Stellers Eider Survey Near Barrow Alaska
The Alaska breeding population of Steller’s
Eider (Polysticta stelleri) was classified as
threatened under the Endangered Species Act in
June 1997 (USFWS 2002). Recent records suggest
that the species’ current breeding range in northern
Alaska has been greatly reduced and now is
restricted mostly to the vicinity of Barrow
(Quakenbush et al. 2002). Results of aerial surveys
in the past decade verify this distribution pattern
(e.g., Larned et al. 1999, Obritschkewitsch et al.
2008, Ritchie and King 2001).