SEABIRDS AND MARINE MAMMALS IN
SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST GREENLAND,
JUNE 2008
TECHNICAL REPORT NO. 81, 2010
PINNGORTITALERIFFIK
GREENLAND INSTITUTE OF NATURAL RESOURCES
Da a shee
Ti le: Seabi ds and ma ine mammals in Sou h and Sou heas G eenland, June 2008
Se ies i le and no.: Technical Repo No. 81
Au ho (s): Flemming R. Me kel, La s Mal ha Rasmussen & Aqqalu Rosing-As id
Depa men (s): Na ional En i onmen al Resea ch Ins i u e, Aa hus Uni e si y
G eenland Ins i u e o Na u al Resou ces
Publishe : Pinngo i ale i ik, G eenland Ins i u e o Na u al Resou ces
Yea o publica ion: Feb ua y 2010
Re e ee(s): Da id Boe mann
Financing: Pinngo i ale i ik, G eenland Ins i u e o Na u al Resou ces
Please ci e as: Me kel, F.R., Rasmussen, L.M. & Rosing-As id, A. 2010. Seabi ds and ma ine mammals in
Sou h and Sou heas G eenland, June 2008 Technical Repo No. 81, Pinngo i ale i ik,
G eenland Ins i u e o Na u al Resou ces
T ansla ion: Bja ne Lybe h
D awings: Flemming R. Me kel/Mo en Bje um (GIS-maps)
ISBN: 87-91214-45-9
ISSN (elec onic): 1397-3657
Numbe o pages: 57
In e ne e sion: The epo is a ailable only in elec onic o ma (pd ) a GINR's websi e
h p://www.na u .gl
P in s can be eques ed om:
Pinngo i ale i ik
Pos boks 570
3900 Nuuk
G eenland
Phone. +299 36 12 00
Fax. +299 36 12 12
[email p o ec ed]
Seabi ds and ma ine mammals in
Sou h and Sou heas G eenland,
June 2008
Flemming Ra n Me kel
Na ional En i onmen al Resea ch Ins i u e,
Aa hus Uni e si y
La s Mal ha Rasmussen
G eenland Ins i u e o Na u al Resou ces
Aqqalu Rosing-As id
G eenland Ins i u e o Na u al Resou ces
Technical Repo No. 81, 2010
Pinngo i ale i ik
G eenland Ins i u e o Na u al Resou ces
Con en s
Summa y 7
Sammen a ning 9
Eqikkaaneq 11
1 In oduc ion 13
1.1 Acknowledgemen s 14
2 Me hods 15
2.1.1 Su ey me hods 15
2.1.2 Da a p esen a ion and e e ences 16
2.1.3 Ice co e age 17
3 Resul s and discussion 21
3.1 Species accoun 21
3.1.1 Bi ds 21
3.1.2 Ma ine mammals 44
3.2 Species di e si y and densi y o bi ds in Sou heas G eenland 49
3.3 The Seabi d Colony Da abase 49
4 Conclusions 51
4.1 Bi ds 51
4.2 Ma ine mammals 55
5 Re e ences 56
G eenland Ins i u e o Na u al Resou ces
Technical Repo No. 81
Summa y
We conduc ed an ex ensi e ae ial su ey in Sou h and Sou heas G een-
land in he pe iod 12 - 26 June, 2008. The main objec i e was o de ec
impo an b eeding a eas o he common eide , o which he p io
knowledge in Sou heas G eenland was e y limi ed. A second p io i y
was o iden i y b eeding si es o ha bou seals in he sou he n pa o
he su ey a ea. This species has been se e ely educed h oughou Wes
G eenland o e he pas cen u y and a e now only egula ly epo ed
nea Kange lussuaq/Sd . S øm jo d and he sou he n ip o G eenland.
As a as possible o he species o ma ine mammals and bi ds we e also
eco ded.
We used a Pa ena ia P-68 Obse e ai c a equipped wi h bubble win-
dows and all obse a ions we e ea ed as o al coun s. The su ey al i-
ude was 250 ee . In gene al, we ollowed he sho eline o he ou e
coas and he jo ds and made de ou s o co e “o sho e” islands. En
ou e we eco ded new seabi d colonies and con olled p e iously de-
sc ibed colonies. The o al su ey e o was ~9,400 km.
Seabi d densi y in Sou heas G eenland was highes in he a ea be ween
Qulleq (61.4ºN) and Umii ik (64.3ºN) and along he no he n pa o
Blosse ille Kys . These wo a eas plus he a ea a ound Tasiilaq we e
iden i ied as ha ing he highes species di e si y. The mos common
b eede s in Sou heas G eenland we e he common eide (18,530 ind .),
Iceland gull (1,285 ind .), black guillemo (971 ind .) and glaucous gull
(603 ind .), espec i ely. No he n ulma , g ea co mo an , ba nacle
goose, g ea back-blacked gull, lesse back-blacked gull, black-legged
ki iwake and A c ic e n we e also b eeding, bu we e spa sely dis ib-
u ed. B eeding bi ds o g ea no he n di e , ed- h oa ed di e , malla d,
long- ailed duck, ed-b eas ed me ganse and i o y gull we e also ob-
se ed, bu ou su ey co e ed only a small p opo ion o sui able
b eeding habi a s. Two species we e eco ded as p e-moul ing in Sou h-
eas G eenland; he common eide and pink- oo ed goose.
The s a us o 38 seabi d colonies, among 47 colonies known o Sou heas
G eenland p e iously, was con olled a he su ey and 51 new colonies
( i s - ime eco ds) we e loca ed (no including black guillemo ). The de-
ec ion o new colonies was especially high in he a ea be ween Qulleq
(61.4ºN) and Umii ik (64.3ºN), wi h common eide and Iceland gull as
he wo mos impo an species.
Fo he common eide he mos impo an b eeding a ea in Sou heas
G eenland was he a ea be ween Qulleq and Umii ik. Ten o 11 new
colonies de ec ed in Sou heas G eenland in 2008 we e ound in his a ea.
The no he n pa o Blosse ille Kys has p e iously been iden i ied as an
impo an b eeding a ea and his was con i med by ou su ey. One new
colony was de ec ed he e in 2008. The wo a eas wi h he highes concen-
a ion o eide colonies also had he mos ex ensi e open wa e a eas a
he beginning o he su ey pe iod in mid June. In con as o he ypical
si ua ion in Wes G eenland, he common eide was equen ly obse ed
as a soli a y b eede in many jo ds and coas al a eas o Sou heas
7
G eenland, especially he la ge jo ds a ound Timmia miu (62.6ºN) and
Saqqisikuik/Skjoldungen (63.3ºN). When combining es ima es o colo-
nial b eede s and soli a y b eede s a minimum o ~1.600 pai s o eide s
we e b eeding in Sou heas G eenland in 2008. In addi ion o his, mixed
eide locks o males and emales we e equen ly obse ed on he wa e
h oughou he su ey a ea and some p opo ion o hese we e p obably
also b eeding bi ds. Ano he p opo ion o he eide s we e de ec ed as
male-domina ed locks and we specula e ha hese we e pos -b eeding
o non-b eeding bi ds om Iceland. Guessing ha hal o he mixed ei-
de locks we e b eeding bi ds, we es ima e ha 1,600 – 3,200 pai s we e
b eeding in Sou heas G eenland in 2008.
In Sou h G eenland, be ween Kap Fa el and Paamiu , he common ei-
de was by a he mos nume ous species eco ded (8,170 ind .). How-
e e , colonies p e ious eco ded in his a ea we e no con i med in 2008.
I is a possibili y ha eide s we e sca ce away om he colonies p io o
ou a i al (due o he noise), o pe haps he iming o he su ey did no
ma ch he incuba ion pe iod. Among o he species in Sou h G eenland,
he endemic G eenland malla d subspecies conboscha was ela i ely
common in Sou h G eenland (23 obs., 52 ind .). This was also he case
o black guillemo and he la ge gull species, bu hese species we e no
consis en ly eco ded. A ew obse a ions o Canada goose, mu -
es/ azo bills and whi e- ailed eagles we e also made in Sou h
G eenland.
Nine p e iously egis e ed b eeding si es o ha bou seals in sou he n
G eenland we e con olled in he pe iod 12-17 June. Howe e , no ha -
bou seals we e seen on any o hese loca ions. A emp s we e made o
e isi wo o he si es, bu his was abandoned due o poo wea he con-
di ions. The absence o ha bou seals a ound and eas o Kap Fa el was
unexpec ed and subsequen wo k in his a ea (Augus /Sep embe 2009)
also con i med ha ha bou seals do occu he e.
A ema kable obse a ion o a ju enile bowhead whale was done in he
sou he n pa o Blosse ille Kys , and his indica es ha he e y small
and c i ically endange ed Spi sbe gen s ock o bowhead whales is ep o-
ducing. Se e al obse a ions o na whales along Blosse ille Kys con-
i med ha he no he n pa o Sou heas G eenland is impo an as
summe esidence o na whales in Eas G eenland.
8
Sammen a ning
Denne appo ise esul a e ne a en om a ende ekognosce ing a ly
i Syd- og Sydøs g ønland i pe ioden 12. – 26. juni 2008. De p imæ e
o mål a a iden i ice e ig ige yngleom åde o alm. ede ugle, ide
den eksis e ende iden om udb edelsen a ede ugl i Sydøs g ønland a
mege spo adisk. End ide e a de o måle a iden i ice e ynglepladse
o spæ e sæl i de sydligs e G ønland. Fo ekoms en a spæ e sæl e
gåe d as isk ilbage i hele Ves g ønland i løbe a de o ige å hund ede,
og den appo e es nu kun egelmæssig a e om åde ed Kange lussu-
aq/Sd . S øm jo d og omk ing Kap Fa el. Så id mulig ble and e a -
e a ha pa edy og ugle ligeledes egis e e .
En Pa ena ia P-68 Obse e o syne med boble indue ble an end
som obse a ionspla o m. Fly ehøjden a 250 od og op ællinge ne
ble o e age som o alop ællinge . Rekognosce ingen ulg e gene el
kys linjen langs yde kys en og i jo dene, a b ud a a s ikke e il uden-
skæ s øe elle øg uppe . Unde ejs ble nye ha uglekolonie egis e-
e og alle ede kend e lokali e e ble kon olle e . Den samlede ekog-
nosce ing s ak e sig o e ~9.400 km, eksklusi æ ge ly ning.
I Sydøs g ønland a densi e en a ha ugle s ø s i om åde mellem
Qulleq (61.4ºN) og Umii ik (64.3ºN) og langs den no dlige del a Blosse-
ille Kys . I disse o om åde sam i om åde omk ing Tasiilaq ble den
s ø s e a sdi e si e egis e e . De mes almindelige yngle ugle i Syd-
øs g ønland a henholds is alm. ede ugl (18.530 ind .), h id inge
måge (1.285 ind .), ejs (971 ind .) og g åmåge (603 ind .). Mallemuk,
ska , b amgås, s a bag, sildemåge, ide og ha e ne ble egis e e
som å allige yngle ugle. De e a også il ælde o islom, øds ube
lom, g åand, ha li , oppe skallesluge og ismåge, men su eye inklu-
de ede kun i inge g ad ynglehabi a e o disse a e . To a e ble egi-
s e e som ælde ugle i Sydøs g ønland: Alm. ede ugl og ko næbbe
gås.
Bland 47 idlige e egis e ede ha uglekolonie i Sydøs g ønland ble
38 kolonie genbesøg , og 51 nye/ubesk e ne kolonie ble egis e e
(ekskl. ejs ) i 2008. Fles nye kolonie ble egis e e i om åde mellem
Qulleq (61.4ºN) og Umii ik (64.3ºN), med alm. ede ugl og h id inge
måge som de ig igs e a e .
Fo alm. ede ugl i Sydøs g ønland udgjo de de næ n e om åde mellem
Qulleq og Umii ik de ig igs e yngleom åde, h o 10 ud a 11 nye ko-
lonie i Sydøs g ønland ble egis e e . Den no dlige del a Blosse ille
Kys e idlige e iden i ice e som e ig ig yngleom åde i Sydøs g øn-
land, og de e ble bek æ e i 2008. En enkel ny koloni ble unde i
de e om åde. De o om åde med den s ø s e koncen a ion a ede ugle
kolonie a sam idig de o om åde med den minds e isudb edelse i
s a en a unde søgelsespe ioden (medio juni). I modsæ ning il den y-
piske yngles a egi hos ede ugl i Ves g ønland, ble de gjo hyppige
und a soli æ e yngle ugle Sydøs g ønland, sæ lig i jo dsys eme om-
k ing Timmia miu (62.6ºN) og Saqqisikuik/Skjoldungen (63.3ºN).
Summen a enkel ise yngle und sam koloni ugende ugle i Sydøs g øn-
9
co ded he ack, and subsequen ly we geo e e enced he eco ds by
combining he ime o obse a ion and he GPS- ime. Clocks we e syn-
ch onised acco ding o he GPS-clock (UTC- ime).
The ai c a was na iga ed by pilo Lei Pe e sen (LP) and he obse e s
we e Flemming Ra n Me kel (12-26 June), Aqqalu Rosing-As id (12-17
June) and La s Mal ha Rasmussen (18-26 June).
Fig. 1. The Pa ina ia Obse e (OY-CAG) and pilo Lei Pe e sen in Kulusuk. Pho o: L. M. Rasmussen
2.1.2 Da a p esen a ion and e e ences
Since all sigh ings we e ea ed as o al coun obse a ions all he maps
show he aw da a poin s and no a emp s o ex apola e he da a o un-
co e ed a eas we e made. As a consequence, all numbe s ep esen
minimum es ima es o he species eco ded. A simple g id cell analysis
was applied o he bi d da a om Sou heas G eenland o iden i y he
mos impo an a eas in e ms o species di e si y and o e all bi d den-
si y. The g id cells used we e ex ac ed as he o e lapping cells be ween
a UTM Zone 25N g id wi h size 25 x 25 km and he su ey ack. The
numbe o species encoun e ed wi hin each g id cell may be biased by an
une en su ey e o be ween g id cells, howe e , since mo e su ey ac-
i i y usually was adap ed as a consequence o mo e bi ds in gene al in
his a ea, we did no compensa e o une en su ey e o s.
All he GIS maps a e shown wi h he UTM Zone 25N p ojec ion, how-
e e , o a ed 42º an iclockwise o educe he amoun o space used o
each igu e. In he ex place names (in G eenlandic, Danish o bo h) a e
o en accompanied by he app oxima e la i udinal coo dina e o quickly
guide he eade o he a ea in ques ion i un amilia wi h he place
16
names in Sou heas G eenland. Geog aphical coo dina es a e gi en in
decimal deg ees. In his epo Sou heas G eenland is de ined as he
a ea be ween he sou he n ip o G eenland (Kap Fa el) and no h o
Sco esbysund Fjo d (bu no including he jo d). Sou h G eenland is e-
e ed o he a ea om Kap Fa el and no hwes o Paamiu .
In 1993 Boe mann (1994) p oduced a comp ehensi e checklis o bi d
obse a ions in G eenland. Mos o wha was p e iously known abou
Sou heas G eenland is included he e and in mos cases we ci e his e-
iew a he han he o iginal li e a u e since Boe mann (1994) also in-
cludes in o ma ion ha has no been published elsewhe e. Mo e ecen
unpublished in o ma ion was ex ac ed om he G eenland Seabi d
Colony Da abase, which is e e ed o as NERI (2007).
Local knowledge abou he dis ibu ion o seals and bi ds om Sou h-
eas G eenland was collec ed by Aqqalu Rosing-As id du ing ieldwo k
nea Tasiilaq in 2005 and 2006. The local knowledge was p o ided by
Vi us Mikaelsen who has spen mos o his li e as a hun e nea
Pikiulleq and Iso oq (sou h o Tasiilaq). Vi us has made nume ous
hun ing- ips along he Sou heas G eenland coas om Kange lussuaq
and sou h o Kap Fa el and he is one o he iches sou ces o local
knowledge o he wildli e in Sou heas G eenland. Rele an in o ma ion
is men ioned unde he species accoun (3.1) and e e ed o as Mikael-
sen (2006, pe s. comm.).
2.1.3 Ice co e age
An ex ensi e bel o d i ice was s ill p esen in Sou heas G eenland a
he s a o he su ey, on June 12 (Fig. 4). Howe e , in mos a eas he
mo e dense ice co e age occu ed sligh ly o sho e, lea ing a band o
open wa e along he sho eline. The bel o d i ice was nea ly absen be-
ween Timmia miu (62.5ºN) and Umii ik (64.3ºN) and mos jo ds had
ex ensi e open wa e a eas. In Ikeq/Køge Bug (64.7ºN), Ike i aq
(65.4ºN) and in he a ea om Kap Gus a Holm (66.5ºN) and no h o
Nansen Fjo d (68.2ºN) coas al as ice was s ill widely dis ibu ed (Fig. 4).
A he end o he su ey, on June 26, mos o he d i ice had disap-
pea ed in Sou heas G eenland (Fig. 5). Dense ice was s ill p esen om
a ound Nansen Fjo d (68.2ºN) and c. 200km o he sou h, in Ike i aq
(65.4ºN) and in Ikeq/Køge Bug (64.7ºN).
17
Fig. 2. Su ey ou es unde aken in Sou h- and Sou heas G eenland in he pe iod 12-22 June, 2008
18
Fig. 3. Su ey ou es unde -
aken in he no he n pa o
Sou heas G eenland in he
pe iod 23-26 June, 2008.
19
Fig. 4. Ice co e age in S- and
Sou heas G eenland on June 12,
2008, based on AMSR-E passi e
mic owa e images om he Aqua
sa elli e (www.seaice.dk). Pu ple
and ed means high ice concen a-
ion, while yellow and g een is low
and blue is e e ing o no ice.
Fig. 5. As abo e, bu o June 26,
2008.
20
3 Resul s and discussion
3.1 Species accoun
3.1.1 Bi ds
G ea no he n di e (Ga ia imme )
Only wo coas al obse a ions and one jo d obse a ion eco ded. One
pai was seen a he coas o Blosse ille and wo single bi ds we e ob-
se ed a he sou h (Fig. 6). In mid June mos bi ds will be dis ibu ed a
inland b eeding loca ions (lakes) and coas al bi ds a e o en non-
b eede s (Boe mann 1994).
The g ea no he n di e is known as a egula o sca ce b eede as a
no h as Qaanaaq on he wes coas and Do e Bug in Eas G eenland
(Boe mann 1994). A possible b eeding pai has been obse ed as a
no h as Fyn Sø a app oxima ely 80º 30’N (Boe mann e al. 2009b).
Red- h oa ed di e (Ga ia s ella a)
A o al o 28 bi ds we e seen in locks up o h ee bi ds. Excep o wo
sigh ings along he coas o Blosse ille, all bi ds we e seen in he sou h-
e n pa o he su ey a ea, on he eas coas below 63ºN and in Juliane-
håbsbug en on he wes coas (Fig. 7).
The ed- h oa ed di e is known as a widesp ead and common b eede
h oughou G eenland, usually nes ing nea shallow ponds close o he
coas . Bi ds seen along he coas may ep esen non-b eede s o o aging
b eede s (Boe mann 1994).
No he n ulma (Fulma us glacialis)
Two b eeding colonies we e known om Sou heas G eenland p io o
his su ey (NERI 2007). One is loca ed e y close o Kap Fa el (colony
59010) and se e al locks o ulma s we e seen close o his colony. The
o he colony is loca ed in he no he n pa o Blosse ille Kys (Dunholm,
69502), bu no bi ds we e de ec ed in his a ea. A single bi d was ob-
se ed in he d i ice a 65.1ºN and a single lock in Sou h G eenland
(Fig. 8)
G ea co mo an (Phalac oco ax ca bo)
We had ou obse a ions o g ea co mo an in Sou heas G eenland
sou h o Tasiilaq a 65.1ºN (Pikiulleq) and 65.6ºN (Iso oq). One la ge
g oup o bi ds (n=25) lushed om wha appea ed o be a oos ing si e
and he emaining sigh ings we e single-bi d obse a ions (Fig. 9).
The g ea co mo an was p e iously epo ed as b eeding in he a ea o
Tasiilaq (Helms 1926), bu hen disappea ed as a b eeding bi d
(Boe mann 1994). One colony (59013) was egis e ed nea Kap Fa el in
2003 (NERI 2007), bu no co mo an s we e obse ed he e in 2008.
Acco ding o Mikaelsen (2006, pe s. comm.) he numbe o g ea co mo-
an s ha e inc eased signi ican ly nea Iso oq in ecen yea s.
21
Fig. 6. Dis ibu ion o g ea no he n di e obse a ions
du ing ae ial su eys in Sou heas G eenland, 12-26 June,
2008.
Fig. 7. Dis ibu ion o ed- h oa ed di e obse a ions du -
ing ae ial su eys in Sou heas G eenland, 12-26 June,
2008.
22
Fig. 8. Dis ibu ion o no he n ulma obse a ions du ing
ae ial su eys in Sou heas G eenland, 12-26 June, 2008. Fig. 9. Dis ibu ion o g ea co mo an obse a ions du ing
ae ial su eys in Sou heas G eenland, 12-26 June, 2008.
23
He emembe ed he i s case o b eeding nea Pikiuleq in he ea ly
1980s. Subsequen ly, he bi ds mo ed om his nes ing si e o Iso oq.
On 21 Juli 2006 Rosing-As id and Mikaelsen isi ed he nes ing si e nea
Iso oq (65.63°N, 39.03°W), bu ound only gulls b eeding he e. P e i-
ously, g ea co mo an s we e also b eeding a wo o he loca ions
(65.70°N, 39.25°W and 65.65°N, 39.18°W), bu as in he i s case only
gulls we e p esen in 2006. Howe e , a b eeding colony was u he o-
wa ds he mou h o he jo d (7-10 km away), which acco ding o Mi-
kaelsen was new. A o al o 22 nes s we e coun ed and 3 chicks could be
seen in mos nes s.
These b eeding bi ds may o igina e om Wes G eenland o om Ice-
land. In bo h places he b eeding popula ion e e s o he subspecies
ca bo.
Ba nacle goose (B an a leucopsis)
Two b eeding si es we e obse ed a he no he n sec ion o Blosse ille
Kys (Fig. 10). Bi ds we e seen aking o om b eeding ledges. A o al o
10 bi ds we e eco ded, bu p obably mo e bi ds we e p esen a he
ledges.
The wo obse ed b eeding si es ep esen he sou he n b eeding ange
o ba nacle goose in G eenland and bo h colonies ep esen ecen ind-
ings (2004 and 2008). The b eeding a ea con inues no hwa ds o He -
ugen a O leans Land a ~77ºN (Boe mann 1994)
Pink- oo ed goose (Anse b achy hynchos)
The main b eeding dis ibu ion o pink- oo ed goose in G eenland is
om S ewa d Ø, jus sou h o Sco esbysund and no h o Ge mania
Land (~77ºN). In addi ion o hese b eede s a la ge numbe o non-
b eeding bi ds om Iceland moul in Eas G eenland (Boe mann 1991).
The geese obse ed on his su ey we e p obably moul ing Icelandic
non-b eede s. Bi ds we e obse ed in small locks as lying o s aging in
jo ds a he mou h o a ious i e s. All bi ds we e obse ed in la e June
(19 – 25), which is when he Icelandic bi ds usually s a a i ing in Eas
G eenland (Boe mann 1991). Mos Icelandic b eede s mig a e o moul
in No heas G eenland, bu also obse a ions om Sou heas G eenland
ha e been epo ed (Boe mann 1994), including he jo ds a ound
Saqqisikuik/Skjoldungen (~63.5ºN) and he Se milik jo d no h o Ta-
siilaq, whe e we obse ed se e al locks. The ew bi ds obse ed ou side
hese wo known moul ing a eas appea o be new eco ds o Sou heas
G eenland (Fig. 11).
Canada goose (B an a canadensis)
Only obse ed in Sou h G eenland be ween Na salik and Kap Fa el
(Fig. 12). The bi ds we e p obably non-b eeding summe isi o s and
acco ding o Boe mann (pe s. comm.) among he mos sou he n obse -
a ions in Wes G eenland. Canada goose is ge ing inc easingly com-
mon as a b eeding bi d be ween Nuuk and sou he n Upe na ik (Bennike
1990, Malecki e al. 2000, K is iansen & Ja e 2001).
24
Fig. 10. Dis ibu ion o ba nacle goose obse a ions du -
ing ae ial su eys in Sou heas G eenland, 12-26 June,
2008.
Fig. 11. Dis ibu ion o pink- oo ed goose obse a ions du -
ing ae ial su eys in Sou heas G eenland, 12-26 June,
2008.
25
b eede s om Iceland, depending on he b eeding condi ions he e. The
o e all pe cen age o whi e bi ds obse ed no h o 62ºN was 68% (colo-
nies included), while only 36% in Sou h- and Sou heas G eenland below
62ºN.
Combining he numbe o b eeding bi ds om all he colonies obse ed
in 2008 (new and old) wi h all obse a ions o indi idual males o indi-
idual pai s, assuming ha all hese a e b eeding bi ds, he b eeding
popula ion in Sou heas G eenland adds up o a minimum o ~1,600
pai s. I we also assume ha some p opo ion o he eide locks ob-
se ed in Sou heas G eenland as ha ing e en p opo ions o whi e and
b own bi ds (6,425 bi ds) in ac we e b eeding bi ds (and no Icelandic
moul ing bi ds), al hough no ye es ablished as such a he ime o he
su ey, he b eeding numbe could easily be much highe . Assuming,
ha hal o hese eide s we e b eede s would add ano he ~1,600 pai s o
he b eeding popula ion in Sou heas G eenland. Conside ing ha his
assump ion is mos unce ain, bu aking in o accoun ha no all po en-
ial b eeding a eas we e su eyed, we oughly es ima e a b eeding popu-
la ion o 1,600 – 3,200 pai s in Sou heas G eenland.
In Sou h G eenland we de ec ed a single new colony (~10 pai s) be ween
A suk and Paamiu (Fig. 14). Howe e , among he colonies known om
p e ious su eys, mainly Boe mann (2004), no b eeding bi ds we e de-
ec ed o ce ain. As in he case o he Kap Fa el colonies, bi ds may
ha e lushed he colonies o no ye ini ia ed incuba ion. Possible b eed-
e s did occu in he a ea (Fig. 17).
Fig. 20. Pa o Dunholmene a he no he n Blosse ille Kys (23/6). The e is s ill a lo o ice, bu a ew eide s had s a ed
b eeding (males isible). Pho o: F. R. Me kel
32
King eide (Soma e ia spec abilis)
We had only h ee obse a ions o king eide (n=4). These we e all e-
co ded on 19 June nea Tasiilaq (Se milik and Kuummii ). P e ious in-
o ma ion abou king eide in Sou heas G eenland is limi ed o a ew old
eco ds o mig an s o summe isi o s a ound Tasiilaq and Kange si -
uaq (Boe mann 1994).
Long- ailed duck (Clangula hyemalis)
Apa om one obse a ion a he no he n Blosse ille Kys , one a Kap
Fa el and a ew in Sou h G eenland (A suk), mos long- ailed ducks
we e ound agg ega ed in small locks in he jo d-sys em no h o Ta-
siilaq (Fig. 21).
The long- ailed duck is a ai ly common b eede in Wes - and NE-
G eenland and la ge numbe s win e s in Sou hwes G eenland (Me kel
e al. 2002), bu li le in o ma ion exi s o Sou heas G eenland. B eeding
has been epo ed om he Miki Fjo d a ea (~68.1ºN), he Tasiilaq-a ea
and Lindenow Fjo d (60.4ºN) and a ew obse a ions o win e ing bi ds
in he Tasiilaq -a ea (Boe mann 1994).
Red-b eas ed me ganse (Me gus se a o )
Bi ds we e obse ed in Sou h G eenland and occasionally in Sou heas
G eenland no h o Tasiilaq (Fig. 22). Only one o wo bi ds we e seen a
a ime and mainly in connec ion wi h shel e ed coas s o nea -coas al
eshwa e habi a s and he bi ds we e p obably local b eede s. Ou ob-
se a ions a e in line wi h p e ious desc ip ions o he b eeding dis ibu-
ion in Sou heas G eenland, i.e., no h o Tasiilaq (Boe mann 1994)
G ea black-backed gull (La us ma inus)
In Sou heas G eenland g ea black-backed gulls a e p e iously epo ed
om he a ea o Tasiilaq and a he mou h o Sco esbysund (Boe mann
1994). Ou obse a ions a e also om hese a eas (Fig. 23). Two o h ee
known colonies in Sou heas G eenland we e e isi ed and bi ds we e
obse ed in bo h o hem. Obse a ions o lesse black-backed gulls indi-
ca e a simila dis ibu ion o his species, al hough misiden i ica ion
canno be excluded (Fig. 24).
Boe mann (2004) de ec ed a la ge numbe o colonies in Sou h
G eenland in la e July 2003, bu g ea black-backed gull was no consis-
en ly eco ded in Sou h G eenland in 2008. A single colony was egis-
e ed (Fig. 23).
Lesse black-backed gull (La us uscus)
This species is expanding i s b eeding ange in Sou hwes G eenland
(Lyngs 2003), bu p obably also in Sou heas - and No heas G eenland
(Boe mann 2008). On his su ey we ound a new colony in he Tasiilaq-
a ea and one a he no h a Blosse ille Kys (Fig. 24). In July 2008
Boe mann (2009b) obse ed wo colonies in he same a ea o Blossewille
Kys . P obably mo e o he bi ds obse ed in he Tasiilaq-a ea we e
b eeding bi ds.
Boe mann (2004) ound se e al new colonies in Sou h G eenland in
2003, bu only ew colonies we e egis e ed in 2008. Howe e , his spe-
cies was no consis en ly eco ded in Sou h G eenland.
33
Fig. 21. Dis ibu ion o long- ailed duck obse a ions du -
ing ae ial su eys in Sou heas G eenland, 12-26 June,
2008.
Fig.22. Dis ibu ion o ed-b eas ed me ganse obse a-
ions du ing ae ial su eys in Sou heas G eenland, 12-26
June, 2008.
34
Fig. 23. Dis ibu ion o g ea black-backed gull obse a-
ions du ing ae ial su eys in Sou heas G eenland, 12-
26 June, 2008 and he colonies p e iously known.
Fig. 24. Dis ibu ion o lesse black-backed gull obse a-
ions du ing ae ial su eys in Sou heas G eenland, 12-26
June, 2008 and he colonies p e iously known.
35
He ing gull (La us a gen a us)
A single obse a ion o a subadul (3K) he ing gull was done a 67.0ºN.
No obse a ion o his species has p e iously been epo ed om Sou h-
eas G eenland. Howe e , i is known as a a e summe ag an in he
Sco esbysund-a ea and as a no h as Ge mania Land (Boe mann 1994).
Glaucous gull (La us hype bo eus)
Ha ing simila adul plumages he wo species glaucous gull and Ice-
land gull a e di icul o dis inguish om an ai plane. Only when seen
oge he he di e ences in size be ween he wo species is conspicuous.
Bo h species usually b eed in colonies on s eep cli s acing he sea, bu
may also o m colonies on small islands. In addi ion, glaucous gull e-
quen ly b eeds soli a y on small islands and o en in connec ion wi h
common eide colonies. Due o he iden i ica ion issue some obse a-
ions we e lumped as Iceland/glaucous gull (Fig. 25 and 26).
In Sou h G eenland glaucous gull was no consis en ly eco ded and
only a couple o colonies we e egis e ed (Fig. 25). In Sou heas
G eenland all gulls we e egis e ed. Glaucous gull was mos nume ous
in he Tasiilaq-a ea, howe e , only a ela i ely small numbe o b eeding
colonies we e egis e ed – 13 colonies, o which se en was new. Mos e-
co ds we e o oos ing o sca enging gulls o gulls ollowing o aging
common eide s. In o al 255 obse a ions and 603 indi iduals we e e-
co ded in Sou heas G eenland, no including bi ds lumped as Ice-
land/glaucous gull.
A subs an ial p opo ion o hese obse a ions p obably ep esen b eed-
ing bi ds nea hei nes ing si e. Ou su ey appea s o con i m p e ious
desc ip ions o glaucous gull as a widesp ead b eede in Sou heas
G eenland (Boe mann 1994), maybe excep a ound Kange lussuaq
(~68ºN) and he sou he n pa o Blosse ille Kys .
Iceland gull (La us glaucoides)
Conce ning iden i ica ion issues see unde glaucous gull. Se e al colo-
nies o Iceland gull we e ound in he jo ds sou h o Be ns o Is jo d
(63.6ºN, Fig. 25). The e a e no p e ious egis a ions o b eeding colonies
om his a ea, al hough Salomonsen (1990) no ed ha Iceland gull was
sca ce b eede in Sou heas G eenland no h o Kange lussuaq (68ºN).
We iden i ied e y ew Iceland gulls be ween Kap Møs ing (63.7ºN) and
Tasiilaq, bu in he jo d sys em no h o Tasiilaq and no h o Tasiilap
Ka a (66.6ºN) we ound se e al b eeding colonies. We had no eliable
obse a ions om Tasiilap Ka a o Nansen Fjo d (68.2ºN), bu on he
sou he n Blosse ille Kys we egis e ed h ee small colonies. In o al 29
colonies we e de ec ed in Sou heas G eenland, o which one was p e i-
ously known. A o al o 1,285 indi iduals we e obse ed, no including
bi ds lumped as Iceland/glaucous gull.
Since ou su ey did no co e all islands and s eep cli s some colonies
p obably wen unde ec ed. A leas some emo e colonies 75-100 km
sou h o Tasiilaq oge he wi h b eeding black-legged ki iwakes we e
no de ec ed, o which one had up o 100 pai s o Iceland gull in 2005 (A.
Rosing-As id, pe s. obs.).
36
Fig. 25. Dis ibu ion o glaucous gull and Iceland gull
colonies (including colonies no iden i ied o species) ob-
se ed du ing ae ial su eys in Sou heas G eenland, 12-
26 June, 2008.
Fig. 26. Dis ibu ion o glaucous gull and Iceland gull ob-
se a ions ( ag an bi ds) du ing ae ial su eys in Sou h-
eas G eenland, 12-26 June, 2008.
37
As wi h he glaucous gull, Iceland gull was no consis en ly eco ded in
Sou h G eenland and only a couple o colonies we e egis e ed (Fig. 25)
Black-legged ki iwake (Rissa idac yla)
Two p e ious unknown colonies o ki iwakes we e ound in he sou h-
e n pa o Sou heas G eenland (Fig. 28), one holding a leas 150 bi ds
a Taa e aa Kange suasia (61.2ºN). Despi e he ac ha he name
means “ki iwake jo d” he e is no p e ious epo s o ki iwakes in his
colony (61501). A known colony a he no he n ip o Blosse ille Kys
(69502, Dunholm) was he only o he obse ed colony o ki iwakes. Two
p e iously egis e ed colonies we e ound emp y (Fig. 28).
Ou su ey did no co e all islands and s eep cli s and some colonies
p obably wen unde ec ed. In 2005 Aqqalu Rosing-As id isi ed some
cli s 75-100 km sou h o Tasiilaq and ound i e smalle colonies o
ki iwakes each holding om 20-120 pai s, in an a ea no su eyed in
2008. These cli s we e only isi ed sho ly and he ollowing quick es i-
ma es we e made on 25 and 26 July 2005:
Posi ion: 65.25°N, 39.37°W – Abou 100 pai o black-legged ki iwake
and 100 pai o Iceland gull. All ki iwake chicks had ledged excep in
wo nes s ha had small chicks. The Iceland gulls had la ge chicks. The
bi ds on hese cli s had been s able in numbe s (Mikaelsen 2005, pe s.
comm.).
Posi ion: 65.23°N, 39.38°W – Abou 20 ki iwakes and 20 Iceland gulls
we e seen on he cli s, bu emp y nes s indica ed ha mos bi ds had le
he cli s.
Posi ion: 65.23°N, 39.40°W – Abou 70 pai o ki iwakes and 20 pai o
Iceland gull all wi h small chicks. This was a new nes ing si e acco ding
o Mikaelsen who had no seen bi ds on hese cli s be o e. Some nes s
we e only hal a me e abo e sea le el.
Posi ion: 65.08°N, 39.72°W - Abou 120 pai o ki iwakes. The numbe o
bi ds on hese cli s had inc eased in ecen yea s acco ding o Mikael-
sen. The chicks we e abou eady o ledge. Nine een o he nes s we e
close o he sea le el one o hese nes s had 1 chick, 17 nes s had 2 chicks
and one had 3 chicks.
Posi ion: 65.00°N, 39.72°W – abou 40 ki iwakes, 40 Iceland gulls and 5
glaucous gulls we e seen on he cli s.
In addi ion o hese obse a ions wo o he cli s, posi ion 64.97°N,
40.10°W and 64.78°N, 40’.60°W we e isi ed. Acco ding o Mikaelsen
ki iwakes used o b eed he e, bu only a ew Iceland gulls and glaucous
gulls we e seen in 2005. The 2008 su ey included hese wo loca ions,
bu also on his occasion he ki iwakes we e absen .
Despi e he high a iabili y in phenology, i seems ha he phenology o
he majo i y o he nes s in Sou heas G eenland is simila o o he pa s
o G eenland.
38
Fig. 27. I o y gull colony in
Sou heas G eenland (67501).
Th ee o 26 bi ds obse ed in he
colony a e isible on he pho o
(uppe le co ne ). Pho o: L. M.
Rasmussen.
I o y gull (Pagophila ebu nea)
On wo occasions when oggy wea he did no pe mi su ey ac i i y
along he coas we sea ched nuna aks o i o y gull b eeding colonies.
We isi ed h ee p e iously known b eeding si es and ound wo colo-
nies emp y and he hi d wi h a minimum o 26 bi ds p esen (Fig. 27
and 29). Fa he no h, in Wa kins Bje ge (68.6ºN), we ound a new
b eeding si e wi h 2 bi ds p esen . One bi d was seen in he Tasiilaq
Fjo d (66.6ºN), app. 20 kilome es om a known inland b eeding si e. All
he emaining i o y gulls we e seen o aging a he ou e coas o a ew
kilome es o sho e along he edge o he pack ice, mainly along Blosse-
ille Kys .
I o y gulls a e equen ly obse ed no h o 66ºN, especially in he jo d
Ag e ia a 67.3°N (Mikaelsen 2006, pe s. comm.). In July 2008 se e al
new colonies o i o y gull we e ound in NE-G eenland (Boe mann e al.
2009b).
A c ic e n (S e na pa adisaea)
P e ious eco ds o a c ic e n in Sou heas G eenland include a ew
colonies a Se milik in he Tasiilaq-a ea and a single colony sou h o
Kange lussuaq (68ºN) a he no h (NERI 2007). Two o he colonies in
he Tasiilaq-a ea and he colony nea Kange lussuaq we e e isi ed in
2008, bu no bi ds we e seen. We de ec ed h ee new colonies sou h o
Tasiilaq, wi h Kap Møs ing (63.7ºN) as he mos sou he n loca ion (Fig.
30). The iming o he su ey migh ha e been a li le oo ea ly o some
39
colonies, which is also indica ed by he obse a ion o a c ic e ns in he
pack ice a om land.
On 26 July 2005 Rosing-As id es ima ed ha app oxima ely 20 pa s we e
nes ing nea an eide colony a 65.02ºN 40.00ºW.
In Sou h G eenland he iming o he su ey may also ha e been oo
ea ly o he e ns. We had only a single obse a ion and none o he co-
lonies egis e ed by Boe mann (2004) in la e July 2003 we e e-sigh ed in
2008.
Mu es/Razo bills
Six obse a ions o mu es o azo bills (104 bi ds) we e done in Sou h
G eenland, wo a he mou h o A suk Fjo d, h ee a Ind e Ki sissu and
one nea Nano alik. The auks we e p obably hick-billed mu es and
p obably om he nea by b eeding colonies in A suk Fjo d and Yd e
Ki sissu . A single bi d was obse ed nea Kap Ol e Fische (61.1ºN) in
Sou heas G eenland. No b eeding colonies a e known om his a ea,
bu isi o s a e known o occu yea -a ound (Boe mann 1994). In 2009,
howe e , local hun e s om he Kap Fa el a ea in o med Rosing-As id
abou one mu e colony nea Kap Fa el and wo colonies abou 200 km.
up he eas coas - in o ma ion ha no ye has been con i med o discon-
i med.
Black guillemo (Cepphus g ylle)
A o al o 218 obse a ions and 971 indi iduals o black guillemo we e
obse ed in Sou heas G eenland (Fig. 31). Especially along Blosse ille
Kys he encoun e a e was high, while obse a ions we e mo e spo-
adic in he a ea o Tasiilaq and sou h o Kong Dan Hal ø (62.9ºN). Mos
o ou obse a ions p obably ep esen b eeding bi ds, bu o smalle
colonies i is o en di icul o pinpoin he exac posi ion o he colony
om he ai c a . P io o ou su ey 24 colonies we e known om
Sou heas G eenland, p ima ily along Blosse ille Kys . We did no a -
emp o dis inguish be ween b eeding loca ions and o aging bi ds.
Howe e , ou su ey con i ms p e ious desc ip ions o black guillemo
in Sou heas G eenland, being a widesp ead and common b eede
(Boe mann 1994)
In Sou h G eenland only la ge agg ega ions o black guillemo we e e-
co ded. Howe e , a la ge numbe o colonies a e known om his a ea
(NERI 2007).
O he bi d obse a ions
A numbe o o he bi d species was obse ed in Sou h- and Sou heas
G eenland. Mos o hese species a e only emo ely a ilia ed wi h coas al
a eas du ing he b eeding season and as a consequence we e poo ly co -
e ed by he su ey. Fu he mo e, hey we e no always consis en ly e-
co ded (Table 1). Howe e , because gene al in o ma ion on bi ds in
Sou heas G eenland is ela i ely limi ed he eco ds a e included any-
way and a e oughly lis ed below.
• A single Lapland bun ing was eco ded sou h o Tasiilaq, whe e his
species is known as a common b eeding bi d.
• A single indi idual o pu ple sandpipe was eco ded on Blosse ille
Kys (68.9ºN). This species is known o b eed in Sou heas G eenland
om Sco esbysund and sou h.
40
Fig. 28. Dis ibu ion o black-legged ki iwake obse a-
ions du ing ae ial su eys in Sou heas G eenland, 12-
26 June, 2008 and colonies isi ed in 2005 by A. Rosing-
As id.
Fig. 29. Dis ibu ion o i o y gull obse a ions du ing ae ial
su eys in Sou heas G eenland, 12-26 June, 2008.
41
Fig. 39. The numbe o ma ine bi d species obse ed in
Sou heas G eenland as summa ized by 25x25km g id. Fig. 40. The mean numbe o bi ds obse ed pe km su -
ey e o in Sou heas G eenland as summa ized by
25x25km g id cells.
48
3.2 Species di e si y and densi y o bi ds in Sou heas
G eenland
In gene al, species di e si y was low in Sou heas G eenland. A o al o
22 species we e obse ed in he jo ds and he coas al a ea when exclud-
ing occasionally obse ed e es ial species (Tab. 1). As summa ized
wi hin 25x25km g id, ou species o less we e obse ed in 72% o he
g id cells (Fig. 39). Only in nine cases he species di e si y was as high as
7-10 species/cell. The ela i e high species di e si y occu ed in he a ea
no h and sou h o Saqqisikuik/Skjoldungen (63.2ºN), in he Tasiilaq
a ea and along he no he n sec ion o Blosse ille Kys (Fig. 39). Almos
he same pa e n was ound when summa ized as he densi y o bi ds
(ind .) pe km su ey e o (Fig. 40). An excep ion was he Tasiilaq a ea,
whe e species ichness did no co espond o high bi d densi ies, p ima -
ily because common eide s and black guillemo s we e less common in
his a ea. Mean bi d densi ies we e highes in he mos no he n sec ion
o Blosse ille Kys wi h up o 33 bi ds/km su ey e o .
3.3 The Seabi d Colony Da abase
In Sou heas G eenland, he a ea om Kap Fa el and no h o Sco esby-
sund Fjo d, a o al o 47 seabi d colonies we e known p io o ou su ey
in 2008. Among hese we e isi ed 38 colonies and ound ha a mini-
mum o 20 colonies we e occupied by a leas one seabi d species in 2008.
An addi ional 51 new colonies we e loca ed du ing ou su ey, wi h
common eide and Iceland gull accoun ing o he as majo i y o he
colonies (Tab. 2, Fig. 41). Especially in he a ea be ween Qulleq (61.4ºN)
and Ikeq/Køge Bug (64.5ºN) he a e o new colonies encoun e ed was
high, coinciding wi h an a ea o ela i ely high seabi d densi ies (Fig.
40). As ea lie men ioned, new colonies o black guillemo was no e-
co ded in Sou heas G eenland.
Table 2. Seabi d colonies in Sou heas G eenland known p io o he 2008 su ey, colonies con olled in 2008 and new
colonies de ec ed in 2008.
Species Colonies known
p io o su ey Con olled
in 2008 New 2008 To al No e
No he n Fulma 2 2 0 2
G ea co mo an A 2 1 0 2 A incl. local knowledge (1 colony)
Ba nacle goose 1 1 1 2
Common eide B 18 12 11 29 B incl. local knowledge (2 colonies)
G ea black-backed 3 2 0 3
Lesse black-backed 0 0 2 2
Glaucous gull 15 6 7 22
Iceland gull 1 0 28 29
Black-legged ki iwake C 10 2 2 12 C incl. local knowledge (7 colonies)
I o y gull 6 2 1 7
A c ic e n D 7 3 3 10 D incl. A. Rosing-As id 2005 (1 colony)
Black guillemo 24 8 many > 24
49
Fig. 41. Dis ibu ion o seabi d colonies
in Sou heas G eenland eco ded o he
i s ime in 2008 (51) and he dis ibu ion
o colonies known p io o 2008 (47). New
colonies o black guillemo s we e nume -
ous bu no egis e ed.
50
4 Conclusions
4.1 Bi ds
Seabi d densi y in Sou heas G eenland was highes in he a ea be ween
Qulleq (61.4ºN) and Ikeq/Køge Bug (64.5ºN) and along he no he n
sec ion o Blosse ille Kys . These wo a eas plus he a ea a ound Tasiilaq
we e also he a eas wi h he highes species di e si y. In he a ea be-
ween Qulleq (61.4ºN) and Ikeq/Køge Bug (64.5ºN) he la ges numbe
o new seabi d colonies was de ec ed, p ima ily colonies o common ei-
de s and Iceland gull. The mos nume ous species obse ed in Sou heas
G eenland we e common eide s, Iceland gull, black guillemo and glau-
cous gull, espec i ely.
Species poo ly co e ed by his su ey
The ollowing species a e likely unde epo ed by his su ey due o a
highly spo adic co e age o hei b eeding habi a s:
• G ea no he n di e is a sca es inland b eede in Sou heas
G eenland and his su ey does no co e i s dis ibu ion.
• Red- h oa ed di e is a widesp ead inland b eede bu b eeding bi ds
occu is egula ly eeding along he coas .
• Malla d b eeds mainly in eshwa e lakes and only a ew obse a-
ions we e made in Sou heas G eenland.
• Long- ailed duck b eeds on small islands in jo ds and a chipelagos,
bu also in eshwa e habi a s (lakes). Ou obse a ions o small
locks in he jo d-sys em no h o Tasiilaq con i m p e ious epo s
on b eeding in Sou heas G eenland.
• Red-b eas ed me ganse was obse ed no h o Tasiilaq, mainly as
single b eeding pai s nea by coas al eshwa e habi a s, con i ming
exci ing knowledge abou he b eeding dis ibu ion.
• I o y gull was mainly obse ed nea by old colony eco ds and he
su ey e o o inland b eeding si es was limi ed o wo occasions
whe e coas al su ey ac i i y was obs uc ed by poo wea he condi-
ions. Th ee colonies we e e isi ed, and one was s ill ac i e. A new
b eeding si e wi h jus wo bi ds was ound wi hin known b eeding
ange.
Spa sely dis ibu ed species in Sou heas G eenland
Ou su ey con i ms ha he ollowing species a e spa sely dis ibu ed
in Sou heas G eenland:
• Ou obse a ions con i med ha No he n ulma is a a e b eede in
Sou heas G eenland. Excep o he obse a ions nea he Kap Fa el
colony, no b eeding bi ds we e de ec ed elsewhe e.
• G ea co mo an occu s as a sca ce b eede in Sou heas G eenland,
bu no colonies we e de ec ed on his su ey.
• Ba nacle goose was ound b eeding only in wo colonies in he no h-
e n pa o he Blosse ille Kys and ep esen s he sou he n b eeding
ange o ba nacle goose in Eas G eenland.
51
• King eide is a e and p obably no b eeding in Sou heas G eenland.
Only h ee indi iduals we e obse ed nea Tasiilaq.
• G ea black-backed gull has a limi ed b eeding ange con ined o he
Tasiilaq a ea and he no he n pa o Blosse ille Kys , which was
con i med by ou obse a ions.
• Lesse black-backed gull seems o be expanding i s b eeding ange o
se e al a eas o G eenland and p obably also o Sou heas G eenland.
Howe e , ou obse a ions o h ee b eeding colonies we e limi ed o
he Tasiilaq a ea.
• A ew small and p e iously unknown colonies o Black-legged ki i-
wake we e ound du ing his su ey. Combined wi h p e ious e-
co ds o ki iwake colonies in Sou heas G eenland and accoun ing o
he possibili y ha a ew small colonies wen unde ec ed, he ki i-
wake is s ill among he spa sely dis ibu ed species in Sou heas
G eenland.
• Also o he A c ic e n a ew small and p e iously unknown colonies
was ound in Sou heas G eenland. Al hough he iming o ou su -
ey was sligh ly ea ly o de ec ing A c ic e n colonies, he s a us o
he species as a spa se b eede in Sou heas G eenland emains.
• Ou su ey con i ms ha mu es/ azo bills a e no b eeding in
Sou heas G eenland; al hough local hun e s om he Kap Fa el a ea
ecen ly (2009) claimed ha up o h ee colonies exis in he sou he n
pa o Sou heas G eenland a si es no co e ed by his su ey.
Widesp ead b eede s in Sou heas G eenland
Only he ollowing ou species we e ound o be nume ous and wide-
sp ead b eede s in Sou heas G eenland:
• The common eide was ound o be qui e common as a soli a y b eed-
e in many coas al a eas o Sou heas G eenland. The mos no able ex-
cep ions we e Ikeq/Køge Bug (64.7ºN) and he a ea om Døde-
mandspyn en (67.3º N) and no h o Ba clay Bug (69.2º N) whe e ex-
ensi e coas al a eas we e s ill blocked by sea-ice a he end o he su -
ey pe iod in la e June. The highes concen a ion o soli a y b eede s
was ound a ound he la ge jo ds a ound Timmia miu (62.6º N) and
Saqqisikuik/Skjoldungen (63.3ºN), whe e also he majo i y o he 11
new colonies was loca ed (Fig. 14). This key b eeding a ea had ex en-
si e a eas o open wa e al eady a he beginning o he su ey in mid
June (Fig. 4). A ela i ely la ge in lux o p esumably pos -b eeding o
non-b eeding bi ds om Iceland (see below) pa ly complica ed he
iden i ica ion o b eeding bi ds; howe e , we oughly es ima e ha
1,600 – 3,200 pai s we e b eeding in Sou heas G eenland in 2008. This
numbe appea s a he small conside ing ha Gilg (2005) es ima ed
app. 1,600 nes s in only wo o he colonies in 2004 (69502 and 69506,
no he n Blosse ille Kys ). On he o he hand, la ge yea - o-yea
a ia ion in b eeding p opensi y should p obably be expec ed due o
he highly a iable ice condi ions. A his poin he win e ing a ea o
common eide s b eeding in Sou heas G eenland is unknown. We as-
sume ha he majo i y o he eide s b eeding in he cen al and no h-
e n pa o Sou heas G eenland win e in Iceland wa e s, whe eas
hose b eeding in he sou he n pa mo e likely win e in Sou hwes
G eenland. Un il his has been s udied u he , mos e icien ly by
acking eide s om selec ed colonies in Sou heas G eenland, we
need o ake in o accoun ha he managemen o he win e popula-
ion in Sou hwes G eenland migh in luence he dynamic o he
52
b eeding popula ion in Sou heas G eenland, a leas he mos sou h-
e n pa .
• Glaucous gull was nume ous and widesp ead dis ibu ed on his su -
ey and con i m ha glaucous gull is common in Sou heas
G eenland (Fig. 25-26). Rela i ely ew colonies we e iden i ied and
p obably many mo e colonies and single b eeding pai s can be ound.
Howe e , glaucous gull equen ly b eeds soli a y on small islands
and he exac b eeding loca ion is o en di icul o de e mine om he
ai c a .
• Iceland gull is a common b eede in Sou heas G eenland. We iden i-
ied colonies as a no h as 68.7ºN, which acco ding o p e ious e-
co ds o his species in Eas G eenland indica e a no he n expansion
o he b eeding ange (Fig. 25). Key b eeding a eas appea o be he
jo d sys em no h o Tasiilaq and he jo ds no h and sou h o Tim-
mia miu (62.5º N).
• Black guillemo is a widesp ead and common b eede in Sou heas
G eenland, especially along he Blosse ille Kys . Ou su ey con-
i ms p e ious desc ip ions o black guillemo in Sou heas
G eenland.
Species moul ing in Sou heas G eenland
Despi e he ac ha he su ey was ca ied ou ela i ely ea ly, we iden-
i ied wo moul ing bi d species:
• Mos obse a ions o pink- oo ed goose we e con ined o h ee dis-
inc a eas (Fig. 11), which p e iously ha e been desc ibed as moul -
ing a eas o Pink- oo ed goose in Sou heas G eenland. All he bi ds
we e s ill capable o lying, which indica e ha hey had ecen ly a -
i ed. The obse a ion pe iod in la e June coincided wi h he pe iod
when Icelandic bi ds usually s a a i ing in Eas G eenland. Small
numbe s we e obse ed a p e iously unknown moul ing si es in
Sou heas G eenland, as a sou h as Timmia miu (62,5ºN).
• A la ge numbe o p esumably p e-moul ing common eide s was ob-
se ed in Sou heas G eenland. Excluding he bi ds obse ed in Sou h
G eenland (wes o Kap Fa el, ~7,500 bi ds) and he 1,600-3,200 pai s
es ima ed o b eed in Sou heas G eenland, we conside he emain-
ing 9,600-12,800 indi iduals o be p e-moul ing bi ds om Iceland
and Sou hwes G eenland. Since hese bi ds we e no ye moul ing a
he ime o he su ey, iden i ica ion was based on he sex and age
s uc u e o he eide locks and he ac ha hey we e no p esen
wi hin o nex o ob ious b eeding colonies. Based on his we sugges
ha he p e-moul ing bi ds obse ed no h o Kangeq (~61.7ºN) a e
Icelandic pos -b eede s o non-b eede s, while bi ds obse ed sou h
o Kangeq p ima ily a e non-b eeding bi ds om Sou hwes
G eenland. The sugges ion ha some p opo ion o he Icelandic
b eeding popula ion use Sou heas G eenland as moul ing a ea is
new in o ma ion and addi ional s udies a e needed o ully unde -
s and he impo ance o his. I is a possibili y ha he numbe o
pos -b eeding bi ds o m Iceland will build up u he in Sou heas
G eenland o e he summe . Ae ial su eys conduc ed in la e July
would e eal whe he his is he case. In addi ion, i is ecommended
o ack eide s om Iceland o G eenland by means o sa elli e ans-
mi e s o geo-loca o s o explo e he iming and he spa iali y o he
p esumed mig a ion be ween Iceland and Sou heas G eenland.
53
Impo an seabi ds in Sou h G eenland ( om Paamiu o Kap Fa el)
The su ey e o in Sou h G eenland p ima ily a ge ed he ou e coas -
line, while he ex ensi e jo d sys ems we e co e ed only spo adically.
The p io knowledge abou seabi ds in Sou h G eenland was ela i ely
good compa ed o Sou heas G eenland, and o his eason he su ey
e o had less p io i y he e.
Wi h espec o he upcoming s a egic en i onmen al impac assessmen
o Sou h G eenland (2009-2011) conce ning u u e hyd oca bon ac i i ies
i is impo an o men ion ha Sou h G eenland is pa o he open wa e
a ea in Sou hwes G eenland, which cons i u e an in e na ionally impo -
an win e ing a ea o seabi ds like hick-billed mu es, common eide s
and long- ailed ducks (Me kel e al. 2002). Among he seabi d species en-
coun e ed du ing his su ey in mid June he ollowing species a e mos
impo an :
• The common eide was he mos nume ous species encoun e ed wi h
~7,500 bi ds eco ded be ween Kap Fa el and Paamiu . In con as o
he cen al and no he n pa o Sou heas G eenland, many eide
locks in Sou h G eenland we e domina ed by b own bi ds (Fig. 16).
A la ge p opo ion o hese may ha e been o e -summe ing non-
b eede s ha also spend he win e in Sou h G eenland (Lyngs 2003).
Some bi ds, including he mixed whi e and b own locks, we e p oba-
bly b eede s, howe e , ha dly any we e iden i ied as such. I is possi-
ble ha b eeding eide s we e sca ed away om he colonies a ou
app oach (in con as o Sou heas G eenland), o ha males we e no
longe p esen in he colonies a he ime o he su ey (and hus eas-
ily o e looked). Only a single (new) colony was iden i ied in mid
June, 2008 (Fig. 14). Mos o he eide colonies known om Sou h
G eenland, a ound 30 small colonies (< 25 pai s/colony), we e iden i-
ied by boa in 2003 (Boe mann 2004).
• Canada goose was obse ed in a ew places in Sou hwes G eenland
and p obably ep esen s non-b eeding isi o s. Howe e , conside ing
he ac ha his species is expanding elsewhe e in Wes G eenland, i
is no unlikely ha Sou h G eenland will be pa o he b eeding
ange wi hin he nea u u e.
• In gene al, Sou h G eenland is impo an o he G eenland endemic
subspecies o malla d (ssp. conboschas), bo h o b eeding and o win-
e ing. Ou su ey con i med ha malla d is a common b eede he e.
• Red-b eas ed me ganse was equen ly obse ed in Sou h G eenland
and con i ms p e ious knowledge abou he dis ibu ion in Wes
G eenland.
• Mu es/ azo bills we e obse ed a ew imes in Sou h G eenland and
a e wo h men ioning because wo impo an mu e colonies exis in
his a ea – in A suk Fjo d and a Yd e Ki sissu . Mu es do no b eed
elsewhe e sou h o Nuuk. Fu he mo e, he mu e colony a Yd e Ki -
sissu is he only colony in G eenland ha holds a signi ican p opo -
ion o common mu es (U ia aalge). In gene al, he o sho e islands o
Yd e Ki sissu a e known as he mos species di e se b eeding loca-
ion o auks in G eenland (Kampp & Falk 1994).
• Black guillemo is a common b eede in Sou h G eenland, howe e ,
du ing his su ey obse a ions o black guillemo we e no eco ded
in Sou h G eenland, excep o a la ge colony nea Paamiu .
54
4.2 Ma ine mammals
No ha bou seals we e seen du ing he a eal su ey, which o wes e n
Sou h G eenland was expec ed, bu unexpec ed o Sou heas G eenland.
Howe e , subsequen e isi s o he sou he nmos pa o Sou heas
G eenland ha e shown ha his a ea is s ill used by ha bou seals. In
Augus 2009 ha bou seals we e equipped wi h sa elli e ansmi e s in
his a ea and a e likely o gi e in o ma ion abou he p esen b eeding
loca ions o hese seals (A. Rosing-As id, unpublished).
The mos ema kable obse a ion among he ma ine mammals was a ju-
enile bowhead whale a Blosse ille Kys , which indica e ha he e y
small and c i ically endange ed Spi sbe gen s ock a leas is ep oducing
(Boe mann e al. 2009a). In ac , a mo he wi h a cal was obse ed he
ollowing yea in Eas G eenland (Boe mann & Nielsen in p ess).
The a he la ge numbe o na whales obse ed in 2008 con i ms ha he
no he n pa o Sou heas G eenland is an impo an summe esidence
o na whales in Eas G eenland.
Fig. 42. Na whales a Blosse ille Kys . Pho o: F. R. Me kel
55
5 Re e ences
Bennike, O. 1990. Obse a ions o geese and o he bi ds in Wes G eenland, 1989 and 1990. Dansk O ni-
hologisk Fo enings Tidssk i 84: 145-150.
Boe mann, D. 1991. Dis ibu ion and numbe s o moul ing non-b eeding geese in No heas G eenland.
Dansk O ni hologisk Fo enings Tidssk i 85: 77-88.
Boe mann, D. 1994. An anno a ed checklis o he bi ds o G eenland. Meddelelse om G ønland, Bioscience
38: 1-63.
Boe mann, D. 2004. Seabi d colonies and moul ing Ha lequin Ducks in Sou h G eenland. Resul s om a
su ey in July 2003. Na ional En i onmen al Resea ch Ins i u e, Aa hus Uni e si y, Resea ch No es om
NERI No. 191. 36 pp.
Boe mann, D. 2008. The Lesse Black-backed Gull, La us uscus, in G eenland. A c ic 61: 129-133.
Boe mann, D., Lyngs, P., Me kel, F.R. & Mosbech, A. 2004. The signi icance o SW G eenland as win e
qua e s o seabi ds. Bi d Conse a ion In e na ional 14: 87-112.
Boe mann, D., Me kel, F.R. & Du inck, J. 2009a. Bowhead whales in Eas G eenland, summe s 2006-2008.
Pola Biology 32: 1805-1809.
Boe mann, D., Olsen, K., and Nielsen, R.D. 2009b. Seabi ds and ma ine mammals in No heas G eenland.
Ae ial su eys in sp ing and summe 2008. Na ional En i onmen al Resea ch Ins i u e, Aa hus Uni e -
si y, NERI Technical Repo No. 721. 50 pp.
Boe mann, D.M. & Nielsen, R.D. in p ess. Bowhead whale cal in No heas G eenland. Pola Reco d.
Die z, R., Heide-Jø gensen, M.P., Bo n, E.W. & Glahde , C. 1994. Occu ence o na whals (Monodon monoc-
e os) and whi e whales (Delphinap e us leucas) in Eas G eenland. Meddelelse om G ønland, Bioscience 39:
69-86.
Gilg, O. (ed.) 2005. Ecopola is - Ta a 5 expedi ion o NE G eenland 2004. GREA, F anche ille, P elimina y
ield epo . 156 pp.
Glahde , C. 1995. Hun ing in Kange lussuaq, Eas G eenland, 1951-1991. An assessmen o local knowledge.
Meddelelse om G ønland, Man & Socie y 19: 1-86.
Helms, O. 1926. The bi ds o Angmagssalik. Meddelelse om G ønland, Bioscience 58: 205-274.
Kampp, K. & Falk, K. 1994. The bi ds o Yd e Ki sissu (Ki sissu A allii ), Sou hwes G eenland. Meddelelse
om G ønland, Bioscience 42: 1-25.
Knudsen, K. 1935. No e om Lindenows jo ds ugle auna. Dansk O ni hologisk Fo enings Tidssk i 29: 37-
41.
K is iansen, J.N. & Ja e , N.S. 2001. New si es o he newly es ablished Canada Goose popula ion in Wes
G eenland. Dansk O ni hologisk Fo enings Tidssk i 95: 173-176.
Lau sen, K., F ikke, J. & Kahle , H. 2008. Accu acy o " o al coun s" o wa e bi ds om ai c a in coas al
wa e s. Wildli e Biology 14: 165-175.
Lyngs, P. 2003. Mig a ion and win e anges o bi ds in G eenland - an analysis o inging eco e ies. Dansk
O ni ologisk Fo enings Tidssk i 97: 1-167.
56
57
Malecki, R.A., Fox, A.D. & Ba , B.J.D. 2000. An ae ial su ey o nes ing g ea e whi e- on ed and Canada
geese in wes G eenland. Wild owl 51: 49-58.
Me kel, F.R., Mosbech, A., Boe mann, D. & G øndahl, L. 2002. Win e seabi d dis ibu ion and abundance
o sou h-wes e n G eenland, 1999. Pola Resea ch 21: 17-36.
Mosbech, A., Gilch is , H.G., Me kel, F.R., Sonne, C., Flags ad, A. & Nyegaa d, H. 2006. Yea - ound mo e-
men s o No he ns Common Eide s Soma e ia mollissima bo ealis b eeding in A c ic Canada and Wes
G eenland ollowed by sa elli e eleme y. A dea 94: 651-665.
NERI 2007. Da abase o G eenlandic seabi d colonies. Na ional En i onmen al Resea ch Ins i u e (NERI).
Rosing-As id, A. in p ess. Ca ch his o y and s a us o he ha bou seal (Phoca i ulina) in G eenland. NAM-
MCO, special issue on ha bou seal.
Salomonsen, F. 1990. Fugle. In: Muus B., Salomonsen F. & Vibe C. (eds) G ønlands Fauna, pp. 159-361.
Gyldendal, Copenhagen.
Teilmann, J. & Die z, R. 1994. S a us o he ha bo seal Phoca i ulina in G eenland. Canadian Field-Na u alis
108: 139-155.
Vibe, C. 1967. A c ic animals in ela ion o clima ic luc ua ions. Meddelelse om G ønland, Bioscience 170:
227 p.
