Abstract
The northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) is a common seabird of the North Atlantic Ocean, with breeding colonies broadly dispersed between 45°N and 80°N. At higher latitudes, breeding fulmars experience extensive sea-ice and presumably snow and low temperatures which do not affect fulmars in the southern part of the breeding range. We studied the relationship between weather and reproductive success of northern fulmars breeding at two colonies in the Canadian high Arctic. Collectively, hatching success, fledging success, and productivity (chicks fledged per egg laid) were similar between our study and results from colonies located south of the Arctic. However, a larger proportion of fulmars at apparently occupied sites (AOS) in high Arctic colonies appeared to forego egg-laying, resulting in lower proportions of chicks fledged per AOS. Extreme inclement weather was the major factor influencing nesting success, resulting in pulses of egg or chick loss during or immediately following major storms, although the mechanism of effects appeared to differ between the two colonies. For Arctic fulmars, the risks of nest failure due to stochastic, deleterious weather events may be offset by the predictable abundance of food supplies during chick-rearing in Arctic waters.
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Acknowledgments
All research was conducted under approved permits as follows: animal care (2004PNR017, 2004PNR021), land use (59A/7-2-2), wildlife research (NUN-SCI-00-04, NUN-SCI-03-02, WL000714). Many collaborators made the Cape Vera and Prince Leopold Island projects possible in 2000–2005, and in particular J. Akearok, T. Arsenault, J. Berge, S. Chisholm, D. Edwards, C. Eberl, C. Ferguson, A. Fontaine, A. Moenting, B. Newton, K. O’Donovan, M. Robertson, K. Truman, and K. Woo. J. Creuwels, S. Hatch, and two anonymous referees provided insightful reviews of the manuscript. Financial and logistic support were provided by Environment Canada (CWS, NEI), Natural Resources Canada (PCSP), the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (NSTP), and Carleton University.
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Mallory, M.L., Gaston, A.J., Forbes, M.R. et al. Influence of weather on reproductive success of northern fulmars in the Canadian high Arctic. Polar Biol 32, 529–538 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-008-0547-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-008-0547-4