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

Murres spend very long time on the sea surface and only come on land in
the breeding season. When the chicks are approximately three weeks old
and far from fully grown or able to fly, they leave the colony in company
with the adult male and swim/drift to offshore waters. The male then sheds
all flight feathers and becomes flightless for some weeks and starts migration
southwards by swimming. This swimming migration goes through the
assessment area in late summer and early autumn (Fig. 4.7.13).
The West Greenland murre population has an unfavourable conservation
status because it is decreasing. This decline is mainly ascribed to nonsustainable
harvest and more recently perhaps also chronic oil spills caused
by trans-Atlantic shipping in the winter quarters in Newfoundland waters
(Falk & Kampp 1997, Wiese et al. 2004).
Murres are very sensitive both to oil spills and disturbance at the breeding
colonies, where large proportions of the total population can be impacted by
a single incident. Vulnerable offshore concentrations occur at feeding
grounds, but they are highly vulnerable especially during the period of
flightlessness and swimming migration.
Due to the population decline the thick-billed murre is listed as Vulnerable
(VU) on the Greenland Red List (Boertmann 2007).
Common murre, Uria aalge
The common murre is only found breeding at one site in the assessment area
(Boertmann et al. 1996), in the colony of thick-billed murres southwest of
Nuuk. The highest number recorded there in recent years is approximately
75 birds.
The species is listed as endangered on the Greenland Red List, as the population
in other colonies to the south of the assessment area has decreased
(Boertmann 2007).
Razorbill, Alca torda
The razorbill is a widespread breeding bird in the assessment area. Several
colonies holding from five to 300 individuals are found both in the fjords
and at the outer coasts. The main part is found in Maniitsoq district (Fig.
4.7.1).
Razorbills are migratory and recent studies indicated that Greenland razorbills
move to the waters off eastern North America for the winter (AU, unpubl.).
Razorbills’ behaviour and sensitivity towards oil spills are similar to murres
and black guillemots. However, the breeding population is much more dispersed
than the thick-billed murres, with numerous small colonies along the
coasts, so razorbills are likely to display better recovery potential. The conservation
status of the razorbill in Greenland is favourable, and it is listed as
Least Concern on the Greenland Red List (Boertmann 2007).
Atlantic puffin, Fratercula arctica
The breeding population of puffins in the assessment area is concentrated at
the mouth of Godhåbsfjord. Here approximately eight colonies hold about
1,000 birds. There are a few more small colonies within the assessment area,
both north and south of Nuuk.
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