Southeast Alaska Birding Trail is an online guide of more than 200 sites representing birding opportunities in or near 18 Southeast Alaska communities on the Tongass National Forest. Although it is not truly a trail, the information guides you to local birding hotspots and offers general area commentary, other resources, and a short list of possible species you might encounter.
For more information on the birds of Juneau and other areas of Alaska, review A Birder’s Guide to Alaska, by George C. West. This birdfinding guide, published by the American Birding Association, has an excellent chapter on Juneau, written by local birder Steve Zimmerman.
Visiting Juneau? For independent birders, with or without transportation, the Notes for Visiting Birders by Gwen Baluss offers a multitude of references, suggested birding locations, and lists of common birds seen in the Juneau area. A Starter Guide to Birding in Juneau by Lauren Cusimano not only shares some favorite hotspots but also field guide tips and where to find gear.
Juneau Hiking and Trails produced by Travel Juneau gives insight to Juneau’s 250 plus miles of trails.
[in alphabetical order]
Glacier Bay (National Park and Preserve)
Haines
Juneau (2007)
Ketchikan (2009)
Skagway
Sitka (2017)
Southeast Alaska (2010, printable pdf)
Southeast Alaska (2021, wiki page spreadsheet)
Yakutat
Lists for more communities can be found within the Southeast Alaska Birding Trail.
Alaska Hummingbird Festival — no permanent website – Search the USFS website for a posted schedule before April!
The Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge and Juneau airport wetlands together provide some of the best and most accessible birding habitat in Juneau. The combination of easy access, great visibility, and transitional habitats, including the mouth of the Mendenhall River, all lead to productive birding. During the peak of the spring migration in May, thousands of birds are present.
Directions: Drive to the end of Radcliffe Road at the west end of the Juneau Airport, park your car and take the path around the end of the airport runway adjacent to the Mendenhall River. The walk along this pathway and forays into the intertidal wetlands and hikes to the mouth of the river can be productive any time of the year. You never know what you might find.
Point Bridget State Park and Cowee Creek, located about 36 miles north of Juneau, and near the end of the current road system, is a diverse mix of forest, meadow, riverine, and marine habitats. The state park trail leads down through muskegs and into wet forest, then along the edge of the Cowee meadow. When you reach the mouth of the creek, you can look out towards Berners Bay.
Birding in this area requires a greater commitment of time given the drive and associated hiking involved in a visit. However, those that make the effort are often rewarded, with species such as Townsend’s Solitaire, Northern Goshawk, Warbling Vireo, Common Yellowthroat, Three-toed Woodpecker, and more. If it is bug season, hikers here should be prepared. Also, if spawning salmon are present in Cowee Creek, people should be on the alert for bears. Both black and brown bears frequent the area.
Eagle Beach State Recreation Area at the mouth of the Eagle-Herbert River drainage is located 27 miles north of Juneau via the Glacier Highway. Utilize the picnic area entrance to the extensive intertidal mudflat on the eastern shore of Lynn Canal. This is a wonderful place to view shorebirds, gulls, waterfowl, and seabirds, as well as marine mammals. The Chilkat Peninsula on the western side of the canal provides a magnificent backdrop to it all.
Spring migration is a great time to watch the tide book and hit the flats when the area is available to shorebirds for feeding. Look for godwits, or Red Knot mixed in with the many peeps and dowitchers. As summer progresses and fall approaches, large flocks of gulls will challenge any birder. There is always the chance for a rarity here.
The annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)is a 4-day opportunity, in February, for birders to participate in a citizen-science program that allows one to view and count birds from their window or out on a trail. https://www.birdcount.org/
Typically the second Saturday in May is Global Big Day (GBD) and often coincides with World Migratory Bird Day. This 24-hour count day encourages birders to get outside, and identify and report bird sightings through eBird. Thousands of birders around the world participate in this global event, assisting with important data collection about bird populations and movement. https://ebird.org/globalbigday
The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is the longest-running bird count in the nation. During December, birders brave the weather and get outside to count the birds in their area. Although the official count is typically on a Saturday, sightings within the week are also included. https://www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count
eBird
This is a worldwide database of bird sightings. Used by thousands of birders across the globe, eBird is largely a citizen science initiative that uses bird sightings to generate a database of species across the globe. Sign in and explore local bird activity or lists from all over the planet.
Merlin Bird ID
Merlin Bird ID is powered by eBird and helps to identify the birds you see and hear. Developed by Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology, this easy to use application was created for the beginner in mind, taking you step by step through the visual identification process. Intermediate and advanced birders are intrigued with and utilizing the application to hone their ability to ID by sound.
