page_title: Ukkusiksalik National Park
section_title: Fauna
hierarchical_section_title: Ukkusiksalik National Park / Fauna
caption_attribution_description: Polar bear, Ursus maritimus; climbing on ice flow (Ukkusiksalik National Park, Nunavut, Canada)
context_page_description: Ukkusiksalik National Park is a national park in Nunavut, Canada. It covers 20,885 km² of tundra and coastal mudflats south of the Arctic Circle and the hamlet of Naujaat, from Hudson Bay's Roes Welcome Sound towards the western Barrenlands and the source of Brown River. The park surrounds Wager Bay, a 100 km-long inlet on the Hudson Bay. Although the smallest of Nunavut's four national parks, it is the sixth largest in Canada. Its name relates to steatite found there: Ukkusiksalik means "where there is material for the stone pot".
  In addition to a reversing waterfall and over 500 archeological sites, including an old Hudson's Bay Company trading post, the region is home to such species as polar bears, grizzly bears, Arctic wolf, barren-ground caribou, seals and peregrine falcons. Vegetation in the park is typical low tundra, with dwarf birch, willow and mountain avens. Scattered patches of boreal forest can be encountered in river valleys.
  The park is uninhabited now, but the Inuit lived there from 11th century to the 1960s. Remains of fox traps, tent rings, and food caches have been discovered in the area.
context_section_description: According to actual zoological research, there are sixteen species of mammals in the park. At Wager Bay's south shore is a large polar bear denning area. Therefore, in July and at the beginning of August, polar bears can be observed, from a boat, on floes, on islands or swimming from close up. Peary caribou (Rangifer tarandus) and curious Arctic ground squirrels (Spermophilus parryii) come close to Sila Lodge. More rarely seen are the shy lemmings (Lemmus sibiricus). Due to their camouflage, Arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus) and Arctic hares (Lepus arcticus), are not easily spotted but are most likely seen when fleeing. Other animals seen occasionally include Arctic wolves (Canis lupus arctos), muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus), snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) and wolverines (Gulo gulo).
  Several species of marine mammals can be seen in the park's area: ringed seals (Phoca hispida) and bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) live there in large numbers, and from time to time a walrus (Odobenus rosmarus), common seal (harbour seal, Phoca vitulina), a beluga (Delphinapterus leucas), a narwhal (Monodon monoceros), or a bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) may appear in Wager Bay.
  Only four species of fish have been reported: Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus), lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) and ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius).
  Birders are able to observe up to forty species, including:
  Birds of prey (Falconiformes)
  Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
  Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus, bird of the Northwest Territories)
  Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)
  Rough-legged hawk (Buteo lagopus)
  Waterfowl
  Common eider (Somateria mollissima)
  King eider (Somateria spectabilis)
  Oldsquaw (Clangula hyemalis)
  Northern pintail (Anas acuta)
  Canada goose (Branta canadensis)
  Snow goose (Chen caerulescens)
  Brant goose (Branta bernicla)
  Common loon (Gavia immer)
  Yellow-billed loon (Gavia adamsii)
  Pacific loon (Gavia pacifica)
  Red-throated loon (Gavia stellata)
  Glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus)
  Ivory gull (Pagophila eburnea)
  Long-tailed jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus)
  Herring gull (Larus argentatus)
  Thayer's gull (Larus thayeri)
  Black guillemot (Cepphus grylle)
  Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea)
  Tundra swan (Cygnus columbianus)
  Other ground nesting birds
  Sanderling (Calidris alba)
  Baird's sandpiper (Calidris bairdii)
  Pectoral sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)
  Semipalmated sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)
  White-rumped sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)
  Semipalmated plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)
  American golden plover (Pluvialis dominica)
  Snow bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis)
  Lapland longspur (Calcarius lapponicus)
  Common raven (Corvus corax)
  Rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta, bird of Nunavut)
  Willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus)
  Sandhill crane (Grus canadensis)
  Horned lark (Eremophila alpestris)
  Snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus)
  Water pipit (Antus spinoletta)
caption: Male polar bear climbing ice floe
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