^. >^ 







expanses of tundra, muskeg, and 

 river bottom are dotted with count- 

 less potholes, lakelets, and sloughs 

 that provide nesting sites for a 

 great variety of birds. Ducks, 

 geese, swans, and other shore and 

 water birds are all familiar summer 

 residents. From the Arctic coast 

 to the tip of the Aleutian chain and 

 extreme Southeastern Alaska, each 

 species is able to find nesting habi- 

 tat to its liking. Although many of 

 these nesting areas do not individ- 

 ually support large concentrations 

 of waterfowl, they combine to pro- 

 duce a huge annual crop of birds. 



The most outstanding single 

 nesting area is the coastal tundra 

 between the Yukon and Kusko- 

 kwim Rivers. Here, in addition to 

 other species of ducks and geese, is 

 found an unusually large number 

 of nesting black brant and cackling 

 geese. Further inland, along the 

 great river bottoms, pintails, bald- 

 pates, mallards, green-winged teal, 

 white-fronted and lesser Canada 

 geese, and many others, nest and 

 raise their broods on the brush-and- 

 grass-covered banks of each body of 



WATERFOWL (from left): 



Black Brant, Western Canada Goose, Cacklir 



Goose, Pintail Ducks, Emperor Geese. 



water. The tree-nesting American 

 goldeneye is also abundant, and 

 nests in the large, dead cottonwoods 

 lining the rivers. Further north, 

 along the Seward Peninsula and 

 Arctic slope, the coastal tundra and 

 pothole areas provide nesting habi- 

 tat for lesser snow geese and for 

 four species of eider ducks, as well 

 as for other widely distributed 

 species of waterfowl. 



In central and northern Alaska, 

 the first waterfowl arrive in April 

 or May and often start nesting be- 

 fore the ice has left the rivers. 

 The next 3 months are a busy and 

 clamorous period as the young 

 birds mature. Some fall victim to 

 marauding sea gulls, jaegers, and 

 various other predators, including 

 gigantic pike. By August and Sep- 

 tember the birds are again on their 

 way south, their numbers multi- 

 plied by the new generation. 



Bird-banding records have shown 

 that Alaska-raised birds find their 

 way to most of the 48 States and 

 into Mexico. One great flight path 

 from the north leads through the 

 Cold Bay area at the tip of the 



40 



