A black and white shorebird with black gold and white flecks on the tundra

More than 200 bird species have been recorded on the Arctic Refuge. Because of the refuge’s singular location at the northern end of all North American flyways, birds that fly from or through every state in the US, as well as from all corners of the earth, visit the refuge. The coastal plain is an important northern nursery for ground-nesting migratory birds to breed and nest.