The rarest of the three species of scoter that have been found in the Pribilofs, there are 10+ local records with the majority of sightings during mid-late May, which is to be expected for a diving duck. It is quite possible that this species appears more regularly during late fall, winter, and early spring amongst […]
Category: Ducks, Geese, and Swans (Anatidae)
White-winged Scoter
This is a winter resident species that is seen regularly through late May and into June. This species is most common prior to mid-May, when flocks begin to depart the islands leaving smaller groups and singletons to remain with the latest spring count of double digits being 11 from 16 June 1999, though larger numbers […]
Black Scoter
A winter resident, this species is regularly seen into late May with smaller numbers seen sporadically into mid-June. The largest numbers are last seen on approximately June 5th, with the latest spring count of double digit birds being 10 on 10 June 2012 with records in only eight years from the end of June through […]
Long-tailed Duck
This is a common year-round resident that breeds in small to moderate numbers on St. Paul Island and winters in large numbers throughout the Pribilofs. While the largest numbers are present during late winter and early spring when numbers peak, it can be encountered in moderately large numbers in early May though most non-breeders have […]
Bufflehead
This is a normal, though sparse, winter resident that is regularly found during early spring. They become less reliable by the end of May and are rarely encountered after early June with only a few records of lingering summer birds. There are a handful of summer arrivals, most commonly in early July, which is likely […]
Emperor Goose
This is perhaps the earliest passage migrant to arrive in the Pribilofs each spring with the first migrants likely appearing during March or April each year with peak numbers probably having moved through by mid-May. This species is normally still present into the tourist season, which begins in May, though most individuals are gone by […]
Snow Goose
Most sightings of this species in the Pribilofs are assumed to be migrants passing from Alaska to northeast Russia (or vice versa) where they breed on Wrangell Island, though the majority of this population passes across the Bering Strait to the north of the Pribilofs. As such it is only a rare migrant with semi-annual […]
Greater White-fronted Goose
This species can be expected each spring in small numbers during May and early June with a peak occurrence period from May 15th to June 1st. It is a regular, though scarce, migrant which is often found in very small groups or mixed with other goose species. It is very rarely found outside of the […]
Lesser White-fronted Goose
The one late spring/early summer record of this species was entirely unexpected given timing and the species overall abundance. The global population of this goose has plummeted in recent years and as such it was not a likely option for arrival in the islands on rarity alone. The timing of this record likely indicates an […]
Taiga Bean-Goose
This large Asian goose is found very rarely with semi-regular sightings during the spring over the past 25 years and a single summer record. It has been identified nine times in the Pribilofs with eight spring records and one summer record. All records except one have been from the 1990s or later when coverage was […]