Formation of a bird community on a new island
iNTRoDUCTioN Surtsey island had just risen above the ocean surface when the first birds made their landfall. on 1st December 1963 only two weeks after the eruption began gulls were seen touching down on the island in between eruption bursts (Fridriks-son 1964, Gudmundsson 1966). A number of bird spe...
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| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
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| Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.579.5792 http://www.surtsey.is/SRS_publ/2009-XII/high_res/2009-XII_133-148_Formation--hi.pdf |
| Summary: | iNTRoDUCTioN Surtsey island had just risen above the ocean surface when the first birds made their landfall. on 1st December 1963 only two weeks after the eruption began gulls were seen touching down on the island in between eruption bursts (Fridriks-son 1964, Gudmundsson 1966). A number of bird species have since been recorded on or near the island. Some are on feeding trips from breeding colonies on neighbouring islands in the Westman The present paper summarizes bird observations from Surtsey, iceland since the formation of the island in 1963 until 2008. Continuous observations were maintained in the early years of the island; in spring and autumn 1967–1971 and summers 1970–1973. Since then much of the bird observations are incidental by various scientists and bird watchers visiting the island for a limited period. Different aspects of the bird fauna are examined, the at-sea bird community, vagrants, migrant spe-cies, and winter birds, while emphasis is placed on the formation of the breeding bird community. With increasing numbers of breeding species and size of breeding populations as the years passed more struc-tured census of the breeders was needed. Hence whole island censuses were organized in 1990 and 2003. Ringing has been carried out on five occasions. in total 91 bird species have been recorded on or offshore from the island. The first birds started breeding in 1970, Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle and Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis. A total of fourteen species have since bred on the island. Four species of large gulls breed (mostly in one colony); Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus (bred first in 1974), Herring Gull Larus argentatus (1981), Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus (~1985), and Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus (1993). The colony, starting to form in 1984, has been particularly important for furthering the development of plant and invertebrate communities. Through the fertilizing agency complete vegetation cover is now found in the oldest part of the gull colony. This development has paved ... |
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