Common Murres reach Alaska in late April, are common by early May, peak in the second week of August (4.2% of checklists), and most are gone by late March.
When to look
First arrivalsApr 22-30late April
Common byMay 1-7early May
PeakAug 8-14the second week of August
Most gone byMar 22-31late March
Best: the second week of August. First arrivals late April; most are gone by late March. Peak: on about 4.2% of Alaska checklists.
Jancommon
Febcommon
Marcommon
Apruncommon
Maycommon
Juncommon
Julpeak season
Augpeak season
Seppeak season
Octcommon
Novcommon
Deccommon
Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.
Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Alaska that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
0%few checklistsno data
Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.
Northwest CapeNome Census Area, best late August · 20 checklists that week, 272 in all84%
South Marble IslandHoonah-Angoon Census Area, best late July · 20 checklists that week, 198 in all83%
Coal PointKenai Peninsula Borough, best late July · 26 checklists that week, 745 in all77%
Middleton IslandChugach Census Area, best early May · 21 checklists that week, 269 in all68%
Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.
Best time of day
In Alaska, the Common Murre is most often listed on checklists started between 10 am and 12 pm (2.8% of those checklists).
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.Week-by-week table
Month
Days 1-7
8-14
15-21
22-end
January
4.2%
2.5%
2.2%
2.3%
February
2.9%
2.3%
2.3%
2.4%
March
2.4%
2.8%
2.1%
1.5%
April
0.9%
0.7%
1.0%
0.9%
May
1.6%
1.7%
1.6%
2.0%
June
3.1%
2.5%
2.4%
2.5%
July
3.2%
4.8%
3.9%
3.6%
August
4.2%
4.5%
3.8%
3.3%
September
4.4%
2.7%
3.0%
3.0%
October
1.8%
1.7%
1.9%
2.0%
November
2.5%
2.8%
2.8%
2.4%
December
2.7%
2.3%
2.4%
2.1%
Neighboring states
Washington: arrives mid July, 11 weeks later than Alaska
Oregon: arrives the second week of April, 2 weeks earlier than Alaska
California: arrives mid January, 13 weeks earlier than Alaska
Common questions
When do Common Murres arrive in Alaska?
Common Murres reach Alaska in late April, are common by early May, peak in the second week of August (4.2% of checklists), and most are gone by late March.
When do Common Murres leave Alaska?
Most Common Murres have left Alaska by late March, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until early April.
When is the best time to see a Common Murre in Alaska?
The Common Murre is reported most often in the second week of August, on about 4.2% of Alaska checklists.
Where in Alaska are Common Murres seen most often?
By county, Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, and Yakutat City and Borough have the highest peak reporting rates for the Common Murre (counties with at least 200 checklists).
