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Yukon

Willow Ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus � Don Getty http://www.dongettyphoto.com

The Yukon is a land of stunning scenery, productive ecosystems and truly remarkable wilderness. This extraordinary natural world is home to diverse communities of birds. A total of 284 species have been documented in the Yukon with breeding confirmed for 187 species. Diverse habitats include wetlands, expansive boreal forest, alpine and arctic tundra, and the marine waters of the North Coast. This natural mosaic, with its mix of southern and northern species makes the Yukon an attractive destination for birdwatchers and naturalists.

Many first time visitors are surprised to see southern species like Killdeer, American Robin, and Red-winged Blackbird. However, their first encounters with Pacific Loon, Northern Goshawk, Long-tailed Jaeger, Northern Wheatear, Willow Ptarmigan, Spruce Grouse, Arctic Tern, Gray Jay, Boreal Chickadee, and the ever-present Common Raven reminds them that they have definitely arrived in the North.

The Yukon is a land of rich environments and pristine wilderness. The birds, wildlife and ecosystems are sensitive and must be observed and explored with respect. In this way, the Yukon will continue to reward us with unparalleled natural experiences.

contributor

Cameron Eckert
cameron.eckert@gov.yk.ca

numbers

Number of bird species: 295
Provincial Bird - Raven Corvus Corax Principalis

useful reading

Birds of the Yukon Territory

by Stuart A. Alexander, Frank L. Doyle, Helmut Grunberg, Nancy L. Hughes, Marilyn Jensen, Ingrid Johnson, David H. Mossop, Wendy A. Nixon, Pamela H. Sinclair, Cameron D. Eckert - Published by University of British Columbia 2003
ISBN: 0774810122
Buy this book from NHBS.com

clubs

Yukon Bird Club

http://www.yukonweb.com/community/ybc/index.html
The Yukon Bird Club is a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to promoting awareness, appreciation, and conservation of Yukon birds and their habitats. Regular field trips led by skilled and enthusiastic birders explore some of the Yukon`s best birding areas. Each winter an evening seminar series covers a wide range of interests including local research projects, bird identification, birding adventures and Yukon biodiversity. All are welcome at field trips and events!

reserves

Kluane National Park

http://www.canadianparks.com/yukon/kluannp/index.htm
This park, in the southwest corner of the Yukon, has Canada`s highest peak, Mount Logan, and some of the most extensive icefields outside the polar region. The landscape includes mountain lakes, alpine meadows, tundra and swift cold rivers...

Old Crow Flats

http://taiga.net/wetlands/oldcrow/oc_gen.html
More than 100 bird species have been recorded on the Flats, including at least 21 species of waterfowl. The area is important as a breeding and moulting ground to some 500,000 waterfowl including ducks, swans, geese, three species of loon Gavia spp. and a variety of other waterbirds. Banding studies have shown these birds to be associated with all four North American Flyways. Waterfowl are more concentrated here than at other locations in the north.

Vuntut National Park

http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/yt/vuntut/index_E.asp
Vuntut represents one of the Northern Yukon Natural Regions in Canada.

Yukon's Territorial Parks

http://www.yukonweb.com/notebook/tparks.html
Perhaps the most noteworthy of birds to live on Herschel is the colony of black guillemots, the largest in the Western Arctic. If you want to see the largest colony of black guillemots in the Western Arctic, visit the old Anglican mission house. They have taken over the abandoned building, nesting in the rafters. To keep their eggs from rolling away and to help preserve the historic structure, government biologists have built nest boxes on the roof for the birds...

trip reports

Travelling Birder
http://www.travellingbirder.com
The Travellingbirder.com birding trip report search engine guides you to 7,000+ birding trip reports on the Internet. You can search for trip reports from a specific country and time of year. Not all these reports are in English. So, if you can�t find the trip report you want on this Fatbirder page� give them a try!

1991 [July] - Blake Maybank

http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/maybank/Canada/Yukon-07-91.htm
During the first two weeks of July, 1991, I was fortunate to have a meeting scheduled in the S.W. Yukon, with an itinerary requiring a visit to all the national and historic parks in the area. I managed to fit in as much birding as possible...

1998 [August] - Ed Burroughs - Bird Race

http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/maybank/Canada/NWT-08-98-BD.htm
We immediately pulled over to the shoulder of the road and looked for birds. We were rewarded with a White-crowned Sparrow, and I made some quick mental calculations. If we got one species in the first minute of Canadian birding we were going to be in triple digits in two hours! But wait, this was not the Northwest Territories, it was the Yukon Territory.

2001 [June] - Paul Jonhes

http://maybank.tripod.com/Canada/Yukon-06-2001.htm
The following is an account of a two week trip to the Yukon, north-eastern British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. During the first week (June 9 to June 14) I intensively birded the southern Yukon, north-eastern British Columbia and south-western Northwest Territories. At the beginning of the second week I met family members in Whitehorse. From June 15 to June 24 we traveled at a slower pace north to Inuvik and back to Whitehorse...

2007 [July] - Blake Maybank

http://maybank.tripod.com/Canada/Yukon-06-2007.htm
Since there are very few birding trip reports from the Yukon and area, I've decided to offer this fairly thorough account...

tour operators

Nahanni River Tours

http://www.nahanni.com/
For nearly two decades Neil Hartling and Barry Beales of Nahanni River Adventures and Whitewolf Expeditions have fine tuned the most extensive offerings of the best of the north. In 1997 the two companies joined together to capitalise on the strengths of each outfit. The resulting selection has been referred to as the life list of northern rivers - all must do`s.

Northern Wildlife Safaris

http://travelyukon.com/thingstodo/outdooractivities/wildlifeviewing/
Northern Wildlife Safaris offers severall light hiking and vehicle based safaris to bring both professional and amateur wildlife photographers up close to some of the wild animals of the north...

Yukon Bird Watching and Birding Adventures

http://www.canada-adventures-guide.com/Yukon/birdwatching.html
Yukon offers you a wonderful opportunity to see some of Canada`s most exceptional birds including geese, the Loon nesting with babies, as well as many different species of ducks, eagles, and so much more!

Bird Watching in the Yukon

http://www.environmentyukon.gov.yk.ca/wildlifebiodiversity/birds.php
Whether its Northern Wheatears, Trumpeter Swans or Gyrfalcons, Yukon has a lot of special northern bird species not commonly found in southern Canada...