Wrangel and Herald Islands are the last land falls for migratory birds flying north through the Beringia in search of breeding grounds. The Island avifauna is typical of all arctic bird communities, that is there is a higher proportion of shore birds and water fowl compared to passerines. There are 50 species regularly nesting on the Islands with another 110 occasional visitors.
Waterfowl . Snow geese are the most noteworthy . The numbers fluctuate and at one stage it was feared they would die out, but “global warming” is actually assisting these birds and there is currently 60,000 prs breeding on the Island. Pacific Black Brant Geese nest but in very low numbers. Common eider nest solitarily and in colonies well inland while the King Eider which is much more abundant nests in the lowland marshes. The only freshwater dabbling duck and irregular breeder on Wrangel Island is the northern Pintail. Shorebirds. As is typical for the Arctic tundra in general shorebirds are by far the most common. The most common and widespread of the 36 recorded species are the black bellied plover, ruddy turnstone and red knot. Dunlin and pectoral sandpipers are common but prefer moister wetland habitats whereas the Asiatic golden plovers seek out warmer hollows. Red phalaropes can be found in most of the wetlands on Wrangel Island. Bairds and buff-breasted sandpipers are the reserves rarest shorebirds. Seabirds. Some of the largest seabird colonies in the Chukchi Sea are situated along the eastern and western coats of Wrangel and Herald Islands. All colonies are inhabited by a mixture of black-legged kittiwakes, thick-billed murres, black guillemots and pelagic cormorants. Species composition and proportion depend on rock structure that form the cliffs where the colonies are located. Horned and Tufted puffins and pelagic cormorants are few in number and at the northern limits of their range. Arctic terns are common. In addition to the blacklegged kittiwake four other species of gull are common: the glaucous, ivory, Ross’s and Sabine’s. Raptors: An occasional pair of gyrfalcons nest near seabird colonies on both Wrangel and Herald Islands. On rare occasions an arctic peregrine and and rough-legged hawk may visit the Island, however the principal bird of prey on Wrangel Island is the Snowy Owl. There are three species of jaegar (skua) on the island. Pomarine and long-tailed jaegar are the most common with parasitic nesting in low numbers. Songbirds. Although 52 species of passerines have been identified on Wrangel, only three are considered common Lapland longspur, snow bunting and hoary repoll.
Mammals:
There are only 8 species of resident terrestrial mammals found on Wrangel Island. Five of these 8 are endemic and two the reindeer and Muskox were introduced. An additional 10 species of marine mammals inhabit the islands coastal waters. Polar Bear: This is the animal for which Wrangel Island is most famous. Wrangel is sometimes referred to as the “Polar Bear Maternity ward”. On average there is 300 – 350 maternity dens each year on Wrangle Island. Higher densities can be found on Herald island. Walruss: Wrangel Island is one of the key areas in the world for the Pacific Walruss. Although most adult males stay behind on their Bering Strait haulouts, the majority of females and young adults reach the vicinity of Wrangel and Herald Islands by the middle of July, where they feed in the islands shallow coastal waters. Lemmings: Collared and Siberian lemmings constitute the only native rodents in the reserve. The collared is recognized as an endemic species (Vinogradov’s), distant relative of those elsewhere in the arctic, and the Siberian as an endemic sub-species. Lemmings are a critically important component of the Islands food chains. Since they constitute the principle food source for snowy owls, jaegers, and the arctic fox, the populations of these predators tend to rise and fall in synchrony with those of lemmings. Arctic Fox: Arctic fox tend to be rather abundant on Wrangel Island as conditions are particularly favourable. The main reason for this is the abundance of prey species , favourable denning sites and the fact that the reserve is closed to trapping. Wolverine: it appears that this animal arrived (self introduced) in the late 1970’s they are commonly seen hunting reindeer and feeding on geese. Wolves and Red Fox both have been known to reach the island across the ice. It appears that wolves may have become established in 2000. Reindeer were introduced to the island and a “herding enterprise” established in 1948 and in 1952. The current population of Reindeer is about 1500 animals. Population has peaked at over 6,000 animals, more than 4 times the island’s carrying capacity. Muskox were introduced to the island in 1975 from Alaska’s Nunivak Island. The animals thrieved and now number about 600.
