The Thick-billed Murre Population of the Thule District, Greenland

Résumé

The population of thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia) in the Thule District, North Greenland, was surveyed in 1987. Counts from photos indicated a total of 285,000 murres present at the five colonies in the area, corresponding to about 214,000 breeding pairs. Counts of large murre colonies are likely to underestimate numbers, and the true population size probably falls in the range of 210,000-250,000 pairs. The need for future monitoring is stressed in light of the threat to murre populations posed by human activities such as hunting, petroleum development, and commercial fisheries. Other seabird species recorded during the survey, including the Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) and the Razorbill (Alca torda), are briefly referred to.