Wildlife
What lives in Gates of the Arctic
Last verified NPS species database
Every animal below comes from the National Park Service’s own species list for Gates of the Arctic: 38 mammals, 121 birds, 0 reptiles, 1 amphibians and 1 fish recorded as present. Status words (present, unconfirmed, not in park) are the NPS’s, not ours.
Animals people ask about
Grizzly / brown bear
Ursus arctos · Common
Black bear
Ursus americanus · Occasional
Gray wolf
Canis lupus · Common
Coyote
Canis latrans
Canada lynx
Lynx canadensis
Wolverine
Gulo gulo
Moose
Alces alces · Common
Caribou
Rangifer tarandus · Abundant
Bald eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Golden eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
By group
Species counts
Present or probably present per the NPS list. “Listed” includes species the NPS has evaluated but marks unconfirmed or not in park.
- Mammals
- 38
- 39 listed
- Birds
- 130
- 134 listed
- Reptiles
- 0
- 0 listed
- Amphibians
- 1
- 1 listed
- Fish
- 17
- 17 listed
Mammals
All 38 mammals recorded in Gates of the Arctic
Most abundant first, as the NPS rates them.
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caribou | Rangifer tarandus | Abundant | ||
| Dall's sheep | Ovis dalli | Abundant | ||
| American beaver | Castor canadensis | Common | ||
| Brown bear | Ursus arctos | Common | ||
| Gray Wolf | Canis lupus | Common | ||
| Moose | Alces alces | Common | ||
| Land otter | Lontra canadensis | Uncommon | ||
| American black bear | Ursus americanus | Occasional | ||
| Mink | Mustela vison | Rare | ||
| Porcupine | Erethizon dorsatum | Rare | ||
| Alaska marmot | Marmota broweri | |||
| American marten | Martes americana |
Show the other 26 mammals ↓The other 26
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arctic fox | Alopex lagopus | |||
| Arctic ground squirrel | Spermophilus parryii | |||
| Barren ground shrew | Sorex ugyunak | |||
| Brown lemming | Lemmus trimucronatus | |||
| Cinereus shrew | Sorex cinereus | |||
| Collared lemming | Dicrostonyx groenlandicus | |||
| Coyote | Canis latrans | |||
| Dusky shrew | Sorex monticolus | |||
| Ermine | Mustela erminea | |||
| Least weasel | Mustela nivalis | |||
| Lynx | Lynx canadensis | |||
| Meadow vole | Microtus pennsylvanicus | |||
| Muskox | Ovibos moschatus | |||
| Muskrat | Ondatra zibethicus | |||
| Northern bog lemming | Synaptomys borealis | |||
| Northern red-backed vole | Clethrionomys rutilus | |||
| Pygmy shrew | Sorex hoyi | |||
| Red fox | Vulpes vulpes | |||
| Red squirrel | Tamiasciurus hudsonicus | |||
| Singing vole | Microtus miurus | |||
| Snowshoe hare | Lepus americanus | |||
| Taiga vole | Microtus xanthognathus | |||
| Tiny shrew | Sorex yukonicus | |||
| Tundra shrew | Sorex tundrensis | |||
| Tundra vole | Microtus oeconomus | |||
| Wolverine | Gulo gulo |
Birds
130 birds — show the list ↓
Birds
130 birds — show the list ↓
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern goshawk | Accipiter gentilis | ||
| Sharp-shinned hawk | Accipiter striatus | ||
| Spotted sandpiper | Actitis macularia | ||
| Boreal owl | Aegolius funereus | ||
| Northern pintail | Anas acuta | ||
| American wigeon | Anas americana | ||
| Northern shoveler | Anas clypeata | ||
| Green-winged teal | Anas crecca | ||
| Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos | ||
| Greater white-fronted goose | Anser albifrons | ||
| American pipit | Anthus rubescens | ||
| Golden eagle | Aquila chrysaetos | ||
| Short-eared owl | Asio flammeus | ||
| Lesser scaup | Aythya affinis | ||
| Greater scaup | Aythya marila | ||
| Canvasback | Aythya valisineria | ||
| Upland sandpiper | Bartramia longicauda | ||
| Bohemian wagwing | Bombycilla garrulus | ||
| Canada goose | Branta canadensis | ||
| Great horned owl | Bubo virginianus | ||
| Bufflehead | Bucephala albeola | ||
| Common goldeneye | Bucephala clangula | ||
| Red-tailed hawk | Buteo jamaicensis | ||
| Rough-legged hawk | Buteo lagopus | ||
| Lapland longspur | Calcarius lapponicus | ||
| Smith's longspur | Calcarius pictus | ||
| Sanderling | Calidris alba | ||
| Dunlin | Calidris alpina | Probably Present | |
| Baird's sandpiper | Calidris bairdii | ||
| White-rumped sandpiper | Calidris fuscicollis | Probably Present | |
| Pectoral sandpiper | Calidris melanotos | ||
| Least sandpiper | Calidris minutilla | ||
| Semipalmated sandpiper | Calidris pusilla | ||
| Common redpoll | Carduelis flammea | ||
| Hoary redpoll | Carduelis hornemanni | ||
| Hermit thrush | Catharus guttatus | Probably Present | |
| Gray-cheeked thrush | Catharus minimus | ||
| Swainson's thrush | Catharus ustulatus | ||
| Belted kingfisher | Ceryle alcyon | ||
| Semipalmated plover | Charadrius semipalmatus | ||
| Snow goose | Chen caerulescens | ||
| Northen harrier | Circus cyaneus | ||
| Oldsquaw | Clangula hyemalis | ||
| Northern flicker | Colaptes auratus | ||
| Olive-sided flycatcher | Contopus borealis | ||
| Common raven | Corvus corax | ||
| Tundra swan | Cygnus columbianus | ||
| Spruce grouse | Dendragapus canadensis | ||
| Myrtle warbler | Dendroica coronata | ||
| Yellow warbler | Dendroica petechia | ||
| Blackpoll warbler | Dendroica striata | ||
| Alder flycatcher | Empidonax alnorum | ||
| Horned lark | Eremophila alpestris | ||
| Rusty blackbird | Euphagus carolinus | ||
| Merlin | Falco columbarius | ||
| Peregrin falcon | Falco peregrinus | ||
| Gyrfalcon | Falco rusticolus | ||
| American kestrel | Falco sparverius | ||
| Common snipe | Gallinago gallinago | ||
| Yellow-billed loon | Gavia adamsii | ||
| Common loon | Gavia immer | ||
| Pacific loon | Gavia pacifica | ||
| Red-throated loon | Gavia stellata | ||
| Sandhill crane | Grus canadensis | ||
| Bald eagle | Haliaeetus leucocephalus | ||
| Wandering tattler | Heteroscelus incanus | ||
| Cliff swallow | Hirundo pyrrhonota | ||
| Harlequin duck | Histrionicus histrionicus | ||
| Varied thrush | Ixoreus naevius | ||
| Dark-eyed junco | Junco hyemalis | ||
| Willow ptarmigan | Lagopus lagopus | ||
| Rock ptarmigan | Lagopus mutus | ||
| Northern shrike | Lanius excubitor | ||
| Herring gull | Larus argentatus | ||
| Mew gull | Larus canus | ||
| Glaucus gull | Larus hyperboreus | ||
| Bonaparte's gull | Larus philadelphia | ||
| Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch | Leucosticte tephrocotis | ||
| Long-billed dowitcher | Limnodromus scolopaceus | Probably Present | |
| White-winged crossbill | Loxia leucoptera | ||
| White-winged scoter | Melanitta fusca | ||
| Black scoter | Melanitta nigra | ||
| Surf scoter | Melanitta perspicillata | ||
| Lincoln's sparrow | Melospiza lincolnii | ||
| Red-breasted merganser | Mergus serrator | ||
| Yellow wagtail | Motacilla flava | ||
| Townsend's solitaire | Myadestes townsendi | ||
| Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus | ||
| Snowy owl | Nyctea scandiaca | ||
| Northern wheatear | Oenanthe oenanthe | ||
| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | ||
| Black-capped chickadee | Parus atricapillus | ||
| Savannah sparrow | Passerculus sandwichensis | ||
| Fox sparrow | Passerella iliaca | ||
| Gray jay | Perisoreus canadensis | ||
| Red phalarope | Phalaropus fulicaria | ||
| Red-necked phalarope | Phalaropus lobatus | ||
| Arctic warbler | Phylloscopus borealis | Probably Present | |
| Downy woodpecker | Picoides pubescens | Probably Present | |
| Three-toed woodpecker | Picoides tridactylus | ||
| Hairy woodpecker | Picoides villosus | ||
| Pine grosbeak | Pinicola enucleator | ||
| Snow bunting | Plectrophenax nivalis | ||
| American golden-plover | Pluvialis dominica | ||
| Black-bellied plover | Pluvialis squatarola | ||
| Horned grebe | Podiceps auritus | ||
| Red-necked grebe | Podiceps grisegena | ||
| Boreal Chickadee | Poecile hudsonicus | Probably Present | |
| Ruby-crowned kinglet | Regulus calendula | ||
| Bank swallow | Riparia riparia | ||
| Say's phoebe | Sayornis saya | ||
| Northern waterthrush | Seiurus noveboracensis | ||
| Red-breasted nuthatch | Sitta canadensis | ||
| American tree sparrow | Spizella arborea | ||
| Long-tailed jaeger | Stercorarius longicaudus | ||
| Parasitic jaeger | Stercorarius parasiticus | ||
| Pomarine jaeger | Stercorarius pomarinus | Probably Present | |
| Arctic tern | Sterna paradisaea | ||
| Great gray owl | Strix nebulosa | ||
| Northern hawk owl | Surnia ulula | ||
| Tree swallow | Tachycineta bicolor | ||
| Violet-green swallow | Tachycineta thalassina | ||
| Lesser yellowlegs | Tringa flavipes | ||
| Solitary sandpiper | Tringa solitaria | ||
| Buff-breasted sandpiper | Tryngites subruficollis | Probably Present | |
| American robin | Turdus migratorius | ||
| Orange-crowned warbler | Vermivora celata | ||
| Wilson's warbler | Wilsonia pusilla | ||
| Golden-crowned sparrow | Zonotrichia atricapilla | ||
| White-crowned sparrow | Zonotrichia leucophrys |
Amphibians
1 amphibians — show the list ↓
Amphibians
1 amphibians — show the list ↓
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood frog | Rana sylvatica |
Fish
17 fish — show the list ↓
Fish
17 fish — show the list ↓
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longnose sucker | Catostomus catostomus | Probably Present | ||
| Humpback whitefish | Coregonus clupeaformis | Probably Present | ||
| Broad whitefish | Coregonus nasus | Probably Present | ||
| Least cisco | Coregonus sardinella | Probably Present | ||
| Slimy sculpin | Cottus cognatus | Probably Present | ||
| Alaska blackfish | Dallia pectoralis | Probably Present | ||
| Northern pike | Esox lucius | Probably Present | ||
| Burbot | Lota lota | Probably Present | ||
| Chum salmon | Oncorhynchus keta | Probably Present | ||
| Chinook salmon | Oncorhynchus tshawytscha | |||
| Round whitefish | Prosopium cylindraceum | Probably Present | ||
| Ninespine stickleback | Pungitius pungitius | Probably Present | ||
| Arctic char | Salvelinus alpinus | Probably Present | ||
| Dolly varden | Salvelinus malma | Probably Present | ||
| Lake trout | Salvelinus namaycush | Probably Present | ||
| Inconnu | Stenodus leucichthys | Probably Present | ||
| Arctic grayling | Thymallus arcticus | Probably Present |
Where this comes from
NPSpecies is the National Park Service’s database of the species documented in each park. We show its vertebrate lists as published: a species is “present” when the park has confirmed it, “unconfirmed” when reports exist without verification, and “not in park” when the NPS has ruled it out (often tagged “historical” for animals that once lived there). Lists lag reality by months or years and seeing an animal is never guaranteed. Plants, insects and other invertebrates are not included here. Browse the full NPSpecies list for Gates of the Arctic.
Sources · 2
- 1.NPSpecies — the National Park Service species database (IRMA), full and detail species lists — Gates of the Arctic (GAAR) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
- 2.Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve — Nature & wildlife (nps.gov) · National Park Service
FAQ
Gates of the Arctic wildlife questions
- Are there bears in Gates of the Arctic?
- Yes. The NPS species list for Gates of the Arctic records black bear as present, listed as occasional.
- Are there grizzly bears in Gates of the Arctic?
- Yes. The NPS species list for Gates of the Arctic records grizzly / brown bear as present, listed as common.
- Are there wolves in Gates of the Arctic?
- Yes. The NPS species list for Gates of the Arctic records gray wolf as present, listed as common.
- Are there mountain lions in Gates of the Arctic?
- The NPS species list for Gates of the Arctic does not include mountain lion, so there is no record of them in the park.
- Are there rattlesnakes in Gates of the Arctic?
- The NPS species list for Gates of the Arctic does not include rattlesnakes, so there is no record of them in the park.
- How many animal species live in Gates of the Arctic?
- The NPS species database lists 38 mammal, 121 bird, 0 reptile, 1 amphibian and 1 fish species as present or probably present in Gates of the Arctic. Plants and invertebrates are not counted here.
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