Abstract
During the last decade, increasing information on little auk (Alle alle) biology, ecology and behaviour has been reported. However, only a few of these studies have focused on the breeding population in the Avanersuaq (Thule) district of Northwest Greenland, where 80 % of the global little auk population is estimated to breed. This study reports on the chick diet composition from one of the largest colonies, the Paakitsoq colony, located on the south-eastern margin of the North Water (NOW) Polynya. Results revealed the highest proportion of Calanus hyperboreus, a large lipid-rich copepod, in chick diet reported for any little auk colony. Results confirmed that the cold, highly productive waters of the NOW Polynya are favourable foraging grounds for the little auks during the breeding season. Species diversity within and between the chick meals was low, which probably reflects a high availability of a few preferred prey species. Individual chick meals were generally low in number of prey items and total energy content compared with other published results. This may be explained by a higher feeding frequency or by the samples being collected late in the breeding period (during late chick rearing), when chicks have a reduced growth rate and may require less energy than at earlier developmental stages.
References
Barrett RB, Chapdelaine G, Anker-Nilssen T, Mosbech A, Montevecchi WA, Reid JB, Veit RR (2006) Seabird numbers and prey consumption in the North Atlantic. ICES J Mar Sci 63:1145–1158
Blachowiak-Samolyk K, Soreide JE, Kwasniewski S, Sundfjord A, Hop H, Falk-Petersen S, Hegseth EN (2008) Hydrodynamic control of mesozooplankton abundance and biomass in northern Svalbard waters (79–81 degrees N). Deep Sea Res II 55:2210–2224
Boertmann D, Mosbech A (1998) Distribution of little auk (Alle alle) breeding colonies in Thule District, Northwest Greenland. Polar Biol 19:206–210
Bradstreet MSW (1982) Pelagic feeding ecology of dovekies, Alle alle in Lancaster Sound and western Baffin Bay. Arctic 35:126–140
Catard A, Weimerskirch H, Cherel Y (2000) Exploitation of distant Antarctic waters and close shelf-break waters by white-chinned petrels rearing chicks. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 194:249–261
Chaurand T, Weimerskirch H (1994) The regular alternation of short and long foraging trips in the Blue Petrel (Halobaena caerulea): a previously undescribed strategy of food provisioning in a pelagic seabird. J Anim Ecol 63:275–282
Congdon BC, Krockenberger AK, Smithers BV (2005) Dual-foraging and co-ordinated provisioning in a tropical Procellariiform, the wedge-tailed shearwater. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 301:293–301
Egevang C, Boertmann D, Mosbech A, Tamstorf MP (2003) Estimating colony area and population size of little auks (Alle alle) at Northumberland Island using aerial images. Polar Biol 26:8–13
Evans PGH (1981) Ecology and behaviour of the little auk (Alle alle) in West Greenland. Ibis 123:1–18
Falk-Petersen S, Pavlov V, Timofeev S, Sargent JR (2007) Climate variability and possible effects on arctic food chains: the role of Calanus. In: Ørbæk JB, Kallenborn R, Tombre I, Hegseth EN, Falk-Petersen S, Hoel AH (eds) Arctic alpine ecosystems and people in a changing environment. Springer, Berlin, pp 147–166
Harding AMA, Van Pelt TI, Lifjeld JT, Mehlum F (2004) Sex differences in little auk (Alle alle) parental care: transition from biparental to paternal-only care. Ibis 146:642–651
Harding AMA, Egevang C, Walkusz W, Merkel F, Blanc S, Gremillet D (2009a) Estimating prey capture rates of a planktivorous seabird, the little auk (Alle alle), using diet, diving behaviour, and energy consumption. Polar Biol 32:785–796
Harding AMA, Kitaysky AS, Hamer KC, Hall ME, Welcker J, Talbot SL, Karnovsky NJ, Gabrielsen GW, Gremillet D (2009b) Impacts of experimentally increased foraging effort on the family: offspring sex matters. Anim Behav 78:321–328
Harding AMA, Welcker J, Steen H, Hamer KC, Kitaysky AS, Fort J, Talbot SL, Cornick LA, Karnovsky NJ, Gabrielsen GW, Gremillet D (2011) Adverse foraging conditions may impact body mass and survival of a high Arctic seabird. Oecologia 167:49–59
Jakubas D, Wojczulanis-Jakubas K, Walkusz W (2007) Response of dovekie to changes in food availability. Waterbirds 30:421–428
Kampp K, Falk K, Pedersen CE (2000) Breeding density and population of little auks (Alle alle) in a Northwest Greenland colony. Polar Biol 23:517–521
Karnovsky NJ, Hunt GL (2002) Estimation of carbon flux to dovekies (Alle alle) in the North Water. Deep Sea Res II 49:5117–5130
Karnovsky NJ, Kwasniewski S, Weslawski JM, Walkusz W, Beszczynska-Moller A (2003) Foraging behaviour of little auks in a heterogeneous environment. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 253:289–303
Karnovsky N, Harding A, Walkusz W, Kwasniewski S, Goszczko I, Wiktor J, Routti H, Bailey A, McFadden L, Brown Z, Beaugrand G, Gremillet D (2010) Foraging distributions of little auks (Alle alle) across the Greenland Sea: implications of present and future Arctic climate change. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 415:283–293
Konarzewski M, Taylor JRE, Gabrielsen GW (1993) Chick energy-requirements and adult energy expenditures of dovekies (Alle alle). Auk 110:343–353
Kosobokova KN (1980) Caloric value of some zooplankton representatives from the central Arctic Basin and the White Sea. Oceanology 20:84–89
Kwasniewski S, Gluchowska M, Jakubas D, Wojczulanis-Jakubas K, Walkusz W, Karnovsky N, Blachowiak-Samolyk K, Cisek M, Stempniewicz L (2010) The impact of different hydrographic conditions and zooplankton communities on provisioning little auks along the West coast of Spitsbergen. Prog Oceanogr 87:72–82
Madsen SD, Nielsen TG, Hansen BW (2001) Annual population development and production by Calanus finmarchicus, C. glacialis and C. hyperboreus in Disko Bay, western Greenland. Mar Biol 139:75–93
Melling H, Gratton Y, Ingram G (2001) Ocean circulation within the North Water Polynya of Baffin Bay. Atmos Ocean 39:301–325
Nettleship D, Evans P (1985) Distribution and status of the Atlantic Alcidae. In: Nettleship D, Birkhead T (eds) The Atlantic Alcidae. Academic Press, London, pp 54–154
Pedersen CE, Falk K (2001) Chick diet of dovekies (Alle alle) in Northwest Greenland. Polar Biol 24:53–58
Prokopowicz A, Fortier L (2002) Population structure of three dominant Calanus species in North Water Polynya, Baffin Bay. Pol Polar Res 23:241–252
Roby DB, Brink KL, Nettleship DN (1981) Measurements, chick meals and breeding distribution of dovekies (Alle alle) in Northwest Greenland. Arctic 34:241–248
Scott CL, Kwasniewski S, Falk-Petersen S, Sargent JR (2000) Lipids and life strategies of Calanus finmarchicus, Calanus glacialis and Calanus hyperboreus in late autumn, Kongsfjorden, Svalbard. Polar Biol 23:510–516
Steen H, Vogedes D, Broms F, Falk-Petersen S, Berge J (2007) Little auks (Alle alle) breeding in a High Arctic fjord system: bimodal foraging strategies as a response to poor food quality? Polar Res 26:118–125
Stempniewicz L (2001) Alle alle Little auk. BWP Update. J Birds West Palearc 3:175–201
Stempniewicz L, Jezierski J (1987) Incubation shifts and chick feeding rate in the Little Auk (Alle alle) in Svalbard. Ornis Scand 18:152–155
Weimerskirch H, Chastel O, Ackermann L, Chaurand T, Cuenot Chaillet F, Hindermeyer X, Judas J (1994) Alternate long and short foraging trips in pelagic seabird parents. Anim Behav 47:472–476
Weimerskirch H, Ancel A, Caloin M, Zahariev A, Spagiari J, Kersten M, Chastel O (2003) Foraging efficiency and adjustment of energy expenditure in a pelagic seabird provisioning its chick. J Anim Ecol 72:500–508
Welcker J, Harding AMA, Kitaysky AS, Speakman JR, Gabrielsen GW (2009a) Daily energy expenditure increases in response to low nutritional stress in an Arctic-breeding seabird with no effect on mortality. Funct Ecol 23:1081–1090
Welcker J, Harding AMA, Karnovsky NJ, Steen H, Strom H, Gabrielsen GW (2009b) Flexibility in the bimodal foraging strategy of a High Arctic alcid, the little auk (Alle alle). J Avian Biol 40:388–399
Weslawski JM, Stempniewicz L, Galaktionov K (1994) Summer diet of seabirds from the Franz-Josef-Land Archipelago, Russian Arctic. Polar Res 13:173–181
Weslawski JM, Koszteyn J, Kwasniewski S, Stempniewicz L, Malinga M (1999a) Summer food resources of the little auk (Alle alle) in the European arctic seas. Pol Polar Res 20:387–403
Weslawski JM, Stempniewicz L, Mehlum F, Kwasniewski S (1999b) Summer feeding strategy of the little auk (Alle alle) from Bjornoya, Barents Sea. Polar Biol 21:129–134
Weslawski JM, Kwasniewski S, Stempniewicz L, Blachowiak-Samolyk K (2006) Biodiversity and energy transfer to top trophic levels in two contrasting Arctic fjords. Pol Polar Res 27:259–278
Wojczulanis-Jakubas K, Jakubas D, Karnovsky NJ, Walkusz W (2010) Foraging strategy of little auks under divergent conditions on feeding grounds. Polar Res 29:22–29
Acknowledgments
This study was funded by the Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum of the Greenland Government. This work represents a contribution to the French Polar Institute ADACLIM programme. The authors are greatly thankful to Carsten Egevang for support, advice and sharing of unpublished data; Michael Dünweber, Ole Gorm Norden Andersen and Steffen Lundsteen for their help with species determination of invertebrates; Sigga E. Joensen and Lars Renvald for help with logistics and practical matters; Kasper Lambert Johansen, Allan Juhl Kristensen and Peter Lyngs for help during fieldwork.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Frandsen, M.S., Fort, J., Rigét, F.F. et al. Composition of chick meals from one of the main little auk (Alle alle) breeding colonies in Northwest Greenland. Polar Biol 37, 1055–1060 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-014-1491-0
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-014-1491-0