Náttúrufræðingurinn - 2004, Qupperneq 39

Tímarit Hins íslenska náttúrufræðifélags
sent). The Briinnich's Guillemots were
mainly adult birds (89%, n = 80). No signs
of oiling were found on any of the birds.
They were all emaciated, had suffered c.
40% weight loss compared with healthy
birds, and lacked totally subcutaneous,
abdominal and cardiac fat deposits (fig.
5). Bacteria culture and antibodies tests
(Newcastle disease, influenza H5, H7,
H9) were all negative. Severe weight loss,
hemorrhagic gastroenteropathy and
microscopic pathological examinations
all supported the conclusion that death
was by cachexia caused by food shortage.
Recoveries of banded Common
Guillemot and Briinnich's Guillemot
have shown that the wintering popula-
tions are of different provenance
(Icelandic Institute of Natural History).
The Common Guillemots are mainly
birds of Icelandic origin and the
Brunnich's Guillemots are birds from
Spitzbergen, Bear Island and Finmark.
Considering different age composition of
the two species, the effects of this wreck
on the respective breeding populations
will probably vary. As the Common
Guillemots were mainly immature, it is
unlikely that any effects will be registered
in the breeding colonies in Iceland, at
least not during this coming breeding
season. The Brúnnich's Guillemots, on
the other hand, were mainly breeding
adults and it is likely that the effects will
be felt right next spring in the colonies in
the Arctic.
The reason for this wreck is not obvi-
ous. The capelin Mallotus villosus is one of
the most important winter food items for
these two species. The capelin population
was big in autumn 2001 and winter
2001-2002, also the status of the zoo-
plankton was good (information from the
Marine Research Institute in Reykjavík).
According to this scenario, it was not
food shortage per se that caused the starv-
ing but environmental conditions that
either hampered feeding activities or
affected the distribution of the prey
species.
Þakkir
Kári Kristjánsson, þjóðgarðinum í Jökulsárgljúfrum, Jóhann Gunnarsson,
Víkingavatni, og Guðmundur Örn Benediktsson, Kópaskeri, aðstoðuðu við
útivinnu. Eftirtaldir söfnuðu svartfuglum: Aðalgeir Egilsson, Mánárbakka.
Hannes Leifsson, Hólmavík. Gunnar Karl Garðarsson, Bíldudal. Þorsteinn
Sæmundsson, Sauðárkróki. Reynir Þorsteinsson, Raufarhöfn. Kristján
Lilliendahl, fuglafræðingur á Hafrannsóknastofnun, hjálpaði við
krufningar og veitti ýmsar upplýsingar um fæðu og dreifingu svartfugla.
Kristján og Arnþór Garðarsson, prófessor við Háskóla íslands, lásu rit-
gerðina yfir og komu með margar góðar ábendingar. Sérfræðingar á
Keldum sem veittu hjálp við krufningar voru Karl Skírnisson, Einar
Jörundsson, Jarle Reiersen og Sigurður Sigurðarson. Samstarfsfólk okkar á
Náttúrufræðistofnun, þau Guðmundur A. Guðmundsson, Lovísa Ás-
björnsdóttir, Morten Frederiksen, Þorvaldur Björnsson og Ævar Petersen,
veitti ýmsa hjálp, bæði við undirbúning og úrvinnslu rannsókna. Þeim
fjölmörgu sem höfðu samband við okkur í tengslum við svartfugla-
dauðann þökkum við veittar upplýsingar.
Heimildir
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(L.). Astarte 9. 43-50.
2. Jones, P.H., C.F. Barrett, G.P. Mudge & M.P. Harris 1984. Physical
condition of auks beached in eastem Britain during the wreck of
February 1983. Bird Study 31. 95-98.
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Iceland, and bill features as criteria of age. Ornis Scand. 7.185-192.
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birds at sea. Biol. Conserv. 12. 261-265.
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seabird carcasses. Marine Pollution Bulletin 30. 794-802.
8. Bailey, E.P. & G.H. Davenport 1972. Die-off of Common Murres on the
Alaska Peninsula and Unimak Island. Condor 74. 215-219.
9. Underwood, L.A. & T.J. Stowe 1984. Massive wreck of seabirds in
eastern Britain, 1983. Bird Study 31. 79-88.
10. Heubeck, M., E. Meek & D. Suddaby 1992. The occurrence of dead auks
Alcidae on beaches in Orkney and Shetland, 1976-1991. Sula 6. 1-18.
11. Mudge, G.P., C.H. Crooke & S.J. Aspinall 1992. Non-oiling Guillemot
mortality incidents in the Moray Firth, 1983-86. Seabird 14. 48-54.
12. Piatt, J.F. & T.I. Van Pelt 1997. Mass-mortality of guillemots (Uria aalge)
in the gulf of Alaska in 1993. Marine Pollution Bulletin 34. 656-662.
13. Debacker, V., L. Holsbeek, G. Tapia, S. Gobert, C.R. Joiris, T. Jauniaux,
F. Coignoul & J.-M. Bouquegneau 1997. Ecotoxicological and patho-
logical studies of Common Guillemots Uria aalge beached on the
Belgian coast during six successive wintering periods (1989-90 to
1994-95). Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 29.159-168.
14. Sigurður Gunnarsson & Jónbjörn Pálsson 1988. Fuglalíf á og við
Skjálfandaflóa að vetri. Bliki 6. 1-23.
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Fiskideildar 16.155-169.
16. Mehlum, F., Y. Watanuki & A. Takahashi 2001. Diving behaviour and
foraging habitats of Briinnich’s guillemots (Uria lomvia) breeding in the
High-Arctic. Journal of Zoology, London 255. 413^423.
17. Harris, M.P. & S. Wanless 1984. The effect of the wreck of seabirds in
Febmary 1983 on auk populations on the Isle of May (Fife). Bird Study 31.
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aalge and Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis to a late winter wreck. Bird Study
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Umsjón með útgáfunni höfðu Kristmundur Bjarnason, Hannes
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Um höfunda
Ólafur K. Nielsen (f. 1954) lauk B.S.-prófi í líffræði frá
Háskóla íslands 1978 og Ph.D.-prófi í vistfræði frá
Cornell-háskóla í Bandaríkjunum 1986. Ólafur starfaði
hjá Líffræðistofnun Háskólans 1986-1993 og starfar
nú hjá Náttúrufræðistofnun íslands.
Ólafur Einarsson (f. 1963) lauk BS-prófi í líffræði frá
Háskóla Islands 1987 og Ph.D.-prófi í dýrafræði frá
Bristol-háskóla í Bretlandi 1997. Hann starfaði hjá
Veiðimálastofnun 1987-1989 og hjá Náttúrufræði-
stofnun íslands 1994-2003.
PÓSTFANG HÖFUNDA/AUTHORS’ ADDRESSES
Ólafur K. Nielsen
okn@ni.is.
Náttúrufræðistofnun Islands/
Icelandic Institute of Natural History
Pósthólf/Box 5320
IS-125 Reykjavík
Ólafur Einarsson
fuglavernd@fuglavemd.is
Pósthólf/Box 5069
IS-125 Reykjavík
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