Birds 'n' Bogs

Overview

The Alaska Birds 'n' Bogs Program is a volunteer-based effort designed to collect valuable information about boreal birds in Southcentral Alaska. This program evolved from the "Loon and Grebe Watch Program" to include additional boreal birds of conservation concern.

The goal of the Birds 'n' Bogs Program is to document the abundance and distribution of Common, Pacific, and Red-throated Loons, Red necked and Horned Grebes, Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpipers, Rusty Blackbirds, Olive-Sided Flycatchers, Tree Swallows, and Violet-Green Swallows. Surveys are conducted during the breeding season by citizen scientists in wetlands around Anchorage and the Matanuska Valley. This program helps biologists monitor population trends and identify important habitats for these wetland associated birds. It is also a terrific opportunity to learn about loons, grebes, swallows, and other boreal birds in your neighborhood.

Using over 10,000 observations of Pacific and Common Loons recorded by citizen scientists for this program, we published a paper on long-term trends in abundance. Click here to learn more about this study. To get involved in this program, subscribe to our email list or contact Arin Underwood at arin.underwood@alaska.gov. For survey times and protocols, visit our resources page.