The Semichi Islands (Samiyan
in
Aleut
The Aleuts ( ; russian: Алеуты, Aleuty) are the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands, which are located between the North Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea. Both the Aleut people and the islands are politically divided between the U ...
; russian: Семичи) are a cluster of small islands in the
Near Islands
The Near Islands or Sasignan Islands ( ale, Sasignan tanangin, russian: Ближние острова) are a group of American islands in the Aleutian Islands in southwestern Alaska, between the Russian Commander Islands to the west and the Rat ...
group of the
Aleutian Islands
The Aleutian Islands (; ; ale, Unangam Tanangin,”Land of the Aleuts", possibly from Chukchi language, Chukchi ''aliat'', "island"), also called the Aleut Islands or Aleutic Islands and known before 1867 as the Catherine Archipelago, are a cha ...
,
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
. They are located southeast of
Attu Island
Attu ( ale, Atan, russian: Атту, link=no) is an island in the Near Islands (part of the Aleutian Islands chain). It is the westernmost point of the U.S. state of Alaska. The island became uninhabited in 2010, making it the largest uninhabite ...
and northeast of
Agattu Island
Agattu ( ale, Angatux̂; russian: Агатту) is an island in Alaska, part of the Near Islands in the western end of the Aleutian Islands. With a land area of Agattu is one of the largest uninhabited islands in the Aleutians. It is the secon ...
, near . Named islands in the group include
Alaid Island,
Hammerhead Island,
Lotus Island
Lotus Island is a 0.2-mile-long (320 m) island in the Aleutian Islands chain of the U.S. state of Alaska. It lies within the Aleutians West Census Area. Located at in the Semichi Islands group of the Near Islands, it is the least prominent ...
,
Nizki Island
Nizki Island (Avayax̂ in Aleut; russian: Низкий) is an uninhabited island in the Aleutian Islands in the U.S. state of Alaska. Located at , it is the middle island of the Semichi Islands group of the Near Islands. Flanked by Shemya to the ...
, and
Shemya
Shemya or Simiya ( ale, Samiyax̂) is a small island in the Semichi Islands group of the Near Islands chain in the Aleutian Islands archipelago southwest of Alaska, at . It has a land area of , and is about southwest of Anchorage, Alaska. It is ...
.
The Semichi Islands are an important nesting area for
red-faced cormorants and
glaucous-winged gull
The glaucous-winged gull (''Larus glaucescens'') is a large, white-headed gull. The genus name is from Latin ''Larus'' which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird. The specific ''glaucescens'' is New Latin for " glaucous" fro ...
s. They also provides important habitat for waterfowl: The Aleutian subspecies of
cackling goose
The cackling goose (''Branta hutchinsii'') is a species of goose found in North America.
Description
The black head and neck with white "chinstrap" distinguish this goose from all other geese except the larger Canada goose (''Branta canadensis'' ...
nests on the islands in significant numbers, and
common eider
The common eider (pronounced ) (''Somateria mollissima''), also called St. Cuthbert's duck or Cuddy's duck, is a large ( in body length) sea-duck that is distributed over the northern coasts of Europe, North America and eastern Siberia. It bree ...
and
emperor goose
The emperor goose (''Anser canagicus''), also known as the beach goose or the painted goose, is a waterfowl species in the family Anatidae, which contains the ducks, geese, and swans. It is blue-gray in color as an adult and grows to in length. ...
winter in the area.
Black oystercatcher
The black oystercatcher (''Haematopus bachmani'') is a conspicuous black bird found on the shoreline of western North America. It ranges from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska to the coast of the Baja California peninsula.
The black oystercatcher ...
s are also found in significant numbers.
National Audubon Society, Semichi Islands
References
Near Islands
Islands of Alaska
Islands of Unorganized Borough, Alaska
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