PAST AND PRESENT ASSESSMENTS OF THE BIRD LIFE IN UUMMANNAQ DISTRICT, WEST GREENLAND
(This is the abstract from an article by Tom Cade, Kurt and Bill Burnham of the Peregrine Foundation printed in the journal "DOFT" published by the Danish Ornithological Society.)
Burnham, W., K.K. Burnham & T.J. Cade 2005: Past and present assessments of bird life in Uummannaq District, West Greenland. – Dansk Orn. Foren. Tidsskr. 99: 196-208.
From 1905 to 1920 Alfred Bertelsen documented 210 avian breeding sites for 32 species in the Uummannaq District, Greenland, between 70º03' and 72º03' N and 50º20' and 55º40'W, a land area of about 12,000 km2. In 2000 we re-surveyed 207 of those sites and the remainder of the coastal area, providing results for 25 species, our aim being to determine presence/absence and density of coastal nesting species. For 10 species reported by Bertelsen as common and with quantified numbers (breeding sites and population) at his locations, we found the number of occupied sites was the same for one species (Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis) while nine others had declined. Assuming some species may have relocated breeding sites over time and including all locations where we found those species, when compared to Bertelsen's results, the number of sites remained the same for two species and declined for eight. Comparing the total observed population numbers (birds present) between Bertelsen's and our 2000 survey, one species remained about the same or slightly increased (Northern Fulmar) and nine decreased. The species with the most dramatic declines were the Thick-billed Murre Uria lomvia (from 8 sites and over 500,000 pairs to zero), Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla (27 sites and 268,000 birds to 7 sites and c. 1,100 birds), Razorbill Alca torda (17 sites to 3), Common Eider Somateria mollissima (26 sites to 16), and Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus (28 sites to 7). The Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo and Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus are the only species we could determine with certainty that had increased in number of breeding sites (1 to 12 and 0 to 4 sites, respectively). Population declines appear to be a combination of human persecution and human-caused reduction in prey and habitat quality. Unless further conservation measures are taken, continued avian declines are probable.
