This species of puffin tends to arrive at the islands more on par with the other species of alcids, most commonly in late April, though in some years it may not be until the first week of May. This species is more apparent during the spring and early summer than the Horned Puffin (Fratercula corniculata), […]
Category: Birds of St. Paul Island
Black-legged Kittiwake
This species is a permanent resident of the islands and their associated waters and is potentially the most ubiquitous bird species in the Pribilofs outside the winter season. It breeds on all of the Pribilof Islands with the largest numbers on St. Paul and St. George Islands. The first birds return to the islands’ cliffs […]
Red-legged Kittiwake
A common, or abundant, species depending on location and timing in the Pribilofs, this species breeds in very large numbers on St. George Island, with smaller numbers on St. Paul and Otter Islands. Much like the Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), this species typically arrives at the islands each year from mid-March to mid-April depending on […]
Ivory Gull
This species is a bird of the winter pack ice in the vicinity of the Pribilofs with few local records owing to the general lack of coverage during that season. Most records are from late winter (January-March) when the winter sea ice typically reaches the farthest south and can be present around the islands. There […]
Sabine’s Gull
This gull is considered uncommon from spring through fall, with arrivals possible at almost any time from May to October. It is perhaps most likely between May 20th and June 1st during the spring though its pattern of occurrence is not well defined. Occasional individuals are seen through June into the summer with regular records […]
Bonaparte’s Gull
The handful of Pribilof records for this species leave little pattern, though early June appears to be the best to look for this species during the spring Summer records in early August are likely early moving adults, and the fall records are of juvenile birds as they move south out of Alaska for the winter. […]
Black-headed Gull
A regular spring and summer migrant/visitor that is best looked for from May 20th-June 1st and June 10th-20th with regular, but scattered records from mid-May through to mid-July. There are surprisingly few end of summer and fall records of this species with sightings as late as early October, though it is not recorded in that […]
Ross’s Gull
This species is only very rarely found during the spring in the Pribilofs with a scattering of records from late May and a couple records from the beginning of June. The few summer and fall records that exist are likely outliers and are simply examples of lost individuals south of their preferred range. Most commonly […]
Franklin’s Gull
A regular vagrant to the state of Alaska, this species is typically found during spring and early summer after migrating north past its typical breeding range. The six Pribilof records (all coming from St. Paul Island) fall within this pattern and have appeared more regularly than may be expected with records every 5-10 years. […]
Black-tailed Gull
The only records of this species from the Pribilofs, remarkably both of which occurred in 2008 on St. Paul Island, were in late spring and early fall. As with many species of gulls, this species could likely arrive at most any time though perhaps spring and fall are more likely than other periods. […]