Monitering af lomvier og rider i Qaanaaq kommune, 2006. Technical Report No. 69

In the period 24 July - 4 August, the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources conducted 
surveys in the five existing Thick-billed Murre (Uria lomvia) colonies in the district of 
Qaanaaq, North Greenland: Appaarsuit/Hakluyt Island (77002), Kitsissut/Carey Islands 
(76007, 76008, 76009), Appat/Saunders Island (76014), Issuvissuup Appai/Parker Snow 
Bay (76013) and Appat Appai (76012). The main purpose of the project was to produce total population estimates for the Thick-billed Murres and Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa 
tridactyla) in the district of Qaanaaq and to identify potential sub-colonies from the seaside for future monitoring purposes. For the Kittiwake only rough population estimates 
existed prior to the survey, but for the Murres there was a possibility to compare the results with a comparable survey conducted in 1987.

In 2006, the populations of Murres and Kittiwakes were estimated by photo surveys. Digital cameras were used in combination with a new technique where series of count-photos 
were merged (stitched) in Photoshop to form larger count-photos. An original number of 
2,516 count-photos for all five colonies were reduced to 157 larger count-photos using the 
photo-merge technique. In total, 273,033 Murres were counted on these photos, distributed with 32,692 birds on Appaarsuit, 131,089 on Appat, 43,126 on Appat Appai, 56,128 in 
Issuvissuup Appai and 9.998 on the Kitsissut. The total breeding population of Kittiwakes 
were counted to 35,666 apparently occupied nests, distributed with 12,860, 18,707, 1,642 
and 2,457 nests on Appaarsiut, Appat, Appat Appai and Issuvissuup Appai, respectively. 
Automatic photo monitoring took place in a predefined Murre studyplot at Appaarsiut 
from 25 July 13:30 until 2 August 21:00. This showed that the average number of Murres 
present in the colony increased until 29 July and hereafter stabilised. Diurnal variation in 
attendance followed a general pattern with fewer birds late in the afternoon and approximately 20 % more birds at night. When adjusting the Murre population estimates according to this natural variation in attendance the total population estimate for the 
Qaanaaq colonies arrive at 308,000 birds, or approximately 231,000 breeding pairs.

From a comparable photo survey conducted in 1987 the Murre population was estimated 
to 285,000 birds. Compared to 2006, this is only 4 % more than the slightly conservative 
count estimate of 273,000 birds and only 7 % less than the adjusted estimate of 308,000 
birds. Since information about the natural variation in colony attendance is not available 
for 1987 it cannot be determined whether these are significant changes. However, the overall conclusion is that the Murre population in the district of Qaanaaq is considered 
stabile. 
For the Kittiwakes the breeding population estimates are less sensitive to natural variation 
in colony attendance since they are based primarily on occupied nests and not individual 
birds. The estimate of 36,000 breeding pairs in the district of Qaanaaq makes this area one 
of the most important breeding areas in Greenland and corresponds to ca. 35 % of the 
breeding population in West Greenland. According to crude estimates from 1987 the 
Kittiwake population appears to have increased considerably for Appaarsiut and Appat. 
However, it cannot be ruled out that breeding populations were grossly underestimated 
in 1987.