Abstract

The Vigur Island bird census focused on the main bird species found on the island: Black Guillemots Cepphus grylle, Northern Fulmars Fulmarus glacialis, Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo, gulls Larus sp., Eurasian Oystercatchers Haematopus ostralegus, and Arctic Terns Sterna paradisaea. The Arctic Tern population was estimated by counting nests, using a transect line method. Due to the hatching of the eggs, the survey had to be stopped and only 60% of the colony area was covered. The results show that in summer 2021, Vigur hosted 1092 ± 246 SD Black Guillemot individuals, 28 ± 8 SD oystercatchers, 19 ± 8 SD Cormorants, 120 ± 34 SD Fulmars, and 58 ± 20 SD European Herring Gulls Larus argentatus and Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus. We counted 440 occupied Arctic Tern nests, leading to an estimation of 880 breeding adults.

Recommended citation: David Milesi-Gaches, Alexandre Lhériau. 2022. "Census of breeding seabirds in Vigur Island, Westfjords, Iceland in 2021." Bird Census News, 2022. 35/1–2: 10–20.
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