The Davis Strait - DCE - Nationalt Center for Miljø og Energi

66°N
64°N
Mean density
62°N
N/km2
0
1 - 5
6 - 10
11 - 20
21 - 35
36 - 75
76 - 150
151 - 300
301 - 640
Assessment area
0 50 100 Km
60°N
60°W
104
60°W
55°W
55°W
50°W
Spring
50°W
68°N
66°N
64°N
62°N
66°N
64°N
Mean density
60°W
62°N
N/km2
0
1 - 10
11 - 30
31 - 60
61 - 125
126 - 250
251 - 500
501 - 1.000
1,001 - 2,244
Assessment area
0 50 100 Km
60°N
60°W
Figures 4.7.6. At-sea distribution of common eider in the assessment area based on available ship survey and aerial survey
data from 1988 - 2010. Only the coastal zone is well covered and only during winter (Merkel et al. 2002). Note also that the
density scale varies between seasons.
King eider, Somateria spectabilis
The king eider is mainly a winter visitor to the assessment area, although a
few may occur also in summer. The birds arrive from breeding grounds in
Canada and moulting grounds in NW Greenland during October. The most
important winter area is the Store Hellefiskebanke just north of the assessment
area (Fig. 4.7.7). But wintering king eiders are also found along the
coasts and on some of the offshore banks of the assessment area, especially
Fyllas Bank. In winters with heavy ice conditions birds are forced to leave
Store Hellefiskebanke and seek alternative winter habitats within the assessment
area. An aerial survey in March 1999 (Merkel et al. 2002) resulted
in an estimate of 153,000 king eiders in Southwest Greenland, of which a
large proportion occurred in the assessment area (Merkel et al. 2002). Satellite
tracking of king eiders confirms that a part of the population use the assessment
area in winter (Fig. 4.7.8) (Mosbech et al. 2006a).
55°W
55°W
50°W
Winter
50°W
68°N
66°N
64°N
62°N