Birds Found on the Arctic Slope of Northern AlaskaBee, James W.
Science
Birds Found on the Arctic Slope of Northern Alaska
Bee, James W.
Birds -- Alaska
Numerous calls of the Arctic loon were heard on the Barrier Lake area.
When a person enters the territory of a family of loons, the male
makes a sound similar to a courting tomcat. The female responds with a
like sound and in addition concludes her call with a high pitched
note. When mildly disturbed, low guttural notes are uttered by both
sexes, and are continued as a person penetrates farther into the
territory of the loons, especially when young are present. In addition
to the above-mentioned calls, loons have a ravenlike call, one
resembling the cackling of a domestic fowl, and another resembling the
bleating of a lamb.
The male concerns himself less than does the female with the safety of
the family; nevertheless, attempts were noted in which the male
endeavored to decoy the intruder and allow the female and young to
retreat from the area. The loons react to caribou, if these animals
approach too closely to the shore line adjacent to the territory of
the loons.
On July 30, 1951, pairs of loons were flying over the tundra between
Barrier Lake and Teshekpuk Lake.
On an airflight from Teshekpuk Lake to Point Barrow (Aug. 4, 1951) I
saw Arctic loons as follows: 63 miles from Point Barrow, one; 25 miles
from Point Barrow, two; 10 miles from Point Barrow, four.
At Chandler Lake (Aug. 12, 1951), a single Arctic loon was frequently
heard at the southeast end near the mouth of the Chandler River. In
the evening of August 13, the wind changed from the normal southern
wind to a cold wind from the north. Thereafter no Arctic loon was
detected at the mouth of the river until August 22 when a bird there
called at three intervals in the day. Presumably the change in
direction of wind caused the fish and the loon to leave the south end
of the lake. Arctic loons in other parts of the lake were heard every
day from August 8 to August 25 inclusive.
On August 19, 1952, when we flew from Umiat to Gavia Lake, the loons
seemed to be more restless and more easily disturbed than on our
earlier flights. Wariness probably increases as the season advances.
On August 20, 1952, through August 23, 1952, six pairs of Arctic loons
and 10 old squaw ducks were on Gavia Lake (named after the Arctic
loon, genus _Gavia_). These were the only large birds on the lake on
these dates. The loons dove as they sensed danger, emitting, before
the dive, a single doglike yelp.
On September 2, 1952, at 1/2 mile northeast of Barrow Village, we passed
an Arctic loon on the beach six feet from the waters of the Arctic
Ocean. On the return trip, two hours later, the loon was again seen in
the same area, now preening its feathers. As we approached it walked
to the water and began to swim through the breakers of the ocean. Snow
was falling, telling of the approach of the migratory season for this
species.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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