Dec 17, 2020 · To help preserve Alcatraz's wildlife during the breeding season, from February to September parts of the island are closed to the public, allowing breeding birds to nest. The most common bird on Alcatraz is the Western Gull.

In this guide, I’ll share how to explore Alcatraz to maximize your birdwatching fun, including what parts of the island to visit and when to go. The Rock is famous for the harsh, rugged landscape that made it the perfect place to put one of the most draconian prisons ever built in the history of the United States.

Wisdom (officially designated #Z333) is a wild female Laysan albatross, the oldest confirmed wild bird in the world and the oldest banded bird in the world. [1] First tagged in 1956 at Midway Atoll by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), she was still incubating eggs as late as 2024 and has received international media coverage in her ...

Alcatraz has a variety of bird species that either nest on the island or stop over in their migratory paths. We have a list for birdwatchers!

Sep 20, 2024 · Did you know that Alcatraz is an outstanding place to watch birds? The island is home to upwards of 20,000 birds, many of them waterbirds. You can start looking for birds on your ferry trip. In fact, as soon as the boat leaves the dock, you can start birdwatching!

Dec 22, 2020 · Learn more about the seabirds of Alcatraz and get to know the fascinating behaviors of some of the most common breeding birds on the island - cormorants, gulls, night herons, egrets, and pigeon guillemots. Although Alcatraz was once a barren rock and ideally suited as a seabird rookery, the arrival of humans changed all that.

Rare Bird Alerts; Printable Checklist; eBird in Alcatraz Island. eBirding This Month Feb 2025. Change Time Period. Change Time Period. eBirding This Month; eBirding This Year; Updated ~7 seconds ago. 40 Species 18 Checklists eBirders. New Species. Native and Naturalized (5) Common Murre Uria aalge

Today, this National Historic Landmark is a haven for over 5,000 nesting birds. When the U.S. Army dynamited the island to build the fortress, the resulting steep clifs and tide pools gradually became wildlife habitat. Garden plants that had been tended during the federal penitentiary years grew into dense thickets of cover for sensitive birds.

Apr 18, 2024 · Before humans stepped foot on the island, we now call Alcatraz, the entire rock was a haven for birds of all kinds. The first people to inhabit the island were several native tribes that would forage and hunt for birds and bird eggs.

Explore a complete list of bird species observations in this region.