New Publication Available:
Migration and winter ranges of birds in Greenland. An analysis of
ringing recoveries
By Peter Lyngs
Available from: The Danish Ornithological Society (dof [at] dof.dk)
More than 280,000 birds ringed in Greenland
A major publication presents the results
Where do Greenland's birds spend the winter? And which foreign bird
populations visit Greenland? These and many other questions are answered
in a new publication, a 168-page special issue of Dansk Ornitologisk
Forenings Tidsskrift (journal of the Danish Ornithological Society /
BirdLife Denmark). The author is Peter Lyngs who made the analysis for
the Greenland Home Rule authorities and the Commission for Scientific
Research in Greenland.
For an arctic country, the bird ringing activity in Greenland has been
impressive, with a total of 280,000 birds ringed. Most were ringed
during 1946-1984 under a system devised by the late Dr. Finn Salomonsen,
where interested locals were paid a modest sum depending on number and
species ringed, and likewise modest rewards were paid for found rings
with relevant data. The number of recoveries accumulated to this day
approaches 16,000. Also, 1700 recoveries of birds ringed abroad and
found in Greenland are included in the analysis.
Most of the ringed and recovered birds are seabirds, which are
extensively hunted in Greenland. These are also the species for which
the information available from ringing data is particularly valuable for
management purposes. That is why the Greenland Home Rule financed the
analysis and procured the funds for printing through a grant from the
Aage V. Jensen Charity Foundation.
Seabirds in the hundred thousands off West Greenland
Ravens, ptarmigans, white-tailed eagles, and most gyrfalcons stay within
Greenland throughout the year. They may, however, undertake considerable
movements within the country.
Many sea- and waterbirds from West and Northwest Greenland winter in the
'open water region' of southern West Greenland north to 67-69ºN where
open water will be found year round. These include most of Greenland's
cormorants, mallards, common eiders, and black guillemots, as well as
glaucous, Iceland and great black-backed gulls. Brünnich's guillemots
from Greenland winter both in this area and at Newfoundland. The open
water region is also a winter home to huge numbers of Brünnich's
guillemots from high-arctic Canada, Iceland and Svalbard, little auks
from Svalbard (and presumably East Greenland), and common and king
eiders from arctic Canada. Several of these populations have suffered
population declines as a consequence of over-exploitation.
From Greenland to Antarctica
The birds leaving Greenland winter in various parts of the world.
Fulmars and kittiwakes are mainly found in the western North Atlantic.
The arctic tern undertakes the most impressive migration of any species,
wintering in the pack ice around Antarctica in the southern summer. Some
birds from East Greenland migrate to Iceland, including the entire NE
Greenland population of common eider and some Iceland gulls, gyrfalcons
and purple sandpipers. Red-throated divers, knots, and pink-footed,
white-fronted, barnacle and brent geese, winter in western Europe. Two
species - sanderling and turnstone - winter partly in Europe, partly in
W Africa, while three species - ringed plover, dunlin, wheatear - winter
in W Africa only.
Species wintering in North America include Canada goose (northeastern
USA) and the huge Thule population of little auk (Newfoundland). Lapland
buntings and the snow buntings from West and Southeast Greenland
likewise go to North America (southern Canada and northern USA), whereas
snow buntings from high-arctic East Greenland winter on the Russian
steppes. Finally, the peregrine falcons move to Central America and the
Caribbean islands (mostly females) or further south to South America
(males).
Among foreign birds visiting Greenland during summer are great
shearwaters from the South Atlantic, moulting in varying numbers off
southern Greenland, and immature kittiwakes from all European
populations. Many pink-footed geese from Iceland moult in NE Greenland.
Also, many shorebirds and brent geese from high-arctic Canada pass
Greenland on migration to and from the wintering quarters in W Europe
and Africa, often staging in Greenland before or after overflying the
icecap.
Hans Meltofte & Kaj Kampp
Peter Lyngs. Migration and winter ranges of birds in Greenland. An
analysis of ringing recoveries. - Dansk Ornitologisk Forenings
Tidsskrift 97: 1-168, 2003.
Available from: The Danish Ornithological Society, Vesterbrogade
138-140, DK-1620 Copenhagen V, DENMARK, e-mail dof [at] dof.dk, at a cost of
DKK 100 (c. $15) incl. postage.