ÃÛèÖAPP

Many of the birds that can be found throughoutÌýNorth America during winter spend at least part of their lives in the Arctic Circle. Most of them use the Arctic's tundra scrub, tundra pools, and boreal forest edge during breeding season, where seasonally warm temperatures and long hours of sunlight provide ideal habitat for raising young.

Unfortunately, one of the last wild places within the Arctic——is imminently threatened by oil and gas development.Ìý

Read on to explore the Arctic and learn about seven common species that visit every year to forage and nest in this special place. Then take action by

1. Long-tailed Duck

In the winter, large flocks of this duck dive for mollusksÌýand crustaceans in the Great LakesÌýand along America'sÌýcoasts, stopping inÌýOregon on the west coast and the Carolinas in the east. Long-tailed Ducks are some of the first to arrive in the Arctic aroundÌýApril orÌýearly-May, where they scrape out nests near tundra pools.

2. Snow Bunting

As the name may suggest, the Snow Bunting breeds in the high Arctic tundra, making nests in cavities between rocks. But in the wintertime, these birds travel as far south as Colorado, foraging in fields andÌýshort-grass prairies, and along shorelines.

3. American Tree Sparrow

This little brown bird is a common winter sight at feeders across the northern United States, especially on the groundÌýforaging for any spilled seeds. In the summer, these sparrows fly north to the tundra, nesting close toÌýthe ground in low bushes or grassÌýat or above the tree line, where scrubby brush habitat meets thickets of trees.

4. Glaucous Gull

This light-colored, large gull can be spotted on both coasts as far down as California and Virginia in the winter, but it chooses to breed in the high Arctic, nesting among sea grass on shoreline cliffs. When the gulls migrate for the winter, records show thatÌýimmature gulls will move the furthest south.

5. Rough-legged Hawk

This raptor is a common sight, perching nearÌýmarsh or pastureland throughout southern Canada and most of theÌýUnited States,ÌýsaveÌýthe southeast. When it's time to breed, though,Ìýthe Rough-legged Hawk headsÌýto the Arctic tundra, where itsÌýcliff-side nests are bathedÌýwith hours of sunshineÌýand haveÌýample amounts of lemming nearbyÌýfor dinner.

6. Common Redpoll

ThoughÌýflocks of these buzzy finches can be found as far south as Kansas and Missouri in the winter, Common Redpolls spend their summers breeding in open woodland shrubs throughout the Arctic. These seedeaters visit backyard feeders in winter months,Ìýbut they are most commonly found gleaning tree branches and shaking out catkins and seedpods for a meal.

7. Red-throated Loon

The smallest of the loons, the Red-throated Loon can commonly be foundÌýdiving for fish along both coasts in winter, and in shallow bays and estuaries all the way south to Mexico and Florida. But duringÌýsummer, they disappear deep into the Arctic to breed inÌýponds and lakes on the tundra.