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Diving Birds of North America, by Paul Johnsgard Papers in the Biological Sciences University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Diving Birds of North America, by Paul Johnsgard Papers in the Biological Sciences April 1987 Diving Birds of North America: Species Accounts — Auks (Alcidae) Paul A. Johnsgard University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/bioscidivingbirds Part of the Ornithology Commons Johnsgard, Paul A., "Diving Birds of North America: Species Accounts — Auks (Alcidae)" (1987). Diving Birds of North America, by Paul Johnsgard. 11. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/bioscidivingbirds/11 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Papers in the Biological Sciences at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Diving Birds of North America, by Paul Johnsgard by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Species Accounts Aulzs (A1cida e) aries sharply but narrowly tipped with white, the pos- Dovekie terior scapulars narrowly streaked with the same; underparts of body immaculate white (abruptly defined Alle alle (Linnaeus) against the dark brown of chest), the upper or outer por- tion of flanks broadly streaked with blackish; bill bGckj OTHER VERNACULAR NAMES:Little auk (British); iris dark brown; legs and feet grayish, with dusky webs; skonge (Danish);mergule main (French);Krabben- inside of mouth light yellow. taucher (German);agpaliarssuk (Greenland);haftyrdill WINTER PLUMAGE.Malar region, chin, throat, chest, (Icelandic);lyurik (Russian);alkekung (Swedish). and sides of nape white, the latter mottled with grayish and the feathers of chest with dusky bases; otherwise Distribution of North American Subspecies (See Map like the summer plumage. First-winter birds are more 11) brownish than are older age groups (Kozlova 1961). JUVENILES. Similar to the breeding plumage, but the Alle alle alle (Linnaeus) head and upperparts browner and less glossy, scapular BREEDS from northwestern Greenland (Thule area) lo- feathers unmarked, white markings above the eye very cally southward, and from eastern Greenland, Jan small, and throat flecked with brown and not strongly Mayen, Spitsbergen, Novaya Zemlya, and North Land separated from the anterior breast (Glutz and Bauer (USSR)south to southeastern Greenland. Also breeds on 1982). Bear Island (Norway)and probably also on the New Si- berian Islands. Probably breeds rarely in Bering Strait DOWNY YOUNG.Entirely sooty grayish brown, the un- area, including Saint Lawrence and Little Diomede is- derparts paler and more grayish. Iris blackish brown, lands, and possibly on Ellesmere Island. Until recently bill blackish, legs and feet dusky. also bred off northern Iceland (Grimsey Island). WINTERS south from breeding range, in open water, to Measurements and Weights Southampton Island, Ungava Bay, along the Gulf of MEASUREMENTS.Wing: males 108-22 mm (average of Saint Lawrence, southeastern Newfoundland, Nova 11, 115.8);females 106.5-118.0 mm (average of 5, Scotia, the Bay of Fundy, rarely to New Jersey, and to I I 3.3). Exposed culmen: males I 3-1 mm (average of the Canary Islands, Azores, France, and the Baltic Sea. 11, 13.9); females 12.5-14.5 mm (average of 5, 13.9) (Ridgway 1919). Eggs: average of 44, 48.2 x 33.0 mm Description (Adapted from Ridgway 19 I 9) (Bent 1919). ADULTS IN BREEDING PLUMAGE (sexes alike). Head, WEIGHTS.The average of I I 7 breeding-season males neck, and chest plain dark sooty brown (clove brown), was 153.5 g, while 92 females averaged 146.8 g (Roby, becoming gradually darker on pileum and hindneck; a Brink, and Nettleship 1981). Bradstreet (198za)reported short white streak immediately above upper eyelid; rest slightly higher averages for birds taken over a broader of upperparts sooty black (slightly glossy), the second- time span. Estimated egg weight, 28 g (Schonwetter I I. Current North American distribution of the dovekie, showing colony locations, estimated breeding numbers, nonbreeding range limits (broken line),and Eurasian range (inset). 1967). Newly hatched chicks average 21.5 g (Nor- populations are most abundant, and in the western At- derhaug I 980). lantic the species is limited in its southern distribution by the warming influences of the Gulf Stream. Storm- driven birds sometimes occur well south of normal win- Identification tering limits, and occasionally "wrecks" occur when IN THE FIELD.This is only obviously small (dove-sized) such birds are driven to coastlines or even well inland. alcid found on the Atlantic coast, and in the breeding SOCIALITY AND DENSITIES. This is perhaps the most season it has a sharply contrasting black-and-white pat- social of all the alcids; estimates of colony sizes are tern in which the black upperparts extend to the upper sometimes so large as to defy credibility, such as those breast. In winter, white extends up to include the at Thule, Greenland, which have been estimated at mil- breast, throat, and lower cheeks and extends up around lions of individuals (Salomonsen I 967). However, the ear coverts to a point level with the eyes, leaving a Lovenskiold (1964) stated that early estimates of num- black semicollar in front of the wings. Calls are a series bers in Spitsbergen colonies were greatly exaggerated of chirping or piping notes, uttered on the breeding and that a colony once estimated to have 10 million grounds. In flight the wing movement is very fast and birds perhaps held as few as I or 2 million. In western resembles that of a chimney swift. Greenland Evans (1981) estimated a density of at least IN THE HAND. This is the only small alcid (wing under 0.z~nest per square meter, and on Spitsbergen the aver- 125 mm) that has 12 rectrices and vertically aligned age nest density was judged by Stempniewicz (1981a) as scutes on the lower front of the tarsus. Additionally, the 0.5-0.67 per square meter, while Norderhaug (1970) bill is extremely short and is about as wide as deep at judged a nesting density of up to more than I nest per the base. square meter on Spitsbergen. Roby, Brink, and Nettle- ship (1981) estimated that 7,000 pairs were present in a Greenland study area of 15,400 square meters, or 0.45 Ecology and Habitats -pair -per square meter. As one vroceeds south in the breeding range the numbers and breeding densities de- BREEDING AND NONBREEDING HABITATS.Breeding oc- cline, and many of the southernmost colonies have dis- curs along high arctic and, to a more limited degree, appeared in historical times as the surrounding ocean subarctic coastlines where the adjoining waters have has gradually warmed. On wintering areas the birds surface temperatures in August of o-6°C (Voous 1960). tend to be highly dispersed but are associated primarily Dovekies typically nest in large colonies on mountain with offshore locations and avoid both ice-free and ice- slopes, at altitudes of up to 300-500 meters, where covered areas, attaining their highest densities in areas talus slopes and scree provide abundant breeding sites. having 75-99 percent ice cover (Renaud, McLaren, and Most colonies are within easy flying distance of the sea, Johnson 1982). but the birds locally extend up valleys and fjords to a maximum reported distance of about 20 miles (32 kilo- PREDATORS AND COMPETITORS.A considerable num- meters) inland (Bateson 1961). However, Lovenskiold ber of predators have been identified as enemies of (1964) stated that in Greenland much of the most dovekies, including white-tailed sea eagles (Haliaeetus highly suitable scree breeding habitat is only a few hun- albicilla), parasitic jaegers (Stercorariusparasiticus), dred meters in width. The total altitudinal range of peregrines (Falcoperegrinus), snowy owls (Nyctea scan- nesting birds there is from a few feet above sea level to diaca), and common ravens (Corvus corax), but proba- about 600 meters, with maximum numbers associated bly the most serious predators on adults and young are with scree deposits below perpendicular rock walls. arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus) and glaucous gulls (Larus Stempniewicz (198~a) judged that the first requirement hyperboreus). Norderhaug (1970) stated that the parasi- of breeding habitat is that it be near the sea, and he ob- tic jaeger and glaucous gulls are important predators of served no nesting farther than 6 kilometers inland. eggs and nestlings, and glaucous gulls often kill adult Slope and exposure are also important, since they influ- dovekies. Stempniewicz (1981a) agreed that the ence the rate of thawing of nesting sites. Sites having glaucous gull is an extremely serious predator of adults high humidity are avoided, since they retain water, and and chicks but found no evidence that the parasitic jae- slopes of 25-35" are most suitable because they are ger is a significant predator. According to Bateson fairly stable and allow for easy takeoffs. (I96 r ), glaucous gulls can catch adults in flight with rel- During the nonbreeding season the birds are pelagic, ative ease, and arctic foxes often lie in wait at colonies tending to remain near the pack ice, foraging in the cold to pounce on incoming birds or crawl into nesting holes waters of ice leads, where small planktonic crustacean after adults or young. In some areas they feed exclu- sively on these birds in summer and may even cache 15-20 times as great as that group's abundance in the supplies of dead birds to use in winter. Roby, Brink, and zooplankton population. Generally the birds took the Nettleship (1981)judged that glaucous gulls are serious largest copepods available in the upper 50 meters of wa- predators of adults and young, and arctic foxes were ter and also the largest life stage of each species. During found to take both eggs and adults. Stempniewicz the time that adults are feeding nestlings the pairs prob- (1981a) stated that the arctic fox prefers eggs and in try- ably forage around the clock, feeding their young an ing to dig out nests sometimes causes them to cave in, average of 5 .z~(Evans 198 I ) to 8.5 (Norderhaug 1970) killing the birds or destroying the eggs inside.
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