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

It should be noted that the breeding colonies shown in Figures 4.7.1 and
4.7.2 represent only a minimum of the true number of colonies present. For
some species the number of small colonies could easily be twice as many.
Especially the extensive archipelago between 63˚ and 66˚ N holds a huge potential
for seabird colonies and this area has not been thoroughly surveyed.
Furthermore, some colony information may be outdated. Extensive survey
activity is currently conduced in the archipelago north and south of Nuuk
(GINR, L. M. Rasmussen, unpubl.).
4.7.2 Summering seabirds
The shelf waters of the assessment area are also utilised by non-breeding
seabirds. Numerous individuals from breeding populations all over the
North Atlantic – mainly black-legged kittiwakes and northern fulmars (Fulmarus
glacialis) – move into the Greenland waters in summer. Also included
here are great shearwaters (Puffinus gravis) breeding in the southern hemisphere.
In coastal areas other non-breeding seabirds utilise the region in
summer – ducks arriving from breeding sites in Canada and inland Greenland
to assemble and moult along the outer coast and in some fjords. Harlequin
ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) are found at remote rocky islands,
while long-tailed ducks (Clangula hyemalis) and red-breasted mergansers
(Mergus serrator) moult in shallow fjords and bays (Boertmann & Mosbech
2001, 2002).
4.7.3 Inland birds
Inland birds, breeding in freshwater habitats also utilise the marine waters,
mainly in winter and during migration. These comprise mallards (Anas
platyrhynchos), long-tailed ducks, red-breasted mergansers, harlequin ducks,
red-throated divers (Gavia stellata) and great northern divers (Gavia immer)
(Tab. 4.7.1). As mentioned above some of the ducks may also breed at sheltered
coasts, while divers often find their food in the marine environment,
performing regular flights between inland breeding sites and the coast.
The white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) is also relevant to this assessment
as it too is associated with the marine environment.
4.7.4 Wintering seabirds
As mentioned above, the waters of the assessment area constitute very important
winter quarters for seabirds. This is due to the fact that sea ice usually
does not occur in winter – the region is often referred to as the ‘Open Water
Area’ because the harbours are navigable throughout the year. Seabirds
from Russia, Iceland, Svalbard and Canada assemble here October-May
(Boertmann et al. 2004, Boertmann et al. 2006) and it is estimated that more
than 3.5 million birds winter along the coasts of the Open Water Area. To
this figure an unknown, but probably very large number (several million) of
little auks (Alle alle) should be added (Boertmann et al. 2004).
The seabird wintering sites in the assessment area are therefore of high international
importance. The most numerous species in winter are common
eider, king eider (Somateria spectabilis), thick-billed murre and the large gull
species. The distribution of the wintering seabirds was surveyed in the
coastal area of West Greenland in 1999 (Merkel et al. 2002, Boertmann et al.
2004).
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