Thanks to everyone who joined us for bird walks in September. Great to see you all!

October Events

October Evening Program: Tuesday, October 13th at 6:00 pm at the BP Energy Center in midtown Anchorage.

Katie Christe and Alfredo Navas will talk about Alaska’s long-distance migratory songbirds and their perspectives from both the breeding and wintering grounds. Katie Christie is based in Anchorage and is the research coordinator for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Threatened, Endangered, and Diversity Program. She will talk about the Olive-sided Flycatcher and Blackpoll Warbler and what we know about their ecology and population dynamics in Alaska. Alfredo Navas is a biologist based in Columbia. He is the director of Fundación Iguaraya, a local organization that for the past 12 years has promoted conservation by working with local people in La Guajira, Colombia. He will join us from Columbia via Zoom to talk about the conservation projects on the Guajira Peninsula, including one that benefits thousands of Blackpoll Warblers, as well as the community development work that has grown from the conservation projects. The Guajira Peninsula is a major stopover site for migratory songbirds at the northern tip of South America. 

We will also share some general updates, compete for door prizes, and of course, there will be cookies!

October Field Trips

All programs and field trips are also listed on the Anchorage Audubon website here. Email us at info@anchorageaudubon.org if you need more information about an event.

Small Hike at Hillside Park: Saturday, October 3rd, 9:30 -10:30 am. Meet in the main Hillside Park parking lot on Abbot Loop Road.

We will do a short, easy loop close and look for resident and late migrant birds in the more boreal forest area of Anchorage. Likely to see both chickadees, kinglets, Canada Jay, and perhaps a Pacific Wren? Bring appropriate clothing for the weather.

Intro to eBird at Audubon Bench: Wednesday, October 7th, 5:30 - 7:00 pm. Meet at the Audubon wayside platform along the Coastal Trail just west of Westchester Lagoon.

Want to learn how to use eBird or are you already using eBird but have questions? We’ll explore eBird app questions during the high tide at the Audubon wayside. High tide is at 6:00 pm but stop by anytime during this hour-and-a-half meet up to see what birds are still around, chat about eBird, and get ready for your October Big Day. This is a rain or shine event. (We’ll have a tent up in case of rain but dress appropriately for the weather.)

Fall Freeze-Up: Saturday, October 10th, 9:00 am to noon. Meet at the wildlife viewing platform at Westchester lagoon. Come watch waterfowl and other birds at hotspots around town before the lakes freeze. Andrew Fisher will lead this outing to two waterbird locations around town including Westchester Lagoon and Lake Hood/Spenard. Enjoy searching for the less usual waterbird species during this exciting time of year or just enjoy the typical species that are still here. Bring binoculars, a scope if you have one, snacks and/or lunch and dress for the weather. We will bird rain, snow, or shine. Blueberry scones will be provided!

Wednesday Walk at Westchester: Wednesday, October 14th at 6:30 pm.

This might be our final Westchester Walk for the winter. Meet at the wildlife viewing platform at the lagoon and we’ll see what is still around.

October Big Day - Go Birding!

October Big Day is October 10th! This is an event organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and last October, almost a million people united for a single day of birding. In Anchorage, 19 people braved the cooler temperatures last October to go birding. Organizers of this event are hoping to beat these numbers and make this year the first October Big Day with more than a million people enjoying birds together.

So, wherever you are on October 10th, 2026, take a few minutes to enjoy birds and share what you see and hear through the Merlin or eBird app. Join us on our Fall Freeze-Up field trip, record birds in your yard or on a walk through your neighborhood.

Send us a photo from your October Big Day to info@anchorageaudubon.org and we’ll share some of those pics at our in-person meeting in December.

What is Project FeederWatch?

Contribute sightings of birds at your feeders this winter to a national effort that documents species, numbers, and other information that helps birds! You choose the location, when to count, and how much time to observe. Data for Project FeederWatch is fun to collect, and the information has led to some important findings, such as:

• Bird-window collisions and the best distance between bird feeders and home windows to reduce these collisions (it’s 30 feet)

• Trend information for common feeder species and whether they are increasing, remaining stable, or decreasing in your area

• Disease observations that have led to findings and implications at a global scale

The Project FeederWatch observation period starts November 1st, so sign up and get ready for winter birding from your home! Have questions? Send us an email at info@anchorageaudubon.org

Need Window Stickers?

Don’t put up with bird-window collisions at your home or office. Let us help! Send an email to info@anchorageaudubon.org and we can advise on different solutions and help provide effective window treatments, potentially at no cost to you.

Getting Ready for CBC (Christmas Bird Count), December 19th

This year’s CBC in Anchorage will be Saturday, December 19, 2026, and is hosted by Anchorage Audubon. The CBC in Anchorage has been one of the most active in North America, with more than 100 volunteers per year counting birds across the city. We are looking for volunteers that can assist in ensuring we have enough volunteers for each of the count areas across Anchorage and to assist with the final tally of birds seen on December 19th. Let us know if you are available to help! Send us an email at info@anchorageaudubon.org

Do Golden-crowned Sparrows Spend the Winter in Anchorage?

Yes, some do, but it’s rare. Golden-crowned Sparrows breed almost exclusively in Alaska and western Canada and are a mid-distance migrant, with birds from southcentral Alaska moving down the Pacific Coast in August and September to areas in the Pacific Northwest for winter (see map below).

Studies of their diet found that seeds and other plant material were the most common foods but that insects were also consumed. Snow cover makes all of those foods harder to find during winters in Alaska. However, Golden-crowned Sparrows have been seen late into November in low snow years and at feeders throughout the winter in the Anchorage municipality, so keep an eye out for them! They are larger than a chickadee, with a faint yellow cap, a thin black line on their throat, and darker plumage overall. They don’t sing in winter, but we can look forward to hearing their sweet ‘oh dear me’ song next summer.

Enjoy the birds!