As the sun returns to the
Arctic, the birds begin to arrive and the tundra
fills with life. Some, like the golden plover,
travel from as far south as Patagonia, and the
tern journeys each year from the Antarctic.
Eurasian wheatear, yellow wagtail and bluethroat
migrate across the Bering Sea. Golden eagles,
gyrfalcon, peregrine falcon, rough-legged hawks,
snow geese, whistling swans and many species
of waterfowl all come to nest along the coast.
Dolly Varden char and Arctic greyling abound
in the Firth and Babbage Rivers while whitefish,
smelt and lake trout are caught in the park's
lakes and ponds.
Of the larger land animals,
moose and muskox prefer the open coastal plain,
grizzly and black bear, Dall's sheep, red
and arctic fox and wolverines may be seen throughout
the park, and the Polar bear abandons his seal
hunt to come ashore mainly in winter. Marten
and porcupine prefer forest cover, and vole,
squirrels and lemmings all nest underground.
The need to protect the calving
ground where the Porcupine Caribou herds are
at their most vulnerable was one of the prime
concerns in establishing the park. The annual
migration in June brings the herds of 160 000
caribou from Alaska, where they have wintered
in warmer climes, to the safety of Ivvavik 'a
place for giving birth and raising young'.
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