BIHAREAN BIOLOGIST 12 (1): 21-26 ©Biharean Biologist, Oradea, Romania, 2018 Article No.: e171306 http://biozoojournals.ro/bihbiol/index.html Annotated list of bird species of the Malye Karmakuly Polar Station, Yuzhny Island of Novaya Zemlya Vitaly M. SPITSYN1,2,*, Sonia B. ROZENFELD3 and Nikita I. BOLOTOV1,2 1. Russian Museum of the Biodiversity Hotspots, Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Severnaya Dvina Emb. 23, 163000 Arkhangelsk, Russia. 2. Northern (Arctic) Federal University, 163002 Arkhangelsk, Russia. 3. A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071 Moscow, Russia *Corresponding author, V.M., Spitsyn, Email: [email protected] Received: 03. March 2017 / Accepted: 03. October 2017 / Available online: 05. November 2017 / Printed: June 2018 Abstract. Here, we report on the results of new observations on abundance and habitat preference of 34 bird species, which were recorded in adjacent locations of the Malye Karmakuly Polar Station (Yuzhny Island, Novaya Zemlya Archipelago). Additionally, we provide the first record of harlequin duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) on Novaya Zemlya. Key words: Arctic, biodiversity, zoogeography, arctic tundra, waterfowl. Introduction Since the last avifaunal observations on Novaya Zemlya were performed during the end of the 20th century (Kalyakin 1993, Pokrovskay & Tertitsky 1993, Strøm et al. 1994, Uspen- sky 1998), there has been a serious lack of modern informa- tion on the population density and status of bird species of the archipelago during the last 25 years. As for the more re- cent publications, we can highlight only two works. Firstly, Miskevich et al. (2011) published avifaunal data for the Petuhovsky Archipelago, a part of the Novaya Zemlya Ar- chipelago. Secondly, Gavrilo (2015) provides data on a num- ber of individuals of common eider Somateria mollissima at the northern part of Novaya Zemlya. A great abundance of relatively new publications in the body of literature on the archipelago does not provide modern information and it mostly relies on data that were gathered during the 20th cen- tury (Tihonov 2009, Tertitsky & Pokrovskaya 2011, Anker- Nilssen et al. 2000). The most recent papers that have been produced by our research team (Spitsyn 2015, Spitsyn et al. 2016) were mainly focused on waterfowl fauna and thus do not possess comprehensive information on other taxonomic groups of birds of Novaya Zemlya. In addition, the majority of the number of cited papers on this topic were published in journals that were printed exclusively in the Russian lan- guage and were lacking electronic (digital) copies. Hence, data on the Novaya Zemlya avifauna in those papers are barely accessible to a wider range of researchers from all over the world. Here, we provide new data on the number of Figure 1. Map of area of studies. bird individuals for 34 species, which were observed during fieldwork at the Malye Karmakuly Polar Station. Cygnus bewickii on a group of small sea islands near the polar station by using an MI-8 helicopter. During the fieldwork, a total area of 50.5 km2 was explored, 10 km2 of this area being covered by water Materials and Methods (3.7 km2 of freshwater lakes and 6.3 km2 of marine waters). During the fieldwork, average daily air temperature ranged The fieldwork was performed on a number of areas that are adjacent from 4 to 12 °C, and mist and drizzle were common weather condi- to the polar station Malye Karmakuly (72°22'N, 52°43'E) sites, located tions. Measured wind speeds were in the range0 to 30 m/s. on the Yuzhny Island of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago (Fig. 1) be- During bird observations, it was not always possible to identify tween 16th July to 12th August 2015. Observations of birds were per- the species affiliation of several Anser and Somateria individuals by formed daily except for the days with extreme weather conditions, using binoculars, due to the great distance entailed. Birds of Anser when the wind speed exceeded 25 m/s. In total, we were able to spp. and Somateria spp. were taken into account. The provided im- complete 21 observations on hiking trails with lengths in the range of ages were taken with a Canon EOS 650D digital SLR camera fitted 10 to 38 km. Two observations of individual birds were performed with a Tamron AF 70-300 mm macro zoom lens. Nomenclature of from the research vessel (R/V hereafter) “Professor Molchanov” and vascular plant species was given according to the Plant List R/V “Mikhail Somov”. On 11th August, we observed Bewick swans (www.theplantlist.org). 22 V.M. Spitsyn et al. Results List of species Ordo: Procellariiformes Fulmarus glacialis Linnaeus, 1761 – Northern fulmar (Fig. 3а) Seen only on open sea: we observed up to 20 birds on 12th August from the R/V “Mikhail Somov” and 6 on 16th July from the R/V “Professor Molchanov”. Ordo: Gaviiformes Gavia arctica (Linnaeus, 1758) – Black-throated diver There are fewer than 10 individuals within the studied area. We were able to identity four birds up to species affilia- tion, other birds were identified up to genus. We suggest that some of these birds are actually representatives of another species, the red-throated divers (Gavia stellata), which is a more common bird for Novaya Zemlya. The birds were spotted at Nevzorovskoe Lake (72°26.478'N, 52°53.428'E), at Krugloe Lake (72°23.605'N, 52°45.393'E) as well as at Domashnya Bay (72°20.480'N, 52°48.254'E). Ordo: Anseriformes For a comprehensive analysis of Anseriformes fauna in the study area see Spitsyn et al. (2016). Cygnus bewickii (Yarrell, 1830) – Tundra swan Ten birds were observed: 3 pairs and a group of four. The swans stayed within in the same locality for a period of 2-3 days, and then they moved to another feeding ground. The species was spotted mostly in saxifraga- roseroot habitat (Fig. 2d), in territories of wet moss- Figure 2. The main types of habitats of the study area. a – Dry lichen- moss rocky tundra, plant cover of 20%;b – Dry dryas-willow rocky sedge-willow tundra (Fig. 2с) and at the relatively large tundra, plant cover of 50-60%; c – Wet moss-sedge-willow tundra, and deep glacial lakes. The swans moved in certain di- plant cover of 90-100%, dominant plants: sedges (Eriophorum rections, which were determined by relief depressions. scheuchzeri and Carex sp.), Arctic willow (Salix arctica) and Polar We found no evidence of breeding or moulting. One bird willow (S. polaris), and mosses; d –Wet saxifraga-roseroot commu- that was marked by of neck yellow color (Holland) was nities, plant cover of 60-70%, dominant plants: various forb species observed on the lake in the group of 4 birds. (Sedum roseum, Saxifraga hirculus, S. cespitosa, S. cernua and Myosótis Branta leucopsis (Bechstein, 1803) – Barnacle goose asiatica) and mosses; e – Wet moss-willow tundra, plant cover of 90-100%, dominant plants: Arctic willow (Salix arctica). The barnacle goose is the most common and numerous spe- cies of geese in the study area. We counted 910 individu- als. The barnacle goose uses all habitat types, except the dry tundra and highland heathlands, and it was ob- served at almost every lake, as well as in lowlands. The The Malye Karmakuly Polar Station is located in the Arctic tun- barnacle goose nests widely across the study area; many dra climatic zone. With the study of Shahin (1993) and our own data moulting birds with broods were observed during the in mind, we decided to consider ten primary types of habitat, which period of the fieldwork. differ by the composition of bird species: Anser fabalis rossicus (Buturlin, 1933) – Tundra bean goose (01) Dry lichen-moss rocky tundra, plant cover of 20% (Fig. 2а); In the study area, the bean goose is much more common (02) Dry rocky mountain heathland, plant cover of 5%; (03) Dry dryas-willow rocky tundra, plant cover of 50-60% (Fig. than the greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons). We 2b); observed 700 Anser representatives, and 212 of these (04) Wet moss-sedge-willow tundra, plant cover of 90-100%, were identified by species. We identified 202 individuals dominant plants: sedges (Eriophorum scheuchzeri and Carex sp.), Arc- of the bean goose with broods in Domashnya Bay tic and Polar willows (Salix arctica, S. polaris), and mosses (Fig. 2c); (72°20.480'N, 52°48.254'E), at the seashore and at some (05) Wet Saxifraga-roseroot communities, plant cover of 60-70%, lakes. Both adult and non-adult birds were taken into ac- dominant plants: various forb species (Sedum roseum, Saxifraga hircu- count, breeding birds took up to 20% among all. The lus, S. cespitosa, S. cernua and Myosótis asiatica) and mosses (Fig. 2d) (06) Wet moss-willow tundra, plant cover of 90-100%, dominant birds were predominately feeding at wet moss-willow plants: Arctic willow (Salix arctica) (Fig. 2e); tundra (Fig. 2е) and wet moss-sedge-willow tundra (Fig. (07) Open sea area; 2c). (08) Coastal sea habitats (part of the sea 300 meters wide along Anser albifrons (Scopoli, 1769) – Greater white-fronted the coastline); goose (09) Freshwater lakes; This is quite a rare species in the study area. In total, only 10 (10) Littoral area of lakes and sea. individuals were observed, among them one pair \ List of bird species of the Malye Karmakuly Polar Station, Yuzhny Island of Novaya Zemlya 23 Figure 3. Birds of Novaya Zemlya: a – northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis); b – common eider (Somateria mollissima); c – snowy owl (Nyctea scandiaca); d – rough-legged buzzard (Buteo lagopus), young bird from Novaya Zemlya, which was saved by the author (photo was taken at the time of releasing a bird into the wild at the Arkhangelsk); e – little stint (Calidris minuta); f – glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus).