Birds to See in Alaska in December
79 bird species on our list for Alaska are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Common Raven, Bald Eagle, Mallard, American Crow and Goldeneye. New this month: Peregrine Falcon, Red-tailed Hawk, Black Guillemot and Arctic Loon and 1 more.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecArriving
At their peak
From Alaska’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 79 birds in December
79 birds
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 6.81% in Dec
Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalusResidentCommon70–102 cmRecorded all year · 5.05% in Dec
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 3.30% in Dec
American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchosResidentCommon41–53 cmRecorded all year · 2.45% in Dec
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRecorded all year · 2.09% in Dec
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year · 2.08% in Dec
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaResidentCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 1.99% in Dec
Song SparrowMelospiza melodiaResidentCommon12–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.99% in Dec
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorResidentCommon52–58 cmRecorded all year · 1.82% in Dec
Horned GrebePodiceps auritusWinter visitorCommon31–38 cmRecorded all year · 1.51% in Dec
Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescensWinter visitorCommon14–18 cmRecorded all year · 1.37% in Dec
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisResidentCommon37–60 cmRecorded all year · 1.23% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon29–37 cmRecorded all year · 1.22% in Dec
Pine SiskinSpinus pinusResidentCommon11–14 cmRecorded all year · 1.14% in Dec
Common LoonGavia immerResidentCommon66–91 cmRecorded all year · 1.10% in Dec
Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulusWinter visitorCommon19–23 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 1.10% in Dec
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataWinter visitorCommon48–60 cmRecorded all year · 1.09% in Dec
Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosusWinter visitorCommon18–26 cmRecorded all year · 1.07% in Dec
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisWinter visitorCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.04% in Dec
Pacific WrenTroglodytes pacificusResidentCommon8–12 cmRecorded all year · 0.94% in Dec
Varied ThrushIxoreus naeviusResidentCommon20–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.92% in Dec
Greater ScaupAythya marilaResidentCommon39–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.77% in Dec
Pacific LoonGavia pacificaResidentCommon58–74 cmRecorded all year · 0.73% in Dec
Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegenaResidentCommon40–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.71% in Dec
American RobinTurdus migratoriusSummer visitorCommon20–28 cmRecorded all year · 0.67% in Dec
Canada GooseBranta canadensisSummer visitorCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year · 0.63% in Dec
Great Blue HeronArdea herodiasWinter visitorCommon91–137 cmRecorded all year · 0.61% in Dec
Trumpeter SwanCygnus buccinatorResidentCommon139–157 cmRecorded all year · 0.60% in Dec
White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrysSummer visitorCommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.55% in Dec
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraWinter visitorCommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.46% in Dec
Northern FlickerColaptes auratusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.39% in Dec
Fox SparrowPasserella iliacaSummer visitorCommon15–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.38% in Dec
Eurasian TealAnas creccaSummer visitorCommon34–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.38% in Dec
Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalisResidentCommon15–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.34% in Dec
Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatusWinter visitorUncommon24–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.32% in Dec
GadwallMareca streperaResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in Dec
Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatusWinter visitorUncommon40–49 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.21% in Dec
Lincoln's SparrowMelospiza lincolniiSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Dec
DunlinCalidris alpinaResidentCommon16–22 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Dec
American Tree SparrowSpizelloides arboreaSummer visitorCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Dec
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoWinter visitorUncommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Dec
Iceland GullLarus glaucoidesWinter visitorCommon52–60 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.19% in Dec
Northern PintailAnas acutaSummer visitorCommon59–76 cmRecorded all year · 0.18% in Dec
American Herring GullLarus smithsonianusSummer visitorCommon53–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Dec
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataSummer visitorCommon53–69 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Dec
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorUncommon42–51 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.13% in Dec
Great Horned OwlBubo virginianusWinter visitorUncommon46–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Dec
EiderSomateria mollissimaSummer visitorCommon50–71 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.13% in Dec
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusWinter visitorUncommon50–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Dec
American Three-toed WoodpeckerPicoides dorsalisResidentUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Dec
BramblingFringilla montifringillaWinter visitorUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.12% in Dec
MerlinFalco columbariusSummer visitorCommon24–33 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Dec
Ruby-crowned KingletCorthylio calendulaSummer visitorCommon9–11 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.12% in Dec
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeusResidentUncommon34–43 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Dec
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreusSummer visitorCommon62–68 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Dec
Ruffed GrouseBonasa umbellusWinter visitorUncommon41–50 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.09% in Dec
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataSummer visitorCommon44–51 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.09% in Dec
Northern Pygmy-owlGlaucidium gnomaWinter visitorUncommon15–17 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.08% in Dec
Rock PtarmiganLagopus mutaSummer visitorUncommon34–36 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Dec
Northern Saw-whet OwlAegolius acadicusWinter visitorUncommon17–21 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.07% in Dec
Wood DuckAix sponsaWinter visitorUncommon47–54 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.07% in Dec
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorUncommon18–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Dec
King EiderSomateria spectabilisSummer visitorCommon46–64 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.06% in Dec
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusSummer visitorCommon34–58 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.06% in Dec
Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podicepsWinter visitorUncommon31–38 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.05% in Dec
Red-breasted SapsuckerSphyrapicus ruberSummer visitorUncommon19–22 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Dec
Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceusResidentUncommon17–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Dec
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaWinter visitorUncommon40–47 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.04% in Dec
Black-backed WoodpeckerPicoides arcticusWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Dec
Boreal OwlAegolius funereusWinter visitorUncommon21–28 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.04% in Dec
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusPassage migrantRare140–165 cmRegularly Jun–Dec · 0.03% in Dec
Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensisSummer visitorUncommon45–65 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.02% in Dec
Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorumPassage migrantUncommon15–18 cmRegularly Jun–Dec · 0.02% in Dec
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleSummer visitorUncommon30–32 cmRegularly May–Dec · 0.02% in Dec
Mountain BluebirdSialia currucoidesPassage migrantUncommon15–18 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.02% in Dec
Swamp SparrowMelospiza georgianaResidentRare12–15 cmRegularly Oct–Dec · 0.01% in Dec
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentRare80–104 cmRegularly Nov–Dec · 0.01% in Dec
Arctic LoonGavia arcticaSummer visitorUncommon58–77 cmRegularly May–Dec · 0.01% in Dec
Western Screech-owlMegascops kennicottiiWinter visitorUncommon19–25 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.00% in Dec
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made