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■ Greenland is the realm of the dovekie Researchers have disclosed new aspects of Greenland's smallest and most abundant seabird which could provide an early warning of changes in ocean currents and subsequent climate changes Text: Carsten Egevang, Ann Harding and Flemming Merkel, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources Photo: Carsten Egevang/ARC-PIC.COM Suluk # 02•2005 32
The arctic realm harbours many distinctive and highly specialized species. The dovekie is a particularly impressive arctic bird. There is no place in the world where it is more abundant than in Greenland. In addition, with a length of 20 cm and a weight of only 150 g the dovekie is also the smallest of Greenland's seabirds. It spends nine months of the year out at sea, usually far from the coast, and it only comes close to land in the summer to breed in the high arctic. In the summer of 2004, researchers from the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources visited the Ittoqqortoormiit region hoping to reveal new sides of the dovekie's life by using a data logger – a small electronic measuring device. Could reveal climate changes Information from the data logger showed that the dovekie collects its food at depths of up to 25 metres and that each dive lasts about a minute. When it catches the many small krill, the dovekie uses a special technique, where it begins by diving fast into deep water and then, using the buoyancy of its body, moves slowly up through the water where it probably catches the small creatures one by one. The results also provide a detailed picture of how the dovekie divides its time during the breeding season between the colony and foraging at sea. Greenland Institute of Natural Resources is not only interested in finding out more about the dovekie's feeding habits and lifestyle in order to collect knowledge of the species and population in Greenland. It is also because the question of how well the dovekie thrives and its feeding habits could be important in a wider perspective as a form of early warning system for global climate change. The dovekie is a species with a high degree of specialization in its choice of food and with species such as these, when alternative foods are not available, climate changes will probably be readily expressed by altered foraging habits or changes in regional occurrences. In other words, the dovekie would be extremely sensitive to changes in e.g. ocean currents in East Greenland and at an early stage could warn of imminent climate changes. Laryngeal pouch The dovekie has, in common with most other auks, tight plumage which is white on the underside and black on the upper parts. Prey in the water would therefore have difficulty seeing the bird against the light surface when it dives into the water and, seen from above, the black back and the black wings would merge with the murky depths. The dovekie's squat body and short, thick neck combined with its extremely fast wing strokes gives it an appearance that resembles a bumble bee. It must work really hard to stay in the air. The dovekie belongs to the auk family and its closest relatives are the auk and the guillemot. However, the dovekie stands out on a significant point, i.e. its choice of food. The other auks are primarily fish eaters, whilst the dovekie feeds mainly on krill, typically smaller than 5 mm. Water fleas in particular, which have a high fatty acid content and thus great nutritional value, are very popular. This, however, is a problem when the dovekie must feed its chick: how can the dovekie carry around 5,000-15,000 small creatures daily to its hungry offspring without being constantly on the wing? ■ A peep at a dovekie colony from the Ittoqqortoormiit region shows that the fertilizing effect of the birds on the surrounding vegetation is visible a long way off. ■ Ittoqqortoormiit eqqaanni appaliarsuit ineqarfiat ungasianit isigalugu qorsooqqissunik avatangiiseqarpoq timmissat anaasa kingunerannik. ■ Et kik på en søkongekoloni fra Ittoqqortoormiitområdet viser på lang afstand fuglenes gødende effekt på de grønne omgivelser.
Page 1 and 2: suluk 2005 # 02 Tigoriannguaruk! Ta
Page 3 and 4: at handle Danskit nalinginnaasumik
Page 5 and 6: Contents News 7 Wide-ranging touris
Page 7 and 8: Linset ulloq ataaseqa atugassat Taa
Page 9 and 10: TV oqaluttuarisaanermik tussaasoq
Page 11 and 12: Inuit skeletons found on Iceland
Page 13 and 14: ● Tjodhildep oqaluffia Qassiarsum
Page 15: Air Greenland inflight magazine 13
Page 18 and 19: Nyd isen mens du venter på hovedre
Page 20 and 21: CB - www.reklame.gl Photo: CB, Kars
Page 22: email: hebr@royalgreenland.com Sulu
Page 25 and 26: ■ Appaliarsuk timmiaavoq imarmiu
Page 27 and 28: ■ Appaliarsuit Avanersuarmi Ittoq
Page 29 and 30: Appaliarsoqarfimmi appaliarsuit kat
Page 31 and 32: ■ En af de fem søkonger der i so
Page 33: konge. Denne Qaanaaq-delikatesse ti
Page 37 and 38: ■ The dovekie breeds in large col
Page 39 and 40: Blue Water Greenland blev etableret
Page 41 and 42: Nunaanni igasut akornanni pissartan
Page 43 and 44: denne gang ungdommen komme til fade
Page 45 and 46: master chef Competition was stiff a
Page 47 and 48: Air Greenland inflight magazine 45
Page 49 and 50: ● Nivissat kuultinnattut qimussim
Page 51 and 52: af en prøvelse. Det blæste så me
Page 53 and 54: The trip to Ilulissat was very tryi
Page 55 and 56: Maniitsumi Inuussutissarsiornermut
Page 59 and 60: ASS./FOTO/PHOTO: NARSARSUAQ MUSEUM
Page 61 and 62: paannga, paasivaallu navianartorsio
Page 65 and 66: Uden rettergang blev det bestemt, a
Page 67 and 68: ● When the war came to Qassiarsuk
Page 69 and 70: ● With a population of 3-4,000 pe
Page 71 and 72: GROWTH, PROGRESS, CREATIVITY With s
Page 73 and 74: T i m m i a a r a q ● Knud Rasmus
Page 75 and 76: T i m m i a a r a q Qaartiterutissa
Page 77 and 78: NAMMINEQ TIMMISARTUUTIT • EGEN FL
Page 79 and 80: NANORTALIK NARSAQ NARSARSUAQ NANORT
Page 81 and 82: NUUK NUUK NUUK Box 1512 . Blok 5 v/
Page 83 and 84: Illit aamma speedway-erusuppit? Vil

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