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Homer Airport — Critical Habitat Area
Fish and Wildlife

Birds

The wetlands, lakes and ponds of the Homer Airport Critical Habitat Area and the habitats in adjacent Beluga Lake and Kachemak Bay Critical Habitat Area are major resting and feeding areas for nesting and migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, songbirds and raptors. Over 200 species of birds have been recorded in the Homer area from mid-April through June, and hundreds of migratory waterfowl utilize the Homer Airport Critical Habitat Area and Beluga Lake. Several species of waterfowl (including trumpeter swans and many others), shorebirds and terns nest in the area. Aleutian terns nest within the Beluga Wetlands Complex just outside the Critical Habitat Area. The Aleutian tern is a rare migratory species whose North American nesting range is limited to coastal Alaska. Raptors observed include owls, hawks, and bald eagles.

Mammals

The Beluga Wetlands Complex including the Homer Airport Critical Habitat Area contains the necessary winter browse and thermal cover critical to the perpetuation of a relatively small local population of moose. From November through April, up to 100 moose can be observed feeding on dwarf willows and other plants growing in the area, or seeking shelter from winds and cold temperatures in the area's spruce forest. Other mammals that may be seen include black bears, coyotes and muskrats.