ARCTIC BIRDS Bulletin of the International Breeding Conditions Survey supported by the International Wader Study Group and Wetlands International's Goose and Swan Specialist Groups No. 12 • 2011 compiled by Mikhail Soloviev and Pavel Tomkovich A WORD FROM THE COMPILERS (ASTI, http://www.asti.is), commissioned and coordinat- The current issue of the bulletin of the Arctic Birds Breed- ed by the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program, ing Conditions Survey (ABBCS, http://www.arcticbirds. showed that population trends of Arctic species differed net) brings together information about the breeding con- across biomes, regions and taxa. The report’s conclusion ditions in the Arctic and Subarctic during summer 2009, that more data “are needed to understand how the Arc- and includes data on weather, predators and their prey tic’s ecosystems and the living resources they support are and bird reproductive success. The geographic coverage responding and will respond to growing and cumulative of the survey in 2009 did not change considerably com- pressures” clearly indicated a need for a strengthening of pared with the two previous years, with an exception of monitoring and research activities in the circumpolar re- the data from the Russian Arctic, which followed an ap- gion, including its widest Palearctic portion. parent pronounced decline since 2007 (Figure). Several A potential of ABBCS as an effective analytical tool factors contributed to the decrease, including termination for explaining flyway-wide trends in bird populations of the International Polar Year, economic crisis and grow- was recently demonstrated in a study by E. Rakhimber- ing costs of transportation in this region. diev with colleagues (http://onlineli- brary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1472- 4642.2010.00715.x/abstract). A use of continent-wide qualitative ABBCS data on the abundance of the Ruff Philoma- chus pugnax on the breeding grounds and advanced statistical techniques led to a hypothesis of global population re- distribution in this migrant wader. This approach is pending testing on other species of Arctic-breeding birds. Unfortunately extensive plans of further ABBCS development, including data analyses, have been suspended due to the absence of basic funding for the project since 2008. “Arctic Birds” No. 11 was Figure. Number of contributions to the ABBCS in 1998–2009 published in 2010 as a hardcopy and distributed with highly appreciated sup- The long-term monitoring of juvenile proportions in wad- port of the CAFF International Secretariat. Collection of ers on the non-breeding grounds in Australia, carried out breeding conditions information from contributors has by researchers from the Victorian and Australasian Wader been continued and the reports have been published on the Studies groups, compensated partially for insufficient in- project websites. However, delays in translation of contri- formation on bird breeding conditions from certain key butions have considerably impaired a value of ABBCS as a regions of the Russian Arctic (see the paper by Clive bilingual (in the English and Russian languages) monitor- Minton et al. in this issue). However, it is well recog- ing resource, while delays in publication of “Arctic Birds” nized that integrated monitoring of birds on entire flyway bulletin had apparent adverse impact on the promptitude is essential for correct interpretation of factors affecting of respondents to submit their data. The current state of their populations, and the current trend in the Russian Arc- affairs is dissatisfactory, and we hope very much for even- tic is alarming in this respect. Moreover, a recent mile- tual success of ongoing fund-raising efforts and full-scale stone publication of the Arctic Species Trend Index 2010 implementation of ABBCS. BULLETIN No. 12 CONTENTS LOCALITY REPORTS............................................................................................................................3 BIRD BREEDING CONDITIONS IN THE ARCTIC IN 2009 P.S. Tomkovich & M.Y. Soloviev.............................................................................................................46 RECORD WADER BREEDING SUCCESS IN THE 2009 ARCTIC SUMMER C. Minton, R. Jessop & C. Hassell.........................................................................................................53 ARCTIC SHOREBIRD DEMOGRAPHICS NETWORK: OVERVIEW.............................................57 INDEX OF SCIENTIFIC NAMES........................................................................................................58 MAP COLLECTION..............................................................................................................................62 For the latest information about the survey and data access visit the websites: http://www.arcticbirds.net, http://www.arcticbirds.ru Please contact the project coordinators with queries, comments and proposals: Mikhail Soloviev Pavel Tomkovich Dept. of Vertebrate Zoology, Biological Faculty, Zoological Museum, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia B.Nikitskaya St., 6, Moscow, 125009, Russia e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Our most sincere thanks to everyone who participated in the survey in 2009 and/or previous years, in particular to V.G. Degtyarev, Y.V. Krasnov and R. Lanctot who stimulated others to join the survey. J. R. Wilson provided invaluable help by improving the English. © 2011 International Wader Study Group 2 ARCTIC BREEDING CONDITIONS Figure. Arctic localities from which reports about bird breeding conditions in 2009 were provided LOCALITY REPORTS Arctic Foxes were common, and we frequently encountered them and their tracks. Polar Bears were observed twice on 1. Western Svalbard Island, Norway (78°50' N, 13°00' E) small islands near the northern coast, and their tracks were Key areas in the north-west of Western Svalbard Island were seen regularly. A Polar Bear was once observed in the colony surveyed on brief excursions in the period from 22 June to of Common Eiders eating a female eider. 1 July 2009, including 17 areas on a portion of the coast from Snowy Owls were not recorded. Arctic Skuas were common the Isfjord in the west to the Reinsdurflua Peninsula in the and a complete clutch of 2 eggs was found on 27 June. Long- north of the island. tailed Skuas and Great Skuas were less common than Arctic The spring was late, and up to 90% of the island coast was Skuas. covered with snow at the start of our surveys. Ice was absent Bronnich′s Guillemots, Black-legged Kittiwakes, Arctic in the sea along the western coast, but near the northern coast Terns and Common Eiders nested successfully. 50–70% of sea surface was ice covered. Weather conditions were favourable for the reproduction of birds during the pe- Purple Sandpipers started nesting in late June, and we found riod of observations, as air temperatures did not drop below an incomplete clutch with 2 eggs on 30 June on the coast of freezing. the Isfjord and 2 complete clutches of 4 eggs on 1 July. Lemmings are absent on Svalbard. Thus, in spite of the late spring conditions were favourable for birds at least in the beginning of the breeding season. * – scientific names are given in theIndex on pages 58 – 62 A.E. Volkov 3 BULLETIN No. 12 2. Varanger Peninsula, Norway (70°30′ N, 29°30′ E) presence of chicks. Three pairs of Arctic Skuas and a pair of Bean Geese were recorded in the south-eastern part of the Being assessed by extensive trapping-based monitoring, pop- island. An adult and a fledgling Lapland Buntings were ob- ulation densities of voles and lemmings were extremely low served. We recorded a Rock Ptarmigan, Common Mergan- during the whole season of 2009 as it could be expected based sers and a Common Ringed Plover. on their normal 5-year population cycle in this region (2007 was the last peak year). There were no records of breeding Rodents, mammalian predators and birds of prey were not in the Arctic Fox, Long-tailed Skua, Rough-legged Buzzard observed. and other predators dependent on small rodent. Human impact on birds of the island is not known. R.A. Ims I.I. Ukolov 3. Rybachy Peninsula, Murman coast, Kola Peninsula, Rus- 5. Teriberka settlement area, Kola Peninsula, Russia sia (69°36′ N, 32°57′ E) (69°09′ N, 35°11′ E) Air temperatures ranged from +1 to +10°С in the period of Small rodents were captured in October 2009 using lines of observations from 26 to 30 May 2009, with northern and cylinders and snap-traps in almost all habitats available with- northwestern winds of 5 to 20 m/s. Two storms with wind in the distance of 10 km of the settlement. The abundance of speed of up to 25 m/s were recorded. Light rain occurred voles and lemmings was very low, and in spite of our special from time to time. Weather conditions were typical for the efforts to survey favourable habitats of animals we failed to area. capture a single rodent. Numerous bodies of animals that had Signs of rodent recent activities were not seen. Mammali- perished during the winter were recorded on excursions. an predators were not recorded in the vicinity of a seabird According to the reports of local people, Norway Lemmings colony, but we found there 3 active nests of Rough-legged and Grey-sided Voles occurred in the tundra in unusually high Buzzards and observed several non-breeding White-tailed numbers in the autumn of the previous year (2008), while Sea Eagles. Skuas and Raven were common. As previously, lemmings were observed in the settlement