Atlantic Puff in in Iceland: PltihPopulationpg changees and ditht main threats

Aevarea Petersen eese1 &Th& Thhorkello e LL. Thorarinsson o a sso 2 1Icelandic Institute of Natural Historry 2North East Iceland Nature Center

1. The Icelandic populationpp 3. Population chaanges The Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica is Prior to 2000 mean increase of 4.3%/yr believed to be the most common wasas recordedeco ded at tenten colonies,co o es, includingcud g bdibreedingg bibird d speciesp i iin IldIceland. MtMost the largest ones studied (>30000 pairs). recent estimate is 3-4 million pairspairs, or The greatest increease was 15%/yr/yr, about half the world population. The whichc iss exceptioneceptonala andadffoundou d in a populationpplti iis ditibtddistributed mostlytly on colony established in 1975 (Petersen islandsislands, among roughly 800 coloniescolonies, the 2010). largest about 200 thousand pairs. Many off ththe coloniesli are veryy small,ll onlyly a ffew More recently eightt colonies showed a pairs. Some islands only have single mean decline of 4.9%/yr. Same has pairs. takenta e placepace ono thetee Westmanest a Islandssa ds the largest Puffin coolony aggregation in 22. Data Availability the world (Hansenn 2009, Hansen & Although other ffactors may also affectff We reviewed available unpublished and GGardarssonGa da sso 2009009). individual Puffin coloniescolonies, climate ppublished blished information on poppopulationpp lation change and resulting effects on the changes. Colony sizes were estimated No quantitative datta are available for ffood resources is currently the greatest mainly from occupied burrow counts. mostost Icelandicce a d c Puffinuff n coloniesco o es. potential threat to Icelandic Puffins. PopPopulationp lation dedevelopment, elopmentp rangingggfrom 5 to 33 yearsyears, is reviewed for 19 colonies 4. Main threats RfReferences in S-, SW- and N-Iceland within the Historical data shhow various local Gardarsson, A. 2006. [g[Breeding success of periodp 1975-2009. Data also eistexist on Kittiwake in Iceland in 2005.] Bliki 27: 23 -26. (Icel., ftfactors relatelt tto ppopulationpplti dlideclines,, EnglEngl. summsumm.). ) recent colonization at a number of such as excessive huntinghunting, introduced HHansen, E.S. E S & AA. GGardarsson d 20092009. [P[Puffins ffi on the th previously unknown sites, such as the predators (Mink Mustela vison in Westman Islands.]] Poster Biol. Soc. of Iceland nenew island of SrtseSurtseyy (Petersen( 2009). particular),p),ti l ) shiftinghifti g sandydy coastline,tli , ConfConf. 2323. (Icel.). (Icel ) HansenHansen, E.S. E S 20092009. [State of the hhunted nted Puffin P ffin erosionerosion, etc. More rrecently decline has populationpp on the Westman Islands.] ] Veididagbok g been seen in Sandeels Ammodytes 14: 8 -1212. (Icel(Icel.). ) spppp., a preferredp fdPPffiPuffin fdfood,, possiblypyibl PetersenPetersen, A. A 2009. 2009 Formation of a bird community on a new ilisland, d SIldSR12Surtsey, Iceland. Surtsey Res. 12: related to climate cchange (Gardarsson 133–148. 2006). This is mosstly taking place in PetersenPetersen, A. A 2010. 2010 [The bird life of island Flatey á SthSouth andd WtWest IldIceland. RiRegionalg l SkjálfSkjálfanda d (NE -IIceland).] l d) ] Náttúrufraedistofnun Náttú f di t f variations indicate differences in foodfood, ÍÍÍslands NÍ-10001. 44 pp.pp (Icel., ( , Engl. g summ.). ) PetersenPetersen, A., A ThTh.L. L Thorarinsson & SS. ThorstensenThorstensen, in North Iceland thhe main prey being in prep . Changes in the Atlantic Puffin Fratercula CliCapelinp MlltMallotus villillllosus. arctica populationpp in Iceland in recent decades. Changesg betbetween een cocounts nts at some PPuffin ffin colonies Colony Period No. prs No. prs Changes (no(no. yrs) first year latter year (%/yr) North: Flatey on Skjálfandi 1980-2007 (27) c160 6917 +15+15.00 00 LLundey d on SkjálfSkjálfandi di 1984-2007 (22) 34812 39000 +0+0.52 52 5. Main Conclusions VldltVoladalstorfa f on Tjörnes Tjö 1981-2006 (25) 1988 2600 +1.08 1 08 Lágey at Tjörnes 1981-2006 (25) 32957 43036 +1.07 Despite various local threats a general increase took place in Sandhólastönggj on Tjörnes 1981-2006 (24)() 520 170 -4.55 last decades of the 20th century, incl. formation of new colonies. Háeyyyj by Tjörnes 1982-2006 (24)() 4422 3800 -0.63 The trend reversed in the 21st centurycentury,y at least in South and Bangastaðahöfn on Tjörnes 1981-2007 (25) 25300 15700 -1.89 West-Iceland. In North Iceland the population has continued to Southwest: Akurey by Reykjavík 1989-2004 (15) 15000 19000 +1+1.59 59 increase, but local movements were noticed. The available LdLundey bRkjíkby Reykjavík 1984-2004 (20) 3607 8579 +4+4.43 43 information points to different main food in the north compared West: to the south and westwest, Capelin vs. Sandeels. Heimri-Langeygy by y Flatey y 1995-2007 (12)() 231 217 -0.52 Akureyyy by Flatey y 2000-2007 (() 7) 118 97 -2.76 Hrólfsklettur by Flatey 2001-2007 ( 6) 385 197 -10.57 6. RdtiRecommendations Klofningur by Flatey 2000-2009 ( 9) 85 26 -1212.33 33 • More focused data from a stratified monitoring program is Böðvarsklettaflaga by Hergilsey 1996 -2005 ( 9) 120 70 -5815.81 Flataflaga in Sauðeyjar 2006-2007 ( 1) 30 10 -6666.67 67 urgently needed to follow trends in the Icelandic population. KlKlofningur f i iin SSvefneyjar f j 1982-1997 (15) 150 320 +5+5.18 18 • CtidContinued censuses are neededddffor IldiIcelandic PffiPuffin coloniesli. FlFlatey t iin BBreiðafjordur ið fj d 1975-2008 (33) 17-21 162 +6.71 6 71 Akurey by Flatey 1995-2000 ( 5) 104 118 +2.56 • Historical data sometimes exist and need to be collected. Selsker byyy Flatey 1995-2009 (14)() 55 112 +5.21 • Comparative food study needs to be initiated. (from(, Petersen, Thorarinsson & Thorstensen, , in preppp.))

1 st tW World ldS Seabird bidC Conference f 7–11 SSeptember t b 2010