Although beautiful, you’d think the icy landscapes of glaciers wouldn’t seem like the best habitat for birds—but you’d be mistaken. Glacier Bay is more than just glaciers. The dense forests, rocky mountainside might seem like difficult places to live for humans, but there have been over 280 bird species found in this wilderness.

The large numbers of birds in Glacier Bay are largely due to the lack of predators and ample food resources for birds. Geese, swan, and ducks are found in large numbers during the summer months, as well as cormorants, albatrosses, shorebirds, cranes, alcids, gulls, owls, nighthawks, hummingbirds, hawks and eagles, warblers, starlings, larks, shrikes, and many more.

For a birder, beginner or experienced, the diversity and abundance of bird species within many different terrains makes Glacier Bay a must visit.