Breeding range expansion of Barnacle and Brent Geese in the Russian European North

In 1990 a large settlement of Barnacle Geese, Branta leucopsis , was discovered in salt marsh grassland near Shoina (67°50'N. 44°10'E), on the Kanin Peninsula, Russia. The settlement consisted of approximately 350 breeding pairs in 1990 and 400–450 pairs in 1991. Three nests of the Brent Goose (B.b.bernicla) were also found at the edge of the Barnacle Goose colonies. These high Arctic goose species, which traditionally have their breeding grounds in northern Russia, have begun colonising on the Kanin Peninsula only recently, the Barnacle Goose since the early 1980s and the Brent Goose since 1990. Factors contributing to the successful colonisation of these two goose species on the Kanin Peninsula and to the present day expansion of the Barnacle Goose breeding range are discussed.     

Breeding biology of dark-bellied brent geese Branta b. bernicla in Taimyr in 1990 in the absence of arctic foxes and under favourable weather conditions

In combination with observations in spring staging and wintering grounds in western Europe, a detailed etho-ecological study of nesting dark-bellied brent geese Branta b. bernicla in western Taimyr, Krasnoyarsk, Russia, was made in 1990. Most brent geese arrived on the breeding grounds from 14–19 June and started nesting within a few days. In the study area 264 nests of breeding brent geese were found, mainly on islands but also along small rivers on the mainland. The mean clutch size was 3.0 and 80% of the eggs hatched. Time budget studies showed that incubating females spent on average 138 minutes per 24 hours on feeding. Despite favourable weather conditions and a low density of arctic foxes, only about one-third of the mature birds in the study area bred. In the autumn an intermediate breeding success of 20% juveniles was recorded in the wintering areas. This was probably due to the relatively poor condition in which the brent geese left their spring staging areas.     

Status of the Atlantic walrus Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus in the Svalbard area

Observations of walrus in the Svalbard area in the period 1954-1982 indicate an increase since 1970 in the numbers summering in this area. The numbers of walrus observed show annual fluctuations. With the exception of 1973, when at least 300 animals were observed on one occasion at Kvitøya, the observations indicate a summering stock of about 100 animals. In 1982, when most walrus habitats in Svalbard were surveyed, observations of 248-274 animals were recorded. These observations were estimated to represent 82–85 individuals.
During summer, walrus are most frequently observed at Tusenøyane, in Murchisonfjorden and along adjacent coasts, along the northern coast of Nordaustlandet, at Kvitoya, and at Moffen. Apparently, the walrus re-established the use of Moffen as a summer haul-out site about the beginning of the 1970s.
An apparent under-representation of observations of females with dependent calves in Svalbard indicates that the area is mainly used as a summering area by males and that Svalbard is in the process of being repopulated by an extension of a population centred elsewhere. It is suggested that the walrus summering in Svalbard belong to a population with its main distribution in the Frans Josef Land archipelago, but at least some may be derived from a walrus population(s) occurring at Novaja Zemlja and in the Kara Sea.     

Vegetation exploitation by barnacle geese Branta leucopsis during incubation on Svalbard

The paper is a study of vegetation exploitation and the effect of food availability on the diet and behaviour in barnacle geese breeding at Storholmen, Svalbard. Detailed vegetation mapping was used to estimate the availability of food to individual pairs of geese. Diet composition was assessed through analysis of plant fragments in droppings. The behaviour of geese in relation to snowmelt patterns was recorded. Most vegetation types were exploited by the geese either for feeding or as nest substrate. Nest density was highest and territories were smallest on early, snow-free ridges, although late breeding individuals also nested in moss tundra vegetation. Most geese pairs exploited a mosaic of vegetation types in their territories, which extended the feeding period when plants were nutritionally most profitable to the geese. Territory size increased with decreasing density of the highest preferred food plants. Female geese preferred plants with high nutrient quality, and the diet during incubation consisted of 41% flowers of forbs, 19% grasses, 6% leaves and buds of forbs, and 34% mosses. When the availability of grasses was <5%, geese switched to a diet dominated by the abundant, but nutrient-poor, mosses. The nutrient-poor diet resulted in more time off the nest and less time being alert or searching for food during feeding bouts. Because nests are exposed to predators when females feed or search for food, a low availability of nutrient-rich food within the territory can affect hatching success.     

Marine birds breeding in Penny Strait and Queens Channel, Nunavut, Canada

Surveys of breeding birds on small islands in Penny Strait and Queens Channel, Nunavut Territory, Canada, were conducted in July 2002 and 2003. Approximately 3600 marine birds were observed, with the most common species being Arctic terns ( Sterna paradisaea , N=2400) and common eiders ( Somateria mollissima borealis , N=620). We observed no Ross's gulls ( Rhodostethia rosed ) in either year, and we found ivory gulls ( Pagophila eburned ) only in 2003, even though these species commonly bred here in the 1970s. This previously unsurveyed region supports numerous breeding marine birds, but reproductive success on these small islands may be dependent on annual ice conditions and consequent movements of Arctic foxes ( Alopex lagopus ).     

Regional and annual variability in common eider nesting ecology in Labrador

Nesting densities are often used to estimate breeding population size and with other measures of reproductive performance can be useful indicators of population status. These aspects of breeding biology often show considerable spatial and temporal variation. Between 2000 and 2003, we surveyed nesting common eiders ( Somateria mollissima ) on 172 islands in three archipelagos (Nain, Hopedale, Rigolet) on the Labrador coast. Rigolet was the largest archipelago (2834 km²) followed by Nain then Hopedale, and island density varied inversely with archipelago size. Overall means were: nest density 52.0 ± 141.9 (SD) nests/ha; nest initiation 12 June ± 12 days; clutch size 3.7 ± 1.2 eggs/nest; egg volume 98.8 ± 10.4 cm³; and clutch volume 392.3 ± 135.0 cm³. Rigolet had the highest average egg volumes and nest densities, the highest single island nest density of 1053 nests/ha, and the earliest average nest initiation date. We found significant differences in nest densities among archipelagos and across years; significant archipelago and year interactions were detected for nest initiation date and clutch size. Significant differences were found among individual islands for all response variables except egg volume. For egg volume, within-archipelago island differences were not significant, but between-archipelago differences were significant. Thus egg volume may be a useful diagnostic to identify population affiliation.     

Effects of sea ice on breeding numbers and clutch size of a high arctic population of the common eider Somateria mollissima

The breeding performance of high-arctic bird populations shows large inter-annual variation that may be attributed to environmental variability, such as the timing of snow melt and break-up of the landfast sea ice that surrounds breeding colonies on islands and along coasts. In the Kongsfjorden area (79°N) on Svalbard, the number of breeding pairs and the average egg clutch size vary considerably among years. In this study, data on breeding performance are presented from 15 years in the period 1981–2000. The results showed that early break-up of sea ice in Kongsfjorden resulted in larger numbers of nests and larger average clutch sizes than late break-up. Also, individual islands with early break-up of sea ice in a particular year had more nests and larger clutch sizes compared to other islands surrounded by sea ice during a longer period in spring. Thus, the inter-annual variation in the break-up of sea ice in the fjord has considerable implications for the inter-annual variability of recruitment to the population. The results indicate that the effects of global warming on changes in the sea ice melting regime in coastal regions are important for the reproductive output of island-nesting eiders.     

Hanna Marie Resvoll-Holmsen: a pioneer in Svalbard

This year is a kind of anniversary for the Norwegian Polar Institute: its establishment can be traced back to Svalbard expeditions sponsored by Prince Albert I of Monaco in 1906 and 1907. In this unreviewed biographical article, biologist Eva Fuglei, who has spent many seasons on Spitsbergen (where her research has focused on Arctic foxes), and the editor describe part of the uncommon life of botanist Hanna Marie Resvoll-Holmsen, who participated in the 1907 expedition.     

Energy costs during incubation in Svalbard and Willow Ptarmigan hens

Studies of wild and captive Willow and Svalbard Ptarmigan hens have allowed us to estimate the daily energy cost during incubation. It was similar for the two species, varying between 70-85 kcal per day depending on number of eggs, nest insulation, ambient temperature, number of foraging periods and total time spent away from the nest. Daily energy cost during incubation was 15 - 20% above resting metabolic rate in non-incubating hens but only 45 - 55% of that in free-living non-incubating hens. Incubating hens reduced their energy expenditure through high nest attentiveness. A reduction in food intake during incubation led to loss in body weight.     

Census of seabird colonies on Nordaustlandet, Svalbard, and in neighbouring localities in 1978 and 1979

Seabird colonies were censused during the summer expedition of Norsk Polarinstitutt to Nordaustlandet, Svalbard, in 1978 and 1979, and to Kongsøya in 1979. An outline is given of the distribution of the species together with an estimate of the number of breeding pairs in the colonies. Twentv-five colonies were censused; seven were visited both years. Four colonies with more than 1,000 breeding pairs of the most abundant species, Briinnich's guillemot and kittiwake, were found on Nordaustlandet.     

Brood patch temperature during provocation of common eiders in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard

In this short note we describe the behaviour and body changes of three incubating female common eiders ( Somateria mollissima ) during provocation made by humans approaching the nest. The study site was near the settlement of Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. Temperture transmitters were implanted subcutaneously at the brood patch and data recorded using a VHF receiver. We found that the female experiment exhibited a passive defence response ("freezing"), accompanied by a significant drop in brood patch temperature (0.6 °C) during provocation; this temperature drop lasted for 5 minutes. These accord with other studies of the physiological changes which the passive defence response in birds and other animals.     

Total mercury in hair of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Greenland and Svalbard

Concentrations (ppm = ug/g dry weight) of total mercury (Hg) were determined in hair of polar bears ( Ursus maritimus) from northwestern Greenland (N = 22; period of sampling: 1978-1989), eastern Greenland (N = 44: 1984-1989) and Svalbard (N = 31; 1980). For subadults (2-6 years of life), adults (7-10 years). and old bears (>10 years), concentrations of total Hg in hair were not found to be dependent on age or sex. A decreasing trend in Hg concentrations was found from west to east. The mean concentrations of total Hg in hair (cubs of the year and yearlings excluded) were: northwestern Greenland, x = 8.38 ppm (min.-max.: 4.71-14.19 ppm. N = 21); eastern Greenland: x = 4.58 ppm (min.-max.: 2.50-8.83 ppm. N = 41); and Svalbard, x = 1.98 ppm (min.-max.: 1.02-4.55 ppm, N = 29). Concentrations found in northwestern Greenland were similar to those reported by others from the hair of polar bears sampled within management zone F of the eastern Canadian High Arctic. Concentrations of total Hg in polar bear hair from eastern Greenland were similar to concentrations found by others in contemporary (1988) material collected during spring in western Svalbard. However, the mean concentration of total Hg in the 1980 Svalbard material, which was collected during July-September, was significantly lower than concentrations found in samples taken during late winter and spring in eastern Greenland and at Svalbard, respectively. Presumably the relatively low concentrations found in the 1980 Svalbard sample arc attributable to the period of moult and hence a larger proportion of newly grown hair in the individual samples. In a subsample consisting of internal tissues from 19 polar bears from eastern Greenland (1984-1987), concentrations of total Hg in hair correlated positively with concentrations of total Hg (wet weight) in muscle (N = 6), liver (N = 19) and kidney (N = 19) tissue. For liver and kidney tissue these relationships were statistically significant.     

芦苇湿地共域繁殖的4种雀形目鸟类的巢址选择和繁殖成效比较

鸟类的巢址选择对其繁殖成效具有重要影响。对共域繁殖的不同鸟种繁殖策略的比较,有助于理解鸟类生活史对策的进化。为此,我们在河北永年洼湿地对利用芦苇繁殖的4种鸟类即东方大苇莺(Acrocephalus orientalis)、钝翅苇莺(Acrocephalus concinens)、震旦鸦雀(Paradoxornis heudei)和棕头鸦雀(Sinosuthora webbiana)的巢址选择和繁殖成效进行了比较。结果表明,尽管四种鸟类开始繁殖的时间明显不同,但其巢址、巢型和巢结构均类似,并在同一研究地内镶嵌分布,仅在巢离水面的高度、筑巢芦苇的高度和巢址样方内的芦苇密度三个变量参数上存在显著差异。四种鸟类在两个繁殖季的繁殖成效均较低,其中东方大苇莺为34.5%(86/249),钝翅苇莺为35.3%(6/17),震旦鸦雀为38.5%(15/39),棕头鸦雀为40.9%(9/22)。影响繁殖成效的主要生态因子包括巢捕食和恶劣天气如暴雨和强风暴,而被大杜鹃(Cuculuscanorus)寄生则是导致东方大苇莺繁殖成功率较低的主要原因。我们的研究表明,同域繁殖的鸟类可以通过繁殖时间的错峰和巢址的分化等而实现共存。     

Availability of suitable land-fast ice and predation as factors limiting ringed seal populations, Phoca hispida, in Svalbard

We examined the stability of fast ice areas in western and northern Spitsbergen, the area north of Nordaustlandet, the bays and sounds of Hinlopen Stretet and the large area in the northern part of Storfjorden. NOAA satellite imagery from 1974 and 1988 and NOAA (AVHRR) imagery from 1980-87 were used to determine the dates of freeze-up and break-up. The number of days of fast ice present before the nominal birth date of ringed seal pups were computed for all major bays and fjords. Ice thickness was then computed from these data. Known prime breeding habitat in Svalbard is found in areas near glacier fronts in protected fjords and bays, where densities of birth lairs are 5.46 km⁻², corresponding to a ringed seal female density of 2.6 km⁻². Most of the ringed seal breeding habitat in Svalbard, however, consists of flat fjord ice where snow accumulation is rarely deep enough to permit birth lair construction. In these areas pups are often born in the open. Based on breathing hole densities, the density of adult females in the flat ice areas in the breeding period was estimated to 0.98 km⁻². A preliminary estimate is that approximately 19,500 pups could be born annually in the fast ice of Svalbard. Annual recruitment could be quite variable given the unpredictable nature of the fast ice areas and the high predation mortality on newborn pups. Discrepancies between our calculated ringed seal production and numbers of seals required to feed the large polar bear population in the area signal cause for management concern.     

Studies of the ringed seal (Phoca hispida Schreber 1775) in its breeding habitat in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard

This study was conducted in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, from mid-March through April 1984. Local Greenland sled dogs were used to locate subnivean ringed seal lairs. A total of 90 lairs were found and excavated. These constituted 28 lairs classified as birth lairs, 22 as tiggak (rutting male) lairs, and 40 which could not be classified. The first birth lair was found on 24 March. There was significantly more snow covering birth lairs than tiggak lairs, and birth lairs were also shown to be significantly larger than tiggak lairs. The positions of the lairs were plotted on a map, and distances between neighbouring seal lairs were used as an indicator of territorial size. Arctic foxes had attacked 19 lairs and 6 of these had resulted in a kill (32%). Polar bears had attacked 13 lairs with one kill (8%).     

南极中山站附近麦氏贼鸥生态研究

1988年12月～1990年2月,在东南极拉斯曼丘陵南极中山站附近,对南极麦氏贼鸥的生态和生物学进行了观察。本文报道了麦氏贼鸥在该地区的栖息环境,活动规律,食性及繁殖生态等。     

Observations of moulting Eider and breeding Common Eider Somateria mollissima at Nordaustlandet, Svalbard, in 1979

A survey on the Common Eider Somateria mollissima in wing-feather moult and females with young was carried out in connection with Norsk Polarinstitutt's expedition to Svalbard in July and August 1979. A total of 3450 moulting eider were found on a water area of approximately 2500 km²; 18% of these were flightless. Females dominated in the population with about 82%. Of the breeding population, 109 females with 336 young were found. The average ratio of female to young has been calculated at 1:3.08. This ratio in relation to other studies of eider productivity is discussed briefly.     

Erik the Red's Land: the land that never was

In May this year, a Briton named Alex Hartley gamely claimed as his personal territory a tiny island in Svalbard that had been revealed by retreating ice. Svalbard's islands have a long history of claims and counter-claims by adventurers of diverse nations: the question of who owns the Arctic is an old one. In this next article in our unreviewed biographical/historical series, Frode Skarstein describes Norway's bid to wrest a corner of Greenland from the Danish crown 75 years ago.     

The little auk Alle alle polaris of Franz Josef Land: a comparison with Svalbard Alle a. alle populations

Breeding biology, nestling growth and development, and biometry of the little auk Alle alle polaris were studied in Franz Josef Land. A total of 103 adult birds were measured, 60 in the field and 43 in the St. Petersburg Museum. The development of 16 chicks was compared with that of Alle a. alle chicks from Spitsbergen. At particular stages of development, both adults and nestlings of A. a. polaris are larger than those of A. a. alle .
In Franz Josef Land the breeding season is more extended and less synchronised than that of Svalbard. The majority of the little auks in the studied colonies in Franz Josef Land nested on steep rocky cliffs, possibly as an adaptation to the severe climatic conditions and heavy mammalian predation in subcolonies located on accessible mountain slopes. Glaucous gulls Larus hyperboreus exerted negligible predatory pressure. This study confirms the existence of morphologically distinguishable populations of the little auk on Franz Josef Land and Svalbard, supported by recent studies of climatic and oceanographic conditions in the two areas that parallel the morphological differentiation.     

金雕巢期行为谱及时间分配

2010年7～9月、2011年4～9月、2012年7月,采用焦点动物取样法,累计对新疆西北部别珍套山和阿拉套山巢期的5对金雕（Aquila chrysaetos）及其雏鸟观测89 d,行为记录911 h。制成金雕的行为谱,将各行为分为12类46种,并进行了相关描述。依据巢期的不同阶段（孵化期和育雏期）统计出各行为的时间分配：孵化期,亲鸟行为以孵卵为主（95.28%）;育雏期,亲鸟的各行为时间分配依次为,离巢（77.81%）、护幼（18.5%）、喂食（2.64%）、警戒（1.05%）,在育雏期的前（0～3周）、中（3～6周）、后（6-雏鸟离巢）阶段,护幼、喂食、离巢的时间分配差异极其显著（p<0.01）。雏鸟各行为时间分配依次为,休息（68.73%）、警戒（21.41%）、取食（5.56%）、运动（4.28%）、保养（1.02%）。育雏期的前、中、后阶段,雏鸟的休息、警戒和运动行为的时间分配差异极其显著（p<0.01）。行为时间分配的差异,主要受不同阶段金雕能量需求、身体发育状况的影响。