Find Nature In Alaska

Birds (Avifauna)

Alaska is the summer nursery for the world. The Willow Ptarmigan, the state bird, is a master of camouflage, changing from mottled brown in summer to pure white in winter to match the snow. Along the coasts, Tufted and Horned Puffins nest in rocky cliffs, diving deep to catch forage fish. In the interior, large raptors are common; the Bald Eagle congregates in the thousands along riverbeds like the Chilkat River during late salmon runs. The Spectacled Eider, a sea duck with unique facial markings, breeds on the Arctic coastal plain, representing the specialized avian life of the far north.

Mammals

This region hosts the famous “Big Five” of North American wildlife. Kodiak Brown Bears, isolated on the Kodiak Archipelago, have evolved to be the largest bears in the world due to the abundance of salmon. Muskoxen, relics of the Pleistocene era, inhabit the tundra, using their thick qiviut wool to survive temperatures that would freeze other mammals instantly. The Caribou undertake some of the longest land migrations of any mammal, moving in massive herds that shape the vegetation and predator dynamics of the entire interior. In the oceans, Humpback Whales utilize bubble-net feeding strategies unique to the region’s waters.

Insects

While often joked about as the “state bird,” the Mosquito is a critical component of the food web, serving as the primary biomass for migratory birds and fish fry. More fascinating from a physiological perspective is the Woolly Bear Caterpillar (larva of the Isabella Tiger Moth), which can survive freezing solid for multiple winters before pupating. Bumblebees are also diverse here, with adaptations that allow them to fly in much cooler temperatures than their southern counterparts, essential for pollinating the tundra berries.

Plants

The flora of Alaska must complete its life cycle rapidly. Fireweed is the most iconic, growing in vast swathes of magenta on disturbed soil and glacial silt; its blooming progression is used by locals to track the end of summer. The Sitka Spruce dominates the coastal temperate rainforests, growing to massive proportions in the Tongass National Forest. On the tundra, “trees” like the Arctic Willow may be decades old but only grow a few inches high to avoid wind shear, creating a miniature forest underfoot.

Fungi

Fungi play a crucial symbiotic role in the nutrient-poor soils of the north. Lichens (a symbiosis of fungi and algae/cyanobacteria) are the cornerstone of the ecosystem, particularly “Reindeer Moss” (Cladonia rangiferina), which is the primary winter food source for caribou. In the Tongass rainforest, the moisture allows for an abundance of mushrooms, including the King Bolete (Porcini) and the Chicken of the Woods, which grow to impressive sizes during the damp autumns.