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

The Iceland gull has a favourable conservation status in Greenland and is
listed as Least Concern on the Greenland Red list (Boertmann 2007). The
Greenland population constitutes a distinct and endemic subspecies.
Glaucous gull, Larus hyperboreus
This gull is widespread in the region, but generally not as numerous as the
Iceland gull (Fig. 4.7.2). It breeds in colonies often together with other colonial
seabirds and both on steep cliffs and on low islands.
In winter, glaucous gulls are numerous along the coasts of the open water
region, as birds from Svalbard and possibly also Canada assemble here
(Lyngs 2003, Boertmann et al. 2004).
Glaucous gulls are most sensitive to oil spills at the breeding colonies. These
colonies, however, are generally small and the population is spread widely
along the coasts and therefore population sensitivity is relatively low compared
to other much more concentrated seabirds.
The glaucous gull has a favourable conservation status in Greenland, and is
listed as Least Concern on the Greenland Red list (Boertmann 2007).
Great black-backed gull, Larus marinus
This gull is common and widespread along the coasts of the assessment area
(Fig. 4.7.2). It breeds both in colonies and as dispersed as pairs – usually on
small islands.
In winter, the entire population of Greenland great black-backed gull is
found along the coasts of the open water area in Southwest Greenland.
The conservation status is favourable and the population is probably increasing,
at least it has extended the range northwards in recent decades. It
is listed as Least concern (LC) on the Greenland red list (Boertmann 2007).
Lesser black-backed gull, Larus fuscus
The lesser black-backed gull has immigrated to Greenland within the past 30
years (Boertmann 2008b) and it is now a relatively common breeder in the
assessment area (Fig. 4.7.2). It is usually found in small colonies among other
gull species on small islands. The lesser black-backed gulls are migratory,
leaving Greenland for the winter.
This species in not assessed on the Greenland Red List, but as it is increasing,
both in range and number, its conservation status is favourable.
Arctic tern, Sterna paradisaea
Relatively few breeding colonies of Arctic tern are present in the assessment
area, compared with on more northern coasts of West Greenland, and long
extents of coastline are completely without breeding terns (Fig. 4.7.2).
Arctic terns are highly migratory, wintering in the southern hemisphere
(Egevang et al. 2010). They arrive to the breeding colonies during
May/early-June and leave again during August/September. They spend
most of the time in coastal waters close to breeding colonies. Terns feed on
fish and crustaceans by plunge diving, and they usually do not rest on the
water surface, making them less exposed than other seabirds to marine oil
spills.
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