Ederfugleoptællinger i Ilulissat, Uummannaq og Upernavik Kommuner, 1998-2001. Technical Report No. 43

Canada and Greenland share the same common eider population - the northern common
eider subspecies Somateria mollissima borealis.
In both Canada and Greenland there has
been a growing concern that several decades
of intensive utilization, especially in Greenland, have caused the population to decline.
Internationally a Circumpolar Eider Concervation Strategy and Action Plan has been completed, and in Greenland monitoring work
has been intensified to improve the management basis for this common eider population.

This report presents the result from eider
ground surveys conducted systematically
along the west coast of Greenland, covering
the municipality of Ilulissat, Uummannaq,
and Upernavik (69° 15’ N - 74° 05’ N). The
study has served the purpose of providing an
up-to-date estimate of the total breeding population within this area, and to detect if
any major changes in breeding numbers have
occurred at colonies for which comparable
historical information exist. Ground surveys
were conducted in July during four breeding
seasons (1998-2001), and breeding numbers
were quantified by counting active nests.