Wildlife
What lives in Kenai Fjords
Last verified NPS species database
Every animal below comes from the National Park Service’s own species list for Kenai Fjords: 32 mammals, 145 birds, 0 reptiles, 0 amphibians and 32 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 · Uncommon
Black bear
Ursus americanus · Common
Gray wolf
Canis lupus · Uncommon
Coyote
Canis latrans · Uncommon
Canada lynx
Lynx canadensis
Wolverine
Gulo gulo
Moose
Alces alces · Common
Mountain goat
Oreamnos americanus · Common
Caribou
Rangifer tarandus
Sea otter
Enhydra lutris · Abundant
Bald eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus · Common
Golden eagle
Aquila chrysaetos · Rare
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
- 37
- 55 listed
- Birds
- 161
- 235 listed · 1 non-native
- Reptiles
- 0
- 0 listed
- Amphibians
- 1
- 1 listed
- Fish
- 40
- 42 listed
Endangered Species Act
4 threatened or endangered species
Federal listing status as recorded in the NPS species database.
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fin whale | Balaenoptera physalus | Endangered | ||
| Gray whale | Eschrichtius robustus | Common | Endangered | |
| Northern sea lion | Eumetopias jubatus | Abundant | Endangered | |
| Silver salmon | Oncorhynchus kisutch | Common | Threatened |
Mammals
All 37 mammals recorded in Kenai Fjords
Most abundant first, as the NPS rates them.
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harbor seal | Phoca vitulina | Abundant | ||
| Northern sea lion | Eumetopias jubatus | Abundant | Endangered | |
| Sea otter | Enhydra lutris | Abundant | ||
| Black bear | Ursus americanus | Common | ||
| Dall's porpoise | Phocoenoides dalli | Common | ||
| Ermine | Mustela erminea | Common | ||
| Gray whale | Eschrichtius robustus | Common | Endangered | |
| Hoary marmot | Marmota caligata | Common | ||
| Humpback whale | Megaptera novaeangliae | Common | ||
| Killer whale | Orcinus orca | Common | ||
| Moose | Alces alces | Common | ||
| Mountain goat | Oreamnos americanus | Common |
Show the other 25 mammals ↓The other 25
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern river otter | Lontra canadensis | Common | ||
| Porcupine | Erethizon dorsatum | Common | ||
| Snowshoe hare | Lepus americanus | Common | ||
| American beaver | Castor canadensis | Uncommon | ||
| Brown bear | Ursus arctos | Uncommon | ||
| Coyote | Canis latrans | Uncommon | ||
| Gray wolf | Canis lupus | Uncommon | ||
| Minke whale | Balaenoptera acutorostrata | Uncommon | ||
| American marten | Martes americana | |||
| Canada lynx | Lynx canadensis | |||
| Caribou | Rangifer tarandus | Probably Present | ||
| Dusky shrew | Sorex monticolus | |||
| Fin whale | Balaenoptera physalus | Endangered | ||
| Harbor porpoise | Phocoena phocoena | |||
| Little brown bat | Myotis lucifugus | |||
| Masked shrew | Sorex cinereus | |||
| Mink | Mustela vison | |||
| Muskrat | Ondatra zibethicus | Probably Present | ||
| Northern bog lemming | Synaptomys borealis | Probably Present | ||
| Northern red-backed vole | Clethrionomys rutilus | |||
| Pacific white-sided dolphin | Lagenorhynchus obliquidens | Probably Present | ||
| Red squirrel | Tamiasciurus hudsonicus | |||
| Singing vole | Microtus miurus | Probably Present | ||
| Tundra vole | Microtus oeconomus | |||
| Wolverine | Gulo gulo |
Birds
161 birds — show the list ↓
Birds
161 birds — show the list ↓
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern goshawk | Accipiter gentilis | ||
| Sharp-shinned hawk | Accipiter striatus | ||
| Spotted sandpiper | Actitis macularia | ||
| Northern saw-whet owl | Aegolius acadicus | Probably Present | |
| Boreal owl | Aegolius funereus | Probably Present | |
| Crested auklet | Aethia cristatella | Probably Present | |
| Northern pintail | Anas acuta | ||
| American wigeon | Anas americana | ||
| Northern shoveler | Anas clypeata | ||
| Green-winged teal | Anas crecca | ||
| Blue-winged teal | Anas discors | Probably Present | |
| Eurasian wigeon | Anas penelope | ||
| Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos | ||
| Gadwall | Anas strepera | ||
| Greater white-fronted goose | Anser albifrons | ||
| American Pipit | Anthus rubescens | ||
| Surfbird | Aphriza virgata | ||
| Golden eagle | Aquila chrysaetos | ||
| Great blue heron | Ardea herodias | ||
| Ruddy turnstone | Arenaria interpres | ||
| Black turnstone | Arenaria melanocephala | ||
| Short-eared owl | Asio flammeus | Probably Present | |
| Lesser scaup | Aythya affinis | Probably Present | |
| Ring-necked duck | Aythya collaris | ||
| Greater Scaup | Aythya marila | ||
| Canvasback | Aythya valisineria | ||
| Bohemian Waxwing | Bombycilla garrulus | ||
| Kittlitz's Murrelet | Brachyramphus brevirostris | ||
| Marbled Murrelet | Brachyramphus marmoratus | ||
| Brant | Branta bernicla | ||
| Canada goose | Branta canadensis | ||
| Snowy owl | Bubo scandiacus | ||
| Great horned owl | Bubo virginianus | ||
| Bufflehead | Bucephala albeola | ||
| Common goldeneye | Bucephala clangula | ||
| Barrow's goldeneye | Bucephala islandica | ||
| Rough-legged hawk | Buteo lagopus | ||
| Sharp-tailed Sandpiper | Calidris acuminata | Probably Present | |
| Sanderling | Calidris alba | Probably Present | |
| Dunlin | Calidris alpina | ||
| Western sandpiper | Calidris mauri | ||
| Pectoral sandpiper | Calidris melanotos | ||
| Least sandpiper | Calidris minutilla | ||
| Rock sandpiper | Calidris ptilocnemis | ||
| Semipalmated sandpiper | Calidris pusilla | ||
| Common redpoll | Carduelis flammea | ||
| Pine siskin | Carduelis pinus | ||
| Hermit thrush | Catharus guttatus | ||
| Gray-cheeked thrush | Catharus minimus | ||
| Swainson's thrush | Catharus ustulatus | ||
| Pigeon guillemot | Cepphus columba | ||
| Brown creeper | Certhia americana | ||
| Belted kingfisher | Ceryle alcyon | ||
| Semipalmated Plover | Charadrius semipalmatus | ||
| Emperor goose | Chen canagica | Probably Present | |
| American Dipper | Cinclus mexicanus | ||
| Northern harrier | Circus cyaneus | ||
| Long-tailed duck | Clangula hyemalis | ||
| Northern flicker | Colaptes auratus | ||
| Olive-sided Flycatcher | Contopus cooperi | ||
| Western wood-pewee | Contopus sordidulus | ||
| Northwestern crow | Corvus caurinus | ||
| Common raven | Corvus corax | ||
| Steller's Jay | Cyanocitta stelleri | ||
| Trumpeter swan | Cygnus buccinator | ||
| Tundra swan | Cygnus columbianus | ||
| Yellow-rumped warbler | Dendroica coronata | ||
| Yellow warbler | Dendroica petechia | ||
| Blackpoll warbler | Dendroica striata | ||
| Townsend's warbler | Dendroica townsendi | ||
| Alder flycatcher | Empidonax alnorum | ||
| Rusty blackbird | Euphagus carolinus | ||
| Spruce Grouse | Falcipennis canadensis | ||
| Merlin | Falco columbarius | ||
| Peregrine falcon | Falco peregrinus | ||
| Peale's peregrine falcon | Falco peregrinus pealei | ||
| Gyrfalcon | Falco rusticolus | ||
| Tufted puffin | Fratercula cirrhata | ||
| Horned puffin | Fratercula corniculata | ||
| Brambling | Fringilla montifringilla | ||
| Wilson's snipe | Gallinago delicata | ||
| Sandhill crane | Grus canadensis | ||
| Black oystercatcher | Haematopus bachmani | ||
| Bald eagle | Haliaeetus leucocephalus | ||
| Wandering tattler | Heteroscelus incanus | ||
| Harlequin duck | Histrionicus histrionicus | ||
| Varied thrush | Ixoreus naevius | ||
| Dark-eyed junco | Junco hyemalis | ||
| Willow ptarmigan | Lagopus lagopus | ||
| White-tailed Ptarmigan | Lagopus leucura | ||
| Rock Ptarmigan | Lagopus muta | ||
| Northern shrike | Lanius excubitor | ||
| Herring gull | Larus argentatus | ||
| Mew gull | Larus canus | ||
| Glaucous-winged gull | Larus glaucescens | ||
| Glaucous gull | Larus hyperboreus | ||
| Bonaparte's gull | Larus philadelphia | ||
| Black-headed Gull | Larus ridibundus | ||
| Gray-crowned rosy-finch | Leucosticte tephrocotis | ||
| Short-billed dowitcher | Limnodromus griseus | ||
| Long-billed dowitcher | Limnodromus scolopaceus | Probably Present | |
| Marbled godwit | Limosa fedoa | ||
| Hudsonian godwit | Limosa haemastica | Probably Present | |
| Hooded merganser | Lophodytes cucullatus | Probably Present | |
| Red crossbill | Loxia curvirostra | ||
| White-winged crossbill | Loxia leucoptera | ||
| Tecolote occidental | Megascops kennicottii | Probably Present | |
| Lincoln's sparrow | Melospiza lincolnii | ||
| Song sparrow | Melospiza melodia | ||
| Common merganser | Mergus merganser | ||
| Red-breasted merganser | Mergus serrator | ||
| Townsend's solitaire | Myadestes townsendi | ||
| Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus | ||
| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | ||
| Savannah sparrow | Passerculus sandwichensis | ||
| Fox sparrow | Passerella iliaca | ||
| Gray jay | Perisoreus canadensis | ||
| Double-crested cormorant | Phalacrocorax auritus | ||
| Pelagic cormorant | Phalacrocorax pelagicus | ||
| Red-faced cormorant | Phalacrocorax urile | ||
| Red phalarope | Phalaropus fulicaria | ||
| Red-necked phalarope | Phalaropus lobatus | ||
| Black-billed Magpie | Pica hudsonia | ||
| Black-backed Woodpecker | Picoides arcticus | ||
| Downy woodpecker | Picoides pubescens | ||
| Hairy woodpecker | Picoides villosus | ||
| Pine grosbeak | Pinicola enucleator | ||
| Snow bunting | Plectrophenax nivalis | ||
| American Golden-Plover | Pluvialis dominica | ||
| Black-bellied plover | Pluvialis squatarola | ||
| Black-capped Chickadee | Poecile atricapillus | ||
| Boreal Chickadee | Poecile hudsonica | ||
| Chestnut-backed chickadee | Poecile rufescens | ||
| Ruby-crowned kinglet | Regulus calendula | ||
| Golden-crowned kinglet | Regulus satrapa | ||
| Bank swallow | Riparia riparia | ||
| Black-legged Kittiwake | Rissa tridactyla | ||
| Northern waterthrush | Seiurus noveboracensis | ||
| Rufous hummingbird | Selasphorus rufus | ||
| Red-breasted nuthatch | Sitta canadensis | ||
| American tree sparrow | Spizella arborea | ||
| Parasitic jaeger | Stercorarius parasiticus | ||
| Aleutian tern | Sterna aleutica | ||
| Caspian tern | Sterna caspia | Probably Present | |
| Arctic tern | Sterna paradisaea | ||
| Great gray owl | Strix nebulosa | Probably Present | |
| European starling | Sturnus vulgaris | Non-native | |
| Northern hawk-owl | Surnia ulula | Probably Present | |
| Tree swallow | Tachycineta bicolor | ||
| Violet-green swallow | Tachycineta thalassina | ||
| Lesser yellowlegs | Tringa flavipes | ||
| Greater yellowlegs | Tringa melanoleuca | ||
| Solitary sandpiper | Tringa solitaria | ||
| Winter wren | Troglodytes troglodytes | ||
| American robin | Turdus migratorius | ||
| Common murre | Uria aalge | ||
| Thick-billed murre | Uria lomvia | ||
| 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 | Probably Present |
Fish
40 fish — show the list ↓
Fish
40 fish — show the list ↓
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sablefish | Anoplopoma fimbria | |||
| Alaskan ronquil | Bathymaster caeruleofasciatus | |||
| Longnose sucker | Catostomus catostomus | Probably Present | ||
| Sharpnose sculpin | Clinocottus acuticeps | Probably Present | ||
| Pacific herring | Clupea harengus pallasii | Probably Present | ||
| Coastrange sculpin | Cottus aleuticus | Uncommon | ||
| Prickly sculpin | Cottus asper | Rare | ||
| Slimy sculpin | Cottus cognatus | Rare | ||
| Spinyhead sculpin | Dasycottus setiger | |||
| Saffron cod | Eleginus gracilis | Probably Present | ||
| Pacific cod | Gadus macrocephalus | Probably Present | ||
| Alaskan stickleback | Gasterosteus aculeatus | Abundant | ||
| Rex sole | Glyptocephalus zachirus | |||
| Whitespotted greenling | Hexagrammos stelleri | |||
| Flathead sole | Hippoglossoides elassodon | |||
| Pacific halibut | Hippoglossus stenolepis | |||
| Salmon shark | Lamna ditropis | |||
| Pacific lamprey | Lampetra tridentata | Probably Present | ||
| Pacific staghorn sculpin | Leptocottus armatus | |||
| Burbot | Lota lota | |||
| Blackbelly eelpout | Lycodes pacificus | |||
| Pacific tomcod | Microgadus proximus | |||
| Pink salmon | Oncorhynchus gorbuscha | Abundant | ||
| Chum salmon | Oncorhynchus keta | Abundant | ||
| Silver salmon | Oncorhynchus kisutch | Common | Threatened | |
| Rainbow trout | Oncorhynchus mykiss | Occasional | ||
| Red salmon | Oncorhynchus nerka | Abundant | ||
| Chinook salmon | Oncorhynchus tshawytscha | Common | ||
| English sole | Parophrys vetulus | |||
| Starry flounder | Platichthys stellatus | |||
| Curlfin sole | Pleuronichthys decurrens | |||
| Sturgeon poacher | Podothecus accipenserinus | |||
| Round whitefish | Prosopium cylindraceum | Probably Present | ||
| Longnose skate | Raja rhina | |||
| Arrowtooth flounder | Reinhardtius stomias | |||
| Dolly varden | Salvelinus malma | Common | ||
| Yelloweye rockfish | Sebastes ruberrimus | |||
| Piked dogfish | Squalus acanthias | Probably Present | ||
| Eulachon | Thaleichthys pacificus | Abundant | ||
| Alaska pollock | Theragra chalcogramma |
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 Kenai Fjords.
Sources · 2
- 1.NPSpecies — the National Park Service species database (IRMA), full and detail species lists — Kenai Fjords (KEFJ) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
- 2.Kenai Fjords National Park — Nature & wildlife (nps.gov) · National Park Service
FAQ
Kenai Fjords wildlife questions
- Are there bears in Kenai Fjords?
- Yes. The NPS species list for Kenai Fjords records black bear as present, listed as common.
- Are there grizzly bears in Kenai Fjords?
- Yes. The NPS species list for Kenai Fjords records grizzly / brown bear as present, listed as uncommon.
- Are there wolves in Kenai Fjords?
- Yes. The NPS species list for Kenai Fjords records gray wolf as present, listed as uncommon.
- Are there mountain lions in Kenai Fjords?
- The NPS species list for Kenai Fjords does not include mountain lion, so there is no record of them in the park.
- Are there rattlesnakes in Kenai Fjords?
- The NPS species list for Kenai Fjords does not include rattlesnakes, so there is no record of them in the park.
- How many animal species live in Kenai Fjords?
- The NPS species database lists 32 mammal, 145 bird, 0 reptile, 0 amphibian and 32 fish species as present or probably present in Kenai Fjords, including 4 federally threatened or endangered species. Plants and invertebrates are not counted here.
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