An Arctic-Breeding Bird Survey on the Northwestern Ungava Peninsula, Quebec, Canada

Abstract

Knowledge of breeding bird distribution and abundance in the Canadian Arctic remains rudimentary for many species, particularly for shorebirds and songbirds. To help fill this gap, randomly selected plots were surveyed on the northwestern coast of the Ungava Peninsula, Quebec, Canada, during 2002. Thirty-eight species were recorded at 34 sites, where small songbirds were much more frequent than shorebirds. Breeding waterbirds were more abundant at low elevations near the coast, and songbirds tended to be more abundant at higher elevations. A high occurrence of nesting hawks and owls was probably the result of a high lemming population. Information from the survey extended the known breeding ranges of green-winged teal, spotted sandpiper, pectoral sandpiper, dunlin, American golden-plover, Wilson’s snipe, and short-eared owl. Further work on the Ungava Peninsula would likely document additional Arctic-breeding bird species. A more thorough knowledge of Arctic breeding bird distribution will be needed to determine how species might be affected by global climate change.