Status, Trends and Attendance Patterns of the Northern Fulmar <i>Fulmarus glacialis</i> in Nunavut, Canada

Abstract

Nunavut supports ten breeding colonies of northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis), most of which have rarely been visited on the ground by biologists. During 2000-04, we surveyed six colonies previously thought to support more than 80% of the Canadian Arctic population, which was believed to number about 300 000 breeding pairs. Our counts suggested that the breeding populations of some colonies, especially those at the largest colonies, Cape Searle and Prince Leopold Island, were substantially smaller than previously estimated. Our estimate for the total population of Nunavut was approximately 200 000 occupied sites. However, counts made at fixed monitoring plots at Prince Leopold Island and total colony estimates at Cape Vera, Devon Island, suggested no change in numbers at those colonies since the 1970s. Numbers present at the colony peaked in late June-early July and fell sharply after the end of July. Cyclical attendance, identified in an earlier study, was irregular in period length and was not seen in all years. We concluded that counts of Apparently Occupied Sites (AOS) conducted daily for 10-15 days are the best monitoring protocol for northern fulmars at these Arctic colonies. The great day-to-day variability in counts may have contributed to the large differences between past and recent population estimates.

Populations and trends of Canadian Arctic seabirds

“…Methods used in the Canadian Arctic to census seabird colonies and monitor population changes have been summarized for thick-billed murres by Gaston (2002), for northern fulmars by Gaston et al (2006) and for black-legged kittiwakes by Mallory et al (2009). Briefly, large colonies are normally censused by counting all birds present on the entire colony on high-resolution photographs.…”

“…2), but they tend to be very large. Treating the two breeding aggregations on Akpatok Island (20 km apart) as separate colonies, but lumping those on Princess Charlotte Monument with those on adjacent Coburg Island (6 km apart) and those on either side of Digges Sound (10 km apart) as a single colony, there are 10 thick-billed murre colonies and 11 northern fulmar colonies (Gaston 2002;Gaston et al 2006). There are nine black-legged kittiwake colonies supporting [1,000 breeding pairs and a further 10 smaller colonies, not all of which are occupied every year (Mallory et al 2009;MLM unpubl.).…”

Seabird-driven shifts in Arctic pond ecosystems

“…In the Canadian Arctic alone, there are over 10 million seabirds (Mallory & Fontaine 2004). Our study site at Cape Vera (76815 0 N, 89815 0 W) on Devon Island, Nunavut (High Arctic Canada; figure 1a,b), is an important breeding ground for a colony of 20 000C northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis), a medium-sized petrel common to the North Atlantic (Gaston et al 2006). At Cape Vera, the fulmars nest on steep cliffs, which rise above a small coastal foreland containing numerous freshwater ponds.…”

Time series data for Canadian arctic vertebrates: IPY contributions to science, management, and policy

“…Methods typically involve daily observations on the attendance by parent birds and the fate of ca. 110-350 nests of each species, as well as overall numbers of birds observed on population monitoring plots at each colony (Gaston and Nettleship 1981;Gaston 2002;Gaston et al 2006).…”

“…The data also constitute Canada's contribution to the International Murre Conservation Strategy (Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna CAFF 1996). These data, as well as additional work at other monitoring sites (e.g., Gaston et al 2006;Love et al 2010;Mallory et al 2009), form critical information for input to land use planning in Nunavut, environmental assessments, and protected areas development and management (Mallory and Fontaine 2004).…”