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Yukon

This page lists books about birds and birdwatching in the Canadian territory of Yukon.

The books are arranged by publication date with the most recent at the top of the page.


Canada

For bird books that cover all, or a large part, of Canada see the following pages:

Canada
North America

 

Birds of Western Canada

Editor: David M. Bird

Dorling Kindersley

2013

"Ideal for Canadian birdwatchers and bird lovers of every age! Each of these regional field guides are filled with page after page of magnificent close-up photographs and helpful full-page profiles of hundreds of commonly seen species. With an East / West division made at the 100th meridian (approximately Winnipeg) these handy books offer scientifically accurate and readable accounts of notable characteristics and information everything from behavior and habitat to nest construction and conservation status. Each profile also features diagrams of flight patterns and statistics of size, wingspan and lifespan. These invaluable reference guides are both detailed and accessible, with a user-friendly format that will make it easy for birders to enjoy either studying one species account at a time or browsing to make cross comparisons."

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Herschel Island Qikiqtaryuk: A Natural and Cultural History

Christopher R.Burn

University of Calgary Press

2012

"Herschel Island is a remarkable place. For hundreds of years, it sustained aboriginal people who lived off the sea, and its shelter provided a base for the western Artic whaling fleet in the 1890s. It was namen by Joht Franklin during a voyage to establish sovereignty over arctic North America, and it was the location of the first police detachment in the Canadian Artic. Herschel Island was a logistical centre during the offshore oil boom of the 1970s and early 1980s, but it is now designated as a territorial park, a reserve established as a result of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement. As a wilderness park, it is a semi-contained ecosystem and presents land, ocean, and coastal environments."

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Arctic Shorebirds in North America

Editors: Jonathan Robert Bart and Victoria Helen Johnston

Studies In Avian Biology 44

Cooper Ornithological Society

2012

"Each year shorebirds from North and South America migrate thousands of miles to spend the summer in the Arctic. There they feed in shoreline marshes and estuaries along some of the most productive and pristine coasts anywhere. With so much available food they are able to reproduce almost explosively; and as winter approaches, they retreat south along with their offspring, to return to the Arctic the following spring. This remarkable pattern of movement and activity has been the object of intensive study by an international team of ornithologists who have spent a decade counting, surveying, and observing these shorebirds. In this important synthetic work, they address multiple questions about these migratory bird populations. How many birds occupy Arctic ecosystems each summer? How long do visiting shorebirds linger before heading south? How fecund are these birds? Where exactly do they migrate and where exactly do they return? Are their populations growing or shrinking? The results of this study are crucial for better understanding how environmental policies will influence Arctic habitats as well as the far-ranging winter habitats used by migratory shorebirds."

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The Arctic: A Guide To Coastal Wildlife

Tony Soper

Bradt Wildlife Guides

Bradt

3rd edition

2012

"An engaging and beautifully illustrated guide to some of the most exciting wildlife in the world. This enchanting guide to the birds, animals and marine life of the Arctic Ocean and its polar fringes, is a fascinating and informative read. Visitors to the region can cruise the arctic coast in the company of blue whales and belugas, observe polar bears pursuing barnacle geese and seals, and experience a host of shorebirds and wildfowl gorging on the abundant food. Tony Soper's expert knowledge is richly supplemented with full-colour illustrations by award-winning wildlife artist Dan Powell. This revised edition includes a new section covering the distinct flora and fauna of the Bering Sea, an area about to see a significant increase in visitor numbers as a direct result of changes in the ice cover of the Arctic Ocean."

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Boreal Birds of North America: A Hemispheric View of Their Conservation Links and Significance

Editors: Jeffrey V. Wells

Studies In Avian Biology 41

Cooper Ornithological Society

2011

"Reaching from interior Alaska across Canada to Labrador and Newfoundland, North America's boreal forest is the largest wilderness area left on the planet. It is critical habitat for billions of birds; more than 300 species regularly breed there. After the breeding season, many boreal birds migrate to seasonal habitats across the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. This volume brings together new research on boreal bird biology and conservation. It highlights the importance of the region to the global avifauna and to the connectivity between the boreal forest and ecoregions throughout the Americas. The contributions showcase a unique set of perspectives on the migration, wintering ecology, and conservation of bird communities that are tied to the boreal forest in ways that may not have been previously considered."

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Checklist Of The Birds Of Dawson, Yukon

Cameron D. Eckert and Pamela Sinclair

Yukon Bird Club

2010

8 page foldout booklet

"This first edition of the Dawson checklist summarizes the seasonal status of 154 species which have been recorded in the area, with confirmed breeding records for 34 species. The information here draws on observations that go back well over one-hundred years, yet there is still much to learn. Numerous species expected in the Dawson area for which records are lacking include Ring-necked Duck, Rednecked Phalarope, and even Arctic Tern. As well, there are relatively few confirmed breeding records, even for common species."

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Checklist Of The Birds Of Whitehorse, Yukon

Cameron D. Eckert, Helmut Grünberg, Lee Kubica, and Pamela Sinclair

Yukon Bird Club

2010

8 page foldout booklet

"Since the first edition of this checklist in 1995, a remarkable 47 new species have been recorded in the area. While this is largely a result of the tenacious efforts of Yukon birders, bird populations are also changing. Southern invaders such as American Crow and House Sparrow, previously rare, are now nesting here. As well, an amazing array of rarities has occurred over the years. A decade ago, no one would have expected that the likes of Snowy Plover, Tundra Bean-Goose, Dusky Thrush, Hooded Oriole, or Lesser Goldfinch would ever appear on a Yukon checklist - yet here they are. This checklist describes the seasonal status of 264 species which have been documented in the area, with confirmed breeding records for 129 species."

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Checklist Of Yukon Birds

Cameron Eckert, Helmut Grünberg, Greg Kubica, Lee Kubica, and Pamela Sinclair

Yukon Bird Club

2008

8 page foldout booklet

"This checklist summarizes the occurrence and breeding status of 303 species which have been documented in the Yukon. Breeding has been confirmed for 195 species, and 41 species are known to occur annually in winter. Distribution codes indicate species which are typically found in a limited range in the Yukon. Frequency codes indicate species which are rare, casual or accidental. Species names and taxonomic order follow the American Ornithologists Union checklist."

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Three Rivers: The Yukon's Great Boreal Wilderness

Margaret Atwood, John Ralston Saul, Courtney Milne, Juri Peepre, Sarah Locke and others

Harbour Publishing

2006

"Previously unknown to the outside world, the Yukon's Three Rivers watershed is emerging as an environmental issue of global importance - a key piece of the boreal region. The boreal forest is like a green banner draped around the northern hemisphere. It is the world' s largest expanse of intact forest, covering nearly 11 percent of our planet' s surface. Every breath we take is in part a gift from this immense, earth-circling ecosystem. Now the renewed Mackenzie Valley pipeline proposal, the Alaska Pipeline and escalating energy and mineral exploration in the north all threaten this last world-scale refuge of natural values - and conservationists around the world are mobilizing to defend it. Three Rivers" focuses on one of the most strategic undisturbed regions left in the world, an oceanic wilderness that is under threat from gas and mining development. Packed with awe-inspiring photography, art and writings by such notables as Courtney Milne, Margaret Atwood and John Ralston Saul, this sumptuous volume offers an unforgettable tour of a natural wonderland so rich in grizzly bears, wolves, caribou, peregrine falcons and wildflowers most will have difficulty believing such a place still exists."

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Travelling the Dempster

John Neville

Trafford Publishing

2006

"Travel Canada's fabulous Dempster Highway with nature recordist John Neville, the Birdsong Man. Enjoy bird encounters from a nature recordist's point of view."

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Monitoring Black Guillemot Population And Nesting Success At Herschel Island, Yukon Territory - 2005

Cameron D. Eckert, Dorothy Cooley, and Richard R. Gordon

Department of Environment, Government of the Yuko

2006

"The Black Guillemot colony at Pauline Cove on Herschel Island is the only one in the Yukon Territory, and one of the few in the western Arctic. This colony has been monitored for population and nesting success since about 1984. The nearest Black Guillemot nesting colony to Herschel Island, and the largest in the western Arctic is located at Point Barrow, Alaska. Researchers there have monitored that colony since the early 1970s and have explored link s between population declines, poor nesting productivity , changes in the physical environment, and climate change. The monitoring of Black Guillemot population and nesting success at Herschel Island Territorial Park can provide valuable information for understanding changes across the Beaufort Sea region."

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Boreal Forest of Canada and Russia

W.O. Pruitt and L.M. Baskin

Pensoft

2004

Bilingual parallel text: Russian and English

"Our planet's green halo is the circumpolar taiga or boreal forest. This forest is remarkably uniform in its climate, vegetation types and animal types. All life forms here have evolved adaptations to the long, cold and snowy winters, the short, hot and dry summers and the swiftly-changing seasons. The same genera and families of birds and mammals occur in this forest type in Eurasia and North America. Humans have invaded and exploited these northern coniferous forests differently in Canada and Russia. Although the history of human use has been different between the two countries the end results in both frequently have been catastrophic for vegetation, animals and some human groups. Such similarities and differences have been studied by biologists, human ecologists, anthropologists and other scientists at two research and teaching field stations in the taiga."

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Birds of the Yukon Territory

Editor: Pamela H. Sinclair, Wendy A. Nixon, Cameron D. Eckert and Nancy L. Hughes

University of British Columbia Press

2003

"In the spirit of our bestselling Birds of British Columbia series, Birds of the Yukon Territory provides unprecedented coverage of the bird species of the Yukon. Lavishly illustrated with more than 400 colour photographs and 223 hand-drawn bird illustrations, the book presents a wealth of information on bird distribution, migration and breeding chronology, nesting behaviour, habitat use, and conservation concerns. Two hundred eighty-eight species of birds are documented, including 223 regular species, and 65 casual and accidental species. In compiling this meticulously researched volume, the authors consulted over 166,000 records in a database created by the Canadian Wildlife Service, with information dating back to 1861. Sections on birds in Aboriginal culture and history, and bird names in the Yukon First Nations and Inuvialuit languages, enhance the book, as do the numerous easily interpreted charts and graphs. Destined to become a basic reference work on the avifauna of the North, Birds of the Yukon Territory is a must-have for bird enthusiasts and anyone interested in the natural history of the Yukon and the Northern regions."

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Yukon Wild

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society

2nd edition

2002

"Yukon Wild is a concise, illustrated guide to the Yukon's 23 distinct natural regions, describing their unique landforms, flora and fauna. Excerpts of writings by different authors highlight how the Yukon wilds stir the spirit of northern peoples. Status reports on conservation and protected areas outline what progress has been made and what remains to be done to protect wildlife habitat and representative examples of each ecoregion."

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Canada's Boreal Forest

J. David Henry

Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press

2002

"In Canada alone, the boreal forest (also called the taiga) covers more that 1.5 million square miles, fully one-third of the country and 20 percent of the entire North American continent. Terminating to the north with the treeless tundra, this region is inhabited and utilized by indigenous people and is home to unique populations of plants and animals found nowhere else on the planet. J. David Henry challenges the perception of the boreal forest as an "economic wasteland" by explaining how economically and ecologically valuable it is. He begins by answering some common questions about the region and explains its intricate geology. An in-depth examination follows of three factors that play an enormous role in shaping the complex life of the boreal forest: snow, forest fires, and peatlands. Henry looks at the dynamics of the region's vegetation and the evolution of its animals, and discusses the fascinating ten-year predator-prey cycle of snowshoe hares and Canadian lynx, one of the most famous examples of ecological interconnection. In Canada's boreal forest, loggers have clear cut an area the size of Great Britain. The final portion of the book examines initiatives from Scandinavia and Finland in order to offer alternatives to large-scale logging and mining, suggesting how humans can live and work in the boreal forest in a sustainable and responsible manner."

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A Birder's Guide to Alaska

George C. West

American Birding Association

2002

"A Birder's Guide to Alaska gives you the detailed information you need to find the Great Lands great birds. Over 60 locations are covered, including the state's entire road system, the Alaska Highway from Dawson Creek, British Columbia through the Yukon to Alaska, the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system, and the Alaska Marine Highway from British Columbia to Alaska. Special attention is given to providing birding information for the larger communities of Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau, in addition to Alaska's popular tourist destinations: Denali National Park, the Inside Passage, the Kenai Peninsula, and Nome. Year-round birding information is included for most locations."

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Spring Birds At Swan Haven

Department of Environment, Government of the Yuko

2002

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Ten Great Places To Go Birdwatching In Whitehorse

Cameron D. Eckert

Yukon Bird Club

2001

8 page foldout booklet

"Whitehorse is surrounded by seemingly endless wilderness and offers an extraordinary natural setting. Diverse habitats include wetlands, expansive boreal forest, and alpine tundra. This natural mosaic, with its mix of southern and northern species is an attractive destination for birdwatchers and naturalists. About 230 species of birds have been documented in the area with about 110 breeding species. First time visitors are usually surprised to see southern species like Killdeer, American Robin, and Red-winged Blackbird. However, their first encounters with Pacific Loon, Northern Goshawk, Willow Ptarmigan, Arctic Tern, Gray Jay, Boreal Chickadee, and the ever-present Common Raven reminds them that they have definitely arrived in the North."

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Checklist Of The Birds Of Herschel Island

Cameron D. Eckert, Helmut Grünberg, and Pamela Sinclair

Yukon Bird Club

2000

6 page foldout booklet

"This checklist summarizes the occurrence and breeding status of 94 species of birds which have been recorded on Herschel Island. Breeding has been confirmed for 40 species. Frequency codes indicate relative abundance from spring through fall. Species names and taxonomic order follow the A.O.U. checklist."

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Checklist Of The Tombstone Territorial Park

Yukon Bird Club

2000?

6 page foldout booklet

"This checklist summarizes the occurrence and breeding status of 148 species which have been recorded in Tombstone Territorial Park and vicinity. Breeding has been confirmed for 38 species. Species names and taxonomic order follow the A.O.U. checklist (1998) and supplements."

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Breeding Bird Communities in the Forests of the Liard River Valley, Yukon

Cameron D. Eckert

Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada

1997

"The goals of this study were: 1) to identify avian communities associated with forested habitats in the Liard River Valley, and 2) to identify specialist species which exhibit restricted habitat use and are therefore most threatened by alterations to the natural landscape."

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A Birder's Guide To The Atlin Valley Of British Columbia And The Yukon

Richard S. Lee

Moose Mountain Publications

1989

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Birds by the Dempster Highway

Robert Frisch

1982

"This guide is useful for identifying birds that can be found along the Dempster Highway, which runs from just east of Dawson City north to Inuvik near the Beaufort Sea."

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Results Of A Biological Reconnaissance Of The Yukon River Region

General Account Of The Region

Annotated List Of Mammals: Wilfred H. Osgood

Annotated List Of Birds: Louis B. Bishop

North American Fauna, Number 19

Division of Biological Survey

US Department Of Agriculture

1900

From the introduction:

Nowhere else in North America is such a vast extent of boreal country so easily accessible as along the Yukon. The navigable waters of the river begin at Lake Bennett, only 35 miles from the port of Skagway. on the coast of southeast Alaska, and with but one short interruption, extend northward as far as the Arctic Circle and then westward to Bering Sea; in all, a distance of more than 1,800 miles. The recent developments resulting from the discovery of gold in this region include a modern railroad from Skagway to Bennett and a tramcar service around the dangerous White Horse Rapids. The chief obstacles to ready access to the territory have thus been removed, and an opportunity is afforded for obtaining specimens and information from a region much of which was previously unknown to naturalists. Accordingly, with Dr. Louis B. Bishop as voluntary companion and A. G. Maddren as assistant, I was detailed to make a hasty biological reconnoissance of this region during the summer of 1899.
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Last updated January 2014