BirdNote Daily Ancient Birds Nested in the Arctic, Too
Jan 27, 2026
Scientists uncovered a 73-million-year-old Arctic nesting site with adult birds and hatchlings preserved together. Fossils include toothed, gull-like and loon-like avians that once bred under 24-hour summer daylight. Researchers discuss how ancient birds exploited abundant Arctic food and what traits may have helped them survive deep-time challenges.
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Ancient Arctic Breeding Colony
- Paleontologists discovered a nearly 73-million-year-old Arctic bird breeding site in northern Alaska.
- The fossils show adults and hatchlings of toothed and modern-lineage birds nesting in the Arctic summer.
Diverse Prehistoric Bird Types Found
- The site includes gull-like ichthyornitheans and flightless, loon-like hesperornitheans among other avians.
- Fossils of both adults and hatchlings indicate the location functioned as a nesting colony.
Links To Modern Bird Lineages
- Fossils include early members of lineages that led to ducks and chickens alive today.
- These connections link ancient Arctic nesting to the ancestry of modern birds.