ARCTIC The Distribution of Larger Species of Birds Breeding on the Coasts of Foxe Basin and Northern Hudson Bay, Canada

ABSTRACT. Aerial surveys of large birds on the coasts of Foxe Basin and northem Hudson Bay were carried out in late June and early July in 1979, 1983 and 1984. Greatest numbers of birds were seen along low-lying coasts backed by wet lowland tundra, particularly where these merged into extensive inte...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: A. J. Gaston, R. Decker, F. G. Cooch, A. Reed
Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 1986
Subjects:
Online Access:http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.456.1919
http://arctic.synergiesprairies.ca/arctic/index.php/arctic/article/download/2089/2066/
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Summary:ABSTRACT. Aerial surveys of large birds on the coasts of Foxe Basin and northem Hudson Bay were carried out in late June and early July in 1979, 1983 and 1984. Greatest numbers of birds were seen along low-lying coasts backed by wet lowland tundra, particularly where these merged into extensive inter-tidal flats. These areas have emerged from the sea only during the past 2000 years. Even in areas of wet lowland tundra, all species except jaegers appeared to be patchy in their distribution, the patches being unrelated to obvious features of the habitat. We suggest that breeding habitat for many species is not completely occupied, at least in normal breeding seasons. We propose that statutory protection be extended to all or parts of Prince Charles and Air Force islands, which support high numbers of several species and are currently unprotected. Key words: arctic birds, coastal breeding, aerial surveys, Foxe Basin, Hudson Bay RÉSUMÉ. On effectua des inventaires aériens des oiseaux de grande taille sur les côtes du bassin Foxe et du nord de la baie d’Hudson en fin-juin et