Formation of a bird community on a new island, Surtsey, Iceland

Abstract

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 species, 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 structured 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 the way for terrestrial birds to start breeding; Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis (1996), Greylag Goose Anser anser (~2001) and Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis (~2003). other breeding species are kittiwake Rissa tridactyla (1975) and White Wagtail Motacilla alba (~2003), but Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea (1975) has not bred since 1978. in 1990 the island had 316 breeding pairs of six species. in 2003 eleven species bred on the island with a total of about 850 breeding pairs. After 2003 two more species have started breeding, Common Puffin Fratercula arctica (2004) and Raven Corvus corax (2008). Surtsey island was entered on the UNESCo World Heritage list in 2008, not the least for the long history of research and monitoring of various aspects of the island’s natural history. As the breeding bird fauna develops a structured bird monitoring program becomes the more important. Recommendations on how this should be carried out are presented in the paper.