Habitat Distribution of Birds Breeding along the Upper Kaolak River, Northern Alaska

Abstract

Until recently all that was known of the distribution of birds in northern Alaska was based on work done at or near the arctic coast. Kessel and Cade (1958) have now broadened our knowledge by a report summarizing a large amount of data on the distribution of birds along the Colville River, the largest river system north of the Brooks Range. The following report is a record of the avifauna of an area along the Kaolak River in northern Alaska, west and north of the area covered by their report. The area lies on the northern edge of the northern foothills of the Brooks Range just south of their transition to the coastal plain. It is distant from any major river system and thus lacks many physiographic features and the accompanying diversity in habitats associated with large river valleys. In this respect it is considered representative of a large part of the outlying foothill area which is normally inaccessable to field parties. The Kaolak River was visited in 1957 from July 8 through August 9, and in 1958 from June 21 to 27, and again from July 9 through August 15. The chief purpose of these visits was an investigation of the ecology of the populations of Parasitic and Long-tailed jaegers, but in the course of this work notes were gathered on all species of birds which were seen, and these observations form the basis of the present report.