Page 41 - An-introduction-to-Svalbard

Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica)
You need not be a great expert on birds to recognize
this charming "sea parrot" with its colourful beak,
orange-red feet and bulging breast. The Atlantic
puffin is not particularly numerous on Svalbard,
but nests in small colonies mostly on the west
coast and at the northernmost islands, Sjuøyane.
The Atlantic puffin in Svalbard is slightly larger
than its relatives on the Norwegian mainland.

Little auk (Alle alle)
A High Arctic species that nests in huge colonies.
The world population is estimated to an incredible
15 million pairs. On Svalbard, the number of little
auks is said to be about one million pairs, with the
largest concentration along the west coast of Spits-
bergen. The fact that the snow is red in many places
in Spitsbergen may be due to algae, but often the
cause is red coloured droppings of the little auk.
The droppings are red because of the crustaceans
that the birds eat.

Brünnich’s guillemot (Uria lomvia)
Second to the little auk, the Brünnich’s guillemot
is the most numerous among the auks. There are
approximately one hundred colonies in Svalbard,
with a total of almost one million nesting pairs. The
birds only visit land when nesting.

Black guillemot (Cepphus grylle)
This species does not form such large colonies
as other auks do. It prefers to nest in groups of
around 50 individuals. It often nests in caves and
recesses as close to the sea as possible. During
September-October the black guillemot heads
south to the Barent’s Sea. Many remain near the
breeding grounds all year round.

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