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The significance of Southwest Greenland as winter quarters for seabirds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 June 2004

DAVID BOERTMANN ,
PETER LYNGS ,
FLEMMING RAVN MERKEL  and
ANDERS MOSBECH
DAVID BOERTMANN
Affiliation:
National Environmental Research Institute, Department of the Arctic Environment, P. O. Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
PETER LYNGS
Affiliation:
Guldbergsgade 22, 5., DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
FLEMMING RAVN MERKEL
Affiliation:
Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, P. O. Box 570, DK-3900 Nuuk, Greenland
ANDERS MOSBECH
Affiliation:
National Environmental Research Institute, Department of the Arctic Environment, P. O. Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
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Abstract

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The coastal and offshore waters of Southwest Greenland are internationally important winter quarters for seabirds. We crudely estimate a minimum of 3.5 million seabirds using the region in winter, mainly from Arctic Canada, Greenland and Svalbard, with smaller numbers also from Alaska, Iceland, mainland Norway and Russia. The most numerous species are Common Eider Somateria mollissima, King Eider S. spectabilis, Brünnich's Guillemot Uria lomvia and Little Auk Alle alle. The most immediate threat to the seabirds in Southwest Greenland is hunting, and current levels of usage of the Greenland breeding populations of Brünnich's Guillemot and Common Eider are considered unsustainable. Conservation measures are required for these populations.

Type
Research Article
Information
Bird Conservation International , Volume 14 , Issue 2 , June 2004 , pp. 87 - 112
Copyright
BirdLife International 2004