertebrates in the icy water.

    Arctic Ocean north of Svalbard, above 81-degrees North.

  • An adult male Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) in breeding plumage stretches his wings after bathing in a marsh. This dabbling duck species breeds in the Arctic and sub-Arctic.

    An adult male Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) in breeding plumage stretches his wings after bathing in a marsh. This dabbling duck species breeds in the Arctic and sub-Arctic.

  • An adult Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) running across the water flapping its wings as it attempts to lift off and fly in the Copper River Delta.

    An adult Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) running across the water flapping its wings as it attempts to lift off and fly in the Copper River Delta.

    Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA.

  • An adult Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) standing in the opening of its moss-covered burrow.

    An adult Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) standing in the opening of its moss-covered burrow.

    Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA.

  • An adult Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) perching on melting sea ice and searching the surrounding water for fish.

    An adult Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) perching on melting sea ice and searching the surrounding water for fish.

    Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA.

  • An adult Pelagic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus) supervises chicks at a cliff-side seabird colony on Kolyuchin Island in the Chukchi Sea (Arctic Ocean), Russia.

    An adult Pelagic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus) supervises chicks at a cliff-side seabird colony on Kolyuchin Island in the Chukchi Sea (Arctic Ocean), Russia.

  • A flock of immature Pelagic Cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicus) swimming in the Bering Sea, Russia.

    A flock of immature Pelagic Cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicus) swimming in the Bering Sea, Russia.

  • An adult Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) foraging in a marsh. This shorebird species breeds in sub-Arctic regions of Alaska and Canada.

    An adult Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) foraging in a marsh. This shorebird species breeds in sub-Arctic regions of Alaska and Canada.

  • A flock of Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens) flying at dusk over the tundra on Wrangel Island in the East Siberian Sea (Arctic Ocean), Russia.

    A flock of Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens) flying at dusk over the tundra on Wrangel Island in the East Siberian Sea (Arctic Ocean), Russia.

    A small population of Snow Geese migrates to Wrangel Island in the Russian High Arctic for nesting in summer, traveling there from winter habitat in southwestern North America, primarily California. This population of snow geese is the only one that occurs in Eurasia.

  • A flock of Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens) lifting off into flight.

    A flock of Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens) lifting off into flight.

    Snow Geese spend the winter in several locations in the western United States and return to the Arctic for breeding in the summer.

  • An adult Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens) flying over the tundra on Wrangel Island in the East Siberian Sea (Arctic Ocean), Russia.

    An adult Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens) flying over the tundra on Wrangel Island in the East Siberian Sea (Arctic Ocean), Russia.

    A small population of Snow Geese migrates to Wrangel Island in the Russian High Arctic for nesting in summer, traveling there from winter habitat in southwestern North America, primarily California. This population of snow geese is the only one that occurs in Eurasia.

  • Common Black-headed Gulls (Larus ridibundus), Prince Wlliam Sound, Alaska.

    Common Black-headed Gulls (Larus ridibundus), Prince Wlliam Sound, Alaska.

  • An adult Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) in breeding plumage, swimming. This seabird breeds in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Alaska, and elsewhere in North America.

    An adult Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) in breeding plumage, swimming. This seabird breeds in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Alaska, and elsewhere in North America.

  • An immature Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), flying over the Bering Sea, Russia.

    An immature Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), flying over the Bering Sea, Russia.

  • An adult male Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) in breeding plumage, resting in a marsh. This dabbling duck is a migratory species that breeds in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, and elsewhere.

    An adult male Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) in breeding plumage, resting in a marsh. This dabbling duck is a migratory species that breeds in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, and elsewhere.

  • Rubini Rock seabird colony, Franz Josef  Land, Barents Sea (Arctic Ocean), Russia.

    Rubini Rock seabird colony, Franz Josef Land, Barents Sea (Arctic Ocean), Russia.

    Breeding species here include Brünnich's Guillemots (Uria lomvia, aka Thick-billed Murre), Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla), Glaucous Gulls (Larus hyperboreus), Black Guillemots (Ceppphus grylle), and Little Auks (Alle alle).

  • Rubini Rock seabird colony, Franz Josef  Land, Barents Sea (Arctic Ocean), Russia.

    Rubini Rock seabird colony, Franz Josef Land, Barents Sea (Arctic Ocean), Russia.

    Breeding species here include Brünnich's Guillemots (Uria lomvia, aka Thick-billed Murre), Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla), Glaucous Gulls (Larus hyperboreus), Black Guillemots (Ceppphus grylle), and Little Auks (Alle alle).

  • A flock of Western Sandpipers (Calidris mauri) takes flight after feeding in a wetland at Hartney Bay in the Copper River Delta during spring migration..

    A flock of Western Sandpipers (Calidris mauri) takes flight after feeding in a wetland at Hartney Bay in the Copper River Delta during spring migration..

    Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA.

  • A colony of cliff-nesting Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) at Raddesletta in Diskobukta, on Edgeoya in the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway.

    A colony of cliff-nesting Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) at Raddesletta in Diskobukta, on Edgeoya in the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway.

  • A young Arctic Fox (Alopex lagopus), in dark summer pelage, carrying a fledgling Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) it has just killed at a seabird colony.

    A young Arctic Fox (Alopex lagopus), in dark summer pelage, carrying a fledgling Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) it has just killed at a seabird colony.

    Diskobukta, Edgeoya, Svalbard Archipelago, Norway.

  • An adult Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) swimming near the shore of Phippsoya in the Svalbard Archipelago.

    An adult Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) swimming near the shore of Phippsoya in the Svalbard Archipelago.

  • An adult Little Auk (Alle alle, aka Dovkie), perched on a rock at its colony. Fuglesongen, Svalbard Archipelago, Norway.

    An adult Little Auk (Alle alle, aka Dovkie), perched on a rock at its colony. Fuglesongen, Svalbard Archipelago, Norway.

    Fuglesongen, Svalbard Archipelago, Norway.

  • Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) take flight in the Copper River Delta.

    Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) take flight in the Copper River Delta.

    Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA.

  • Pink-footed Geese (Anser brachyrhynchus) rest on melting ice at the base of a towering basalt cliff  as a waterfall fed by glacial meltwater thunders down the rock face near the birds.

    Pink-footed Geese (Anser brachyrhynchus) rest on melting ice at the base of a towering basalt cliff as a waterfall fed by glacial meltwater thunders down the rock face near the birds.

    Hinlopen Strait, Svalbard Archipelago, Norway.

  • A Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta), in winter plumage, is well-camouflaged against the snowy ground near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.

    A Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta), in winter plumage, is well-camouflaged against the snowy ground near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.

  • A Rufous-necked Stint / Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis) foraging on the shoreline of the Bering Sea in Russia.

    A Rufous-necked Stint / Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis) foraging on the shoreline of the Bering Sea in Russia.

  • An adult Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) feeding on invertebrates in a marsh. This migratory shorebird breeds in the Arctic, in coastal tundra regions of northeast Siberia, Alaska, and northwest Canada.

    An adult Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) feeding on invertebrates in a marsh. This migratory shorebird breeds in the Arctic, in coastal tundra regions of northeast Siberia, Alaska, and northwest Canada.

  • Nesting Brunnich's Guillemots (Uria lomvia, aka Thick-billed Murre), at Alkefjellet in Hinlopenstretet, Svalbard Archipelago, Norway.

    Nesting Brunnich's Guillemots (Uria lomvia, aka Thick-billed Murre), at Alkefjellet in Hinlopenstretet, Svalbard Archipelago, Norway.

  • An adult Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus, aka Willow Grouse), in winter plumage, is well-camouflaged against the snowy ground as it forages in willows near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.

    An adult Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus, aka Willow Grouse), in winter plumage, is well-camouflaged against the snowy ground as it forages in willows near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.

  • Adult Horned Puffins (Fratercula corniculata) at a cliff-side seabird colony on Kolyuchin Island in the Chukchi Sea (Arctic Ocean), Russia.

    Adult Horned Puffins (Fratercula corniculata) at a cliff-side seabird colony on Kolyuchin Island in the Chukchi Sea (Arctic Ocean), Russia.

  • An adult Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) pauses while feeding on invertebrates in a marsh. This migratory shorebird breeds in the Arctic, in coastal tundra regions of northeast Siberia, Alaska, and northwest Canada.

    An adult Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) pauses while feeding on invertebrates in a marsh. This migratory shorebird breeds in the Arctic, in coastal tundra regions of northeast Siberia, Alaska, and northwest Canada.

  • An adult Little Auk (Alle alle, aka Dovkie), at the Fuglesangen breeding colony on the island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway.

    An adult Little Auk (Alle alle, aka Dovkie), at the Fuglesangen breeding colony on the island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway.

  • An adult Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) sitting on its nest above the ocean in Alaska. This species breeds in some Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Alaska and western Canada.

    An adult Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) sitting on its nest above the ocean in Alaska. This species breeds in some Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Alaska and western Canada.

  • A Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola, aka grey plover) foraging along the edge of a small lake on Wrangel Island in the East Siberian Sea (Arctic Ocean), Russia.

    A Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola, aka grey plover) foraging along the edge of a small lake on Wrangel Island in the East Siberian Sea (Arctic Ocean), Russia.

  • An adult Tufted Puffin (Fratercula corniculata) runs across the surface of the water to launch itself into flight.

    An adult Tufted Puffin (Fratercula corniculata) runs across the surface of the water to launch itself into flight.

    Copper River Delta, Prince William Sound, Alaska.

  • A pair of adult Tufted Puffins (Fratercula corniculata) at their nest in the Copper River Delta, Prince William Sound, Alaska.

    A pair of adult Tufted Puffins (Fratercula corniculata) at their nest in the Copper River Delta, Prince William Sound, Alaska.

  • An adult male Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) in breeding plumage, resting in a marsh. This migratory dabbling duck species breeds in the Arcic and sub-Arctic, and elsewhere.

    An adult male Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) in breeding plumage, resting in a marsh. This migratory dabbling duck species breeds in the Arcic and sub-Arctic, and elsewhere.

  • A pair of Northern Shovelers (Anas clypeata)  -- male in front, female behind -- in breeding plumage, swimming and feeding together. This migratory dabbling duck species breeds in the Arcic and sub-Arctic, and elsewhere.

    A pair of Northern Shovelers (Anas clypeata) -- male in front, female behind -- in breeding plumage, swimming and feeding together. This migratory dabbling duck species breeds in the Arcic and sub-Arctic, and elsewhere.

  • Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) at their nests on a cliff above the ocean, Prince William Sound, Alaska.

    Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) at their nests on a cliff above the ocean, Prince William Sound, Alaska.

  • An adult male Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) in breeding plumage bathing in a marsh. This dabbling duck species breeds in the Arcitc and sub-Arctic, and elsewhere.

    An adult male Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) in breeding plumage bathing in a marsh. This dabbling duck species breeds in the Arcitc and sub-Arctic, and elsewhere.

  • An adult glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus) resting on a cliff at a seabird colony on Kolyuchin Island in the Chukchi Sea (Arctic Ocean), Russia.

    An adult glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus) resting on a cliff at a seabird colony on Kolyuchin Island in the Chukchi Sea (Arctic Ocean), Russia.

  • Adult Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides) atop an iceberg near Eqip Sermia Glacier, West Greenland.

    Adult Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides) atop an iceberg near Eqip Sermia Glacier, West Greenland.

Arctic & Sub-Arctic Birds