Wildlife
What lives in Kobuk Valley
Last verified NPS species database
Every animal below comes from the National Park Service’s own species list for Kobuk Valley: 28 mammals, 109 birds, 0 reptiles, 1 amphibians and 16 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
Black bear
Ursus americanus
Gray wolf
Canis lupus · Common
Coyote
Canis latrans
Canada lynx
Lynx canadensis
Wolverine
Gulo gulo
Moose
Alces alces · Abundant
Caribou
Rangifer tarandus · Abundant
Bald eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
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
- 38 listed
- Birds
- 124
- 125 listed
- Reptiles
- 0
- 0 listed
- Amphibians
- 1
- 1 listed
- Fish
- 25
- 26 listed
Mammals
All 37 mammals recorded in Kobuk Valley
Most abundant first, as the NPS rates them.
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caribou | Rangifer tarandus | Abundant | ||
| Moose | Alces alces | Abundant | ||
| Gray wolf | Canis lupus | Common | ||
| Porcupine | Erethizon dorsatum | Rare | ||
| Alaska marmot | Marmota broweri | Probably Present | ||
| American beaver | Castor canadensis | |||
| American black bear | Ursus americanus | |||
| American marten | Martes americana | Probably Present | ||
| Arctic fox | Alopex lagopus | Probably Present | ||
| Arctic ground squirrel | Spermophilus parryii | |||
| Barren ground shrew | Sorex ugyunak | |||
| Brown bear | Ursus arctos |
Show the other 25 mammals ↓The other 25
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown lemming | Lemmus trimucronatus | |||
| Cinereus shrew | Sorex cinereus | |||
| Collared lemming | Dicrostonyx groenlandicus | |||
| Coyote | Canis latrans | Probably Present | ||
| Dall sheep | Ovis dalli | Probably Present | ||
| Dusky shrew | Sorex monticolus | |||
| Ermine | Mustela erminea | Probably Present | ||
| Least weasel | Mustela nivalis | |||
| Lynx | Lynx canadensis | |||
| Mink | Mustela vison | |||
| Muskox | Ovibos moschatus | |||
| Muskrat | Ondatra zibethicus | Probably Present | ||
| Northern bog lemming | Synaptomys borealis | Probably Present | ||
| Northern red-backed vole | Clethrionomys rutilus | |||
| Northern river otter | Lontra canadensis | Probably Present | ||
| 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
124 birds — show the list ↓
Birds
124 birds — show the list ↓
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
| Surfbird | Aphriza virgata | ||
| Golden eagle | Aquila chrysaetos | ||
| Short-eared owl | Asio flammeus | ||
| Lesser scaup | Aythya affinis | ||
| Greater scaup | Aythya marila | ||
| Canvasback | Aythya valisineria | ||
| Upland sandpiper | Bartramia longicauda | Probably Present | |
| Bohemian wagwing | Bombycilla garrulus | ||
| Canada goose | Branta canadensis | ||
| Great horned owl | Bubo virginianus | ||
| Bufflehead | Bucephala albeola | Probably Present | |
| Common goldeneye | Bucephala clangula | Probably Present | |
| Rough-legged hawk | Buteo lagopus | ||
| Lapland longspur | Calcarius lapponicus | ||
| Sanderling | Calidris alba | ||
| Dunlin | Calidris alpina | Probably Present | |
| Baird's sandpiper | Calidris bairdii | ||
| Pectoral sandpiper | Calidris melanotos | ||
| Least sandpiper | Calidris minutilla | ||
| Semipalmated sandpiper | Calidris pusilla | ||
| Common redpoll | Carduelis flammea | ||
| Hoary redpoll | Carduelis hornemanni | ||
| Gray-cheeked thrush | Catharus minimus | ||
| Swainson's thrush | Catharus ustulatus | ||
| Belted kingfisher | Ceryle alcyon | ||
| Semipalmated plover | Charadrius semipalmatus | ||
| Snow goose | Chen caerulescens | ||
| American dipper | Cinclus mexicanus | ||
| Marsh hawk | 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 | Probably Present | |
| Rusty blackbird | Euphagus carolinus | ||
| Merlin | Falco columbarius | ||
| Peregrin falcon | Falco peregrinus | Probably Present | |
| Gyrfalcon | Falco rusticolus | ||
| American kestrel | Falco sparverius | ||
| Common snipe | Gallinago gallinago | ||
| Common loon | Gavia immer | ||
| Arctic loon | Gavia pacifica | ||
| Red-throated loon | Gavia stellata | ||
| Sandhill crane | Grus canadensis | ||
| Bald eagle | Haliaeetus leucocephalus | Probably Present | |
| 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 | ||
| Glaucous gull | Larus hyperboreus | ||
| Bonaparte's gull | Larus philadelphia | ||
| Gray-crowned rosy finch | Leucosticte arctoa | Probably Present | |
| Long-billed dowitcher | Limnodromus scolopaceus | ||
| Hudsonian godwit | Limosa haemastica | Probably Present | |
| White-winged crossbill | Loxia leucoptera | ||
| White-winged scoter | Melanitta fusca | Probably Present | |
| Black scoter | Melanitta nigra | ||
| Surf scoter | Melanitta perspicillata | ||
| Lincoln's sparrow | Melospiza lincolnii | ||
| Red-breasted merganser | Mergus serrator | ||
| Yellow wagtail | Motacilla flava | ||
| Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus | ||
| Snowy owl | Nyctea scandiaca | ||
| Northern wheatear | Oenanthe oenanthe | ||
| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | ||
| Black-capped chickadee | Parus atricapillus | ||
| Gray-headed chickadee | Parus cinctus | ||
| Boreal chickadee | Parus hudsonicus | ||
| Savannah sparrow | Passerculus sandwichensis | ||
| Fox sparrow | Passerella iliaca | ||
| Gray jay | Perisoreus canadensis | ||
| Red phalarope | Phalaropus fulicaria | Probably Present | |
| Northern phalarope | Phalaropus lobatus | ||
| Arctic warbler | Phylloscopus borealis | ||
| Downy woodpecker | Picoides pubescens | Probably Present | |
| Northern three-toed woodpecker | Picoides tridactylus | ||
| Pine grosbeak | Pinicola enucleator | ||
| Snow bunting | Plectrophenax nivalis | ||
| American golden-plover | Pluvialis dominica | ||
| Black-bellied plover | Pluvialis squatarola | Probably Present | |
| Horned grebe | Podiceps auritus | ||
| Red-necked grebe | Podiceps grisegena | ||
| Ruby-crowned kinglet | Regulus calendula | ||
| Bank swallow | Riparia riparia | ||
| Say's phoebe | Sayornis saya | ||
| Northern waterthrush | Seiurus noveboracensis | ||
| American tree sparrow | Spizella arborea | ||
| Long-tailed jaeger | Stercorarius longicaudus | ||
| Parasitic jaeger | Stercorarius parasiticus | Probably Present | |
| Pomarine jaeger | Stercorarius pomarinus | ||
| Arctic tern | Sterna paradisaea | ||
| Great gray owl | Strix nebulosa | Probably Present | |
| Hawk owl | Surnia ulula | ||
| Tree swallow | Tachycineta bicolor | ||
| Lesser yellowlegs | Tringa flavipes | ||
| Solitary sandpiper | Tringa solitaria | ||
| 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
25 fish — show the list ↓
Fish
25 fish — show the list ↓
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longnose sucker | Catostomus catostomus | |||
| Alaska whitefish | Coregonus clupeaformis | |||
| Bering cisco | Coregonus laurettae | Probably Present | ||
| Broad whitefish | Coregonus nasus | |||
| Humpback whitefish | Coregonus pidschian | Probably Present | ||
| Least cisco | Coregonus sardinella | |||
| Slimy sculpin | Cottus cognatus | |||
| Alaska blackfish | Dallia pectoralis | Probably Present | ||
| Northern pike | Esox lucius | |||
| Alaskan stickleback | Gasterosteus aculeatus | Probably Present | ||
| Pond smelt | Hypomesus olidus | Probably Present | ||
| Arctic lamprey | Lampetra japonica | Probably Present | ||
| Burbot | Lota lota | |||
| Pink salmon | Oncorhynchus gorbuscha | |||
| Chum salmon | Oncorhynchus keta | |||
| Coho salmon | Oncorhynchus kisutch | Probably Present | ||
| Chinook salmon | Oncorhynchus tshawytscha | |||
| Rainbow smelt | Osmerus mordax | Probably Present | ||
| Round whitefish | Prosopium cylindraceum | |||
| Ninespine stickleback | Pungitius pungitius | Probably Present | ||
| Arctic char | Salvelinus alpinus | |||
| Dolly varden | Salvelinus malma | |||
| Lake trout | Salvelinus namaycush | |||
| Sheefish | Stenodus leucichthys | |||
| Arctic grayling | Thymallus arcticus |
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 Kobuk Valley.
Sources · 2
- 1.NPSpecies — the National Park Service species database (IRMA), full and detail species lists — Kobuk Valley (KOVA) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
- 2.Kobuk Valley National Park — Nature & wildlife (nps.gov) · National Park Service
FAQ
Kobuk Valley wildlife questions
- Are there bears in Kobuk Valley?
- Yes. The NPS species list for Kobuk Valley records black bear as present.
- Are there grizzly bears in Kobuk Valley?
- Yes. The NPS species list for Kobuk Valley records grizzly / brown bear as present.
- Are there wolves in Kobuk Valley?
- Yes. The NPS species list for Kobuk Valley records gray wolf as present, listed as common.
- Are there mountain lions in Kobuk Valley?
- The NPS species list for Kobuk Valley does not include mountain lion, so there is no record of them in the park.
- Are there rattlesnakes in Kobuk Valley?
- The NPS species list for Kobuk Valley does not include rattlesnakes, so there is no record of them in the park.
- How many animal species live in Kobuk Valley?
- The NPS species database lists 28 mammal, 109 bird, 0 reptile, 1 amphibian and 16 fish species as present or probably present in Kobuk Valley. Plants and invertebrates are not counted here.
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