Orange Birds in Alaska
Some are easy. One needs a lot of luck. Here's which is which.
Alaska makes you look up at mountains and down at salmon streams. Orange birds? Not on anybody's mental checklist. Which is a shame, because a few of them are pretty spectacular.
I went through the records, checklists and agency pages for this one, because a lot of "orange birds in Alaska" lists online are padded. Birds that barely show up here get listed like they're everywhere. So I'm sorting them by how likely you are to actually see them, and I'll tell you when a bird is only partly orange or just plain unlikely.
Quick note if you're comparing states: Alabama's orange list runs to a dozen species. Alaska's is much shorter. Fewer birds, bigger distances, and almost everything depends on the month you show up.
Realistic list: Varied Thrush, Rufous Hummingbird, American Robin. Western Tanager is hit or miss and mostly yellow. Baltimore Oriole is a freak sighting.
Varied Thrush
The one I'd put first. It looks like someone designed it on purpose.
What to look for
Robin-sized, around 9 to 10 inches. The male has a blue-gray back (slate, really), an orange belly and eyebrow stripe, orange wing bars, and a black band across the chest like a necktie. Females are the same pattern in paler, browner tones.
That black band is the quickest way to separate it from a robin. Once you've noticed it, you can't miss it.
Where it lives
Damp, mossy conifer forest, mostly on the coast. Southeast Alaska, Prince William Sound, the Kenai Peninsula, with some reaching into the interior. Inside that habitat it counts among the common orange birds in Alaska, but common doesn't mean easy. It stays in shadow and sits quietly on low branches or the forest floor.
So you listen. The song is one long, slightly buzzy, whistle-like note that hangs in the air. Then a pause. Then another note at a different pitch. If you've ever heard it, you know how eerie it is in a dark forest.
Winter behavior
In summer it eats insects and worms. In winter, berries and seeds. Some stay along the milder coast while others move south or downhill. After heavy snow they sometimes show up at feeders, scratching around underneath for dropped seed.
For more, try Cornell's Varied Thrush guide or the Wikipedia entry.
Rufous Hummingbird
Hummingbirds in Alaska. Really. And they're not accidents either.
The male is the orange one
Adult males are rusty-orange on the back, sides and tail, with a throat patch that flashes red-orange when light hits it at the right angle. It's about 3.5 inches long. Females and young birds have green backs with some orange on the sides.
Tiny bird, big attitude. Males defend feeders hard.
The trip
This species has the northernmost range of any hummingbird, and Alaska's birds get more daylight hours in summer than any other hummingbird population. To get here they travel about 4,000 miles from Mexico. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service describes ongoing banding work that's still answering basic questions about where these birds go and how many make it back. Numbers have been falling across their range, and nobody has a clear explanation.
Timing: Ketchikan's earliest recorded arrival in one Journey North data set was March 21, in 2003, though early April is more typical. Mid-May is when they reach the northern edge, around Anchorage, with the occasional bird beyond that. Males often begin their southward migration as early as July. Females and young follow in early August.
Oddly, there's also an Anna's Hummingbird that occasionally winters on the coast. One was reported in Homer in January 2018. So not every hummer you see in Alaska is a Rufous, and not all of them leave.
Feeder basics
One part white sugar, four parts water. No dye. No honey. Change it often in warm weather, since it spoils fast. Hang a couple of feeders apart from each other so one bully doesn't take over.
Tip: Put feeders out by early spring in the southern coast, before the birds show up. Early birds arrive when flowers are scarce.
The U.S. Forest Service has a good hummingbird guide for Alaska, and I wrote a general piece on attracting birds to your yard that applies here too.
American Robin
You know it already. But it's the bird behind most "orange-breasted bird" questions, so it deserves a proper entry.
Gray-brown back, brick-orange breast, yellow bill, white arcs around the eyes. Males are richer. Females less so. Juveniles have a spotted chest, which trips people up all the time.
They breed across most of the state. Males start singing in April and May, and the sound in a cold, wet spring really does feel like a signal that winter is done. Worms and insects in summer, berries later. A few overwinter in the milder south, often in flocks near berry trees.
The Wikipedia robin article has the full range details.
Western Tanager
Let's be fair here. This is not an orange bird. Not really.
The male has a yellow body and black wings and back, with an orange to red head. About 7 inches long. The color of the face depends on light and angle, and in good sun it can look almost orange. Females are olive-yellow and plain.
What makes it interesting is geography. It breeds farther north than any other tanager, reaching Southeast Alaska, where it builds a loose, cup-shaped nest of twigs on a horizontal conifer branch. It's not a bird you can plan around in Alaska. Sightings are scattered.
Part of that red-orange comes from pigment in the insects it eats. The species page on Wikipedia goes deeper.
Baltimore Oriole
Everyone's favorite orange bird. Orange body, black head, black and white wings. Hard to beat.
But it's an eastern species, breeding mainly east of the Rockies. In Alaska, any one that turns up is a vagrant, a bird that took a wrong turn. Alaska does collect strange visitors. A Hooded Oriole showed up in Juneau in September 2015 and made the news in birding circles. Still, don't plan a trip around a Baltimore.
If you think you've found one, get photos. Look closely at the wings and face, because other orioles can be confused for it. Then submit it to eBird so someone can review it.
For places where orioles are normal, my guide on attracting orioles covers jelly, oranges and the rest.
Where to Go Looking
Southeast Alaska (Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau) is the best bet for thrushes and hummers. Southcentral, around Anchorage and the Kenai, gets thrushes, robins and the occasional hummingbird. Interior? Mostly robins.
Trails through old forest, creek edges, berry patches. Early morning, always.
One trap to avoid: the Orange-crowned Warbler. Common in Alaska, but the orange crown is mostly hidden and the bird looks drab olive-yellow. The name is misleading.
For local wildlife viewing info, check the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and Audubon Alaska. And if you're ever birding farther south, here's what orange birds in Texas looks like by comparison.
Common Questions
What orange birds can you see in Alaska?
Varied Thrush, Rufous Hummingbird and American Robin are the realistic ones. Western Tanager is occasional and partly orange. Baltimore Oriole is a rare vagrant.
When is the best time to see orange birds in Alaska?
May to July for most of them. That's when hummingbirds are present and robins are singing. For Varied Thrush, winter can actually be easier, since they come to feeders after heavy snow.
Which orange birds in Alaska are common in backyards?
Robins, easily. Varied Thrushes in many southern yards in winter. Rufous Hummingbirds at southern coastal feeders in summer.
Why do some birds in Alaska have bright orange breasts?
Mostly diet. Carotenoid pigments from berries and insects, plus the bird's own biology. Bright color can also signal health to a mate.
How can you tell an American Robin from other orange birds in Alaska?
Look at the back. A robin's is plain gray-brown. A Varied Thrush has a blue-gray back with a black chest band and an orange eyebrow. A hummingbird is tiny and hovers. The thrush's black band is the easiest clue.
Final Thoughts
Orange birds in Alaska take some effort. Some you'll trip over. Others you'll chase. A few you may never see at all, and that's part of it.
Take binoculars, go early, and listen before you look. A thrush's whistle through wet spruce, a hummingbird at a feeder after a 4,000-mile flight, a robin singing in April. Worth the cold hands.
If you want more colorful birds, Savemite has guides for plenty of other species and states, plus backyard tips. Poke around. You might find your next favorite bird there.