The last seven days on iNaturalist, checked against five years

Rare Birds in Alaska This Week

Q: What rare birds are in Alaska this week?

The lists above, read live from iNaturalist: first the birds within 25 miles of Anchorage, then the whole state. Each species is checked against five years of confirmed sightings, and the most unusual come first.

Q: How many bird species are seen in Alaska?

384 bird species in 69,310 confirmed iNaturalist sightings between 2021-10-09 and 2026-10-01. 67 of those species have 3 or fewer confirmed sightings in the state, so a new one of them is news.

Q: What counts as rare in Alaska?

Near Anchorage or your own ZIP, a species with 3 or fewer confirmed sightings within 25 miles in five years, or one that is seen there but almost never in these weeks of the year. On the statewide list, a species with 3 or fewer confirmed sightings anywhere in Alaska.

Q: Who confirms rare bird records in Alaska?

The University of Alaska Museum, which keeps the Checklist of Alaska Birds. From its page: “The Alaska Checklist now stands at 551 species. Of these 55 are rare, 166 are casual, and 82 are accidental (see Withrow et al. 2026).”

Q: How do I see rare birds near me in Alaska?

Enter your ZIP on the rare bird alert for a list around your own spot, and check it each week in spring and fall migration, when most strays turn up. Each bird links to its iNaturalist species page with photographs and a range map.

Q: Are needs ID sightings included?

Yes, for this week only, because confirmation takes days and a rare bird may be gone by then. The five year record the week is checked against counts research grade sightings only.

Alaska logged 69,310 confirmed bird sightings across 384 species on iNaturalist in five years, and 67 of those species have 3 or fewer confirmed sightings. The live list near Anchorage covers 25 miles around the city. The University of Alaska Museum keeps the Checklist of Alaska Birds.

Near Anchorage

Rare birds near Anchorage this week

Every bird posted within 25 miles of Anchorage in the last seven days, with the ones that are rare there, out of season or uncommon first and the reason for each.

Reading this week's bird sightings within 25 miles of Anchorage from iNaturalist.

Somewhere else in Alaska? Enter your ZIP for the circle around it.

Alaska birds on the record

iNaturalist, research grade

69,310

Confirmed bird sightings

research grade iNaturalist records, five years

384

Bird species on record

seen and confirmed in Alaska

Species seen 3 times or fewer

17 percent of the state list, the birds that make news

25 mi

Live circle

around Anchorage, or any ZIP you enter

Counted from iNaturalist’s research grade bird records in Alaska from October 9, 2021 to October 1, 2026, read October 9, 2026.

Across Alaska

The whole state this week

Every bird reported anywhere in Alaska in the last seven days, checked against the state’s own five year record: Rare here means 3 or fewer confirmed sightings in the whole state.

Reading this week's bird sightings across Alaska from iNaturalist.

What turns up here

Who confirms a rare bird in Alaska

384 bird species have confirmed iNaturalist records in Alaska over five years, and 67 of them were confirmed 3 times or fewer. A sighting of one of those is the kind a state records committee reviews before it joins the official list. The University of Alaska Museum names 2 birds on its own page, below.

University of Alaska Museum

The University of Alaska Museum keeps the Checklist of Alaska Birds.

“The Alaska Checklist now stands at 551 species. Of these 55 are rare, 166 are casual, and 82 are accidental (see Withrow et al. 2026).”

University of Alaska Museum, read October 9, 2026.

Birds the committee names

The museum’s 2026 checklist comments name two species new to Alaska: Hawaiian Petrel and Broad-winged Hawk.

Hawaiian Petrel
Broad-winged Hawk

Nine birders and photographers on a wooden boardwalk over a marsh, with long lenses, a spotting scope and binoculars all pointed to the left, under spring trees — Birders and photographers setting up on an overlook. Word of an unusual bird travels this way: one person posts a photograph, and the people nearby go and look. “Birdwatchers stop to set up equipment at overlook”, Steve Hillebrand, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain

Alaska rare bird questions

What rare birds are in Alaska this week?

How many bird species are seen in Alaska?

What counts as rare in Alaska?

Who confirms rare bird records in Alaska?

Which rare birds has the Alaska committee named?

How do I see rare birds near me in Alaska?

Are needs ID sightings included?

More for Alaska birders

Rare birds near any ZIPEnter a ZIP for this week’s unusual birds around it.Alaska fall migrationWhen the big flights pass over.Alaska hummingbird migrationWhen they arrive and when they leave.Alaska eagle watchingWhere bald eagles gather in winter.Alaska sandhill crane migrationWhere the cranes stage and when.Alaska winter birdsWhat comes to the feeder when it snows.

Rare birds in other states

Sightings and records from iNaturalist, read live for this week. The lists are built from counts per species, and each bird links to its species page. For your own spot, enter a ZIP on the rare bird alert.