Sitting 350 miles into the Arctic Circle and the northernmost point in the United States, Barrow, AK is home to many highly sought, specialty species found only in the high arctic. The vast arctic tundra not only provides a beautiful scenery and stunning settings for photography, but it also provides a stage on which the arctic specialties perform amazing breeding displays. As you walk across the tundra, you’ll hear the calls of Long-tailed Ducks, the wailing of Pacific, Red-throated, and Yellow-billed Loons, and the loud chattering of a Dunlin or Semipalmated Sandpiper displaying. Witness the Pectoral Sandpiper with his chest puffed up, letting out an eerie low call to impress the females. Watch Parasitic, Pomarine, and Long-tailed Jaegers cruise over the vast expanses of openness in search of lemmings. Enjoy watching both Red and Red-necked Phalaropes spinning in almost any open water you can find. But best of all, take in the beauty of the stars of the tundra, Spectacled, King, Steller’s AND Common Eiders, all in one spot.

Barrow is the best place in North America to see and photograph these species. The endless summer days provide 24 hours of beautiful lighting, adding to the spectacle. The thawing of the tundra ponds in early summer brings birds north from the lower 48 and inland from the oceans all to pair up and nest. If you want to be captivated by eiders, serenaded by shorebirds, and photograph from the top of the country, Barrow is the spot for you.