Youth For Arctic Nature
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        • Rock ptarmigan
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        • Northern fulmar
      • Seagulls >
        • Black-legged kittiwake
        • Arctic tern
        • Arctic skua
      • Waders >
        • Eurasian oystercatcher
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Water birds

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The following is an near exhaustive list of water birds commonly found in the North Atlantic Arctic. Water birds live in and around freshwater ecosystems, for examples ponds, lakes, and rivers. Most have a more aquatic lifestyle than waders, finding food in the water itself instead of on shorelines. In coastal areas, most water birds can be found in the sea as well as as in freshwater. Some species even prefer marine habitats, but they all belong to families of birds that are primarily found in freshwater and wetlands. Because there are so many species, only the ones commonly found at least as far north as Iceland are presented (excluding most species found only up to subarctic Fennoscandia).
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Grebes belong the the Podicipediformes family, which includes only one family, Podicipedidae. Although they look like ducks or divers, they are actually most related to flamingos. Grebes are excellent divers and spend most of their life in lakes and ponds. The only grebe species breeding in the East Atlantic Arctic is the Horned grebe Podiceps auritus. Although it is small for a water bird (31-38cm in length for wingspans 59-65cm), it can easily be recognized by its golden double crest in breeding plumage. The non breeding plumage is muted, grey and white. There are two subspecies, one in Eurasia and one in North America. The Eurasian subspecies breeds in Iceland, northern Britain, coastal Norway, eastern Sweden, southern Finland, and subarctic Eurasia. In the Faroe Islands, it is a scarce breeder and a rare winter visitor. A short distance migrant, the horned grebe winters in North America, eastern Asia, and western and southern Europe including southwestern Iceland and coastal Norway.
Like pelicans or ibises, herons are part of the Pelecaniformes order. Within that order, the Ardeidae family regroups herons, egrets, and bitterns. They are generally tall and slender birds, with long legs and bills. The Grey heron Ardea cinerea is the only member of the ardeidae family breeding in the East Atlantic Arctic, and it is also one of the largest waterbird in the region with a length of 90cm to 98cm for wingspans of 175cm to 195cm. The grey heron breeds almost everywhere in Afro-Eurasia except for tundras and deserts. In the East Atlantic Arctic, it is breeds in Norway, southern Sweden, and southern Finland. On the western Norwegian coast, it is found all year long. It is a rare but frequent visitor to the Faroe Islands and Iceland.
Water rail.
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Horned grebe (breeding plumage).
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Grey heron.
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Water rail.
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Baleen whales is the family of the order of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) that have long baleen for filter feeding instead of teeth. There are six species of baleen whales in the North Atlantic arctic:
  • The Red-throated diver.
  • The Black-throated diver.
  • The Great northern diver.
  • The White-billed diver.
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Red-throated diver.
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Black-throated diver.
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Great northern diver.
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White-billed diver.
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Baleen whales is the family of the order of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) that have long baleen for filter feeding instead of teeth. There are six species of baleen whales in the North Atlantic arctic:
  • The Snow goose.
  • The Pink-footed goose.
  • The Taiga bean goose.
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Snow goose.
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Pink-footed goose.
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Taiga bean goose.
  • The Snow goose.
  • The Pink-footed goose.
  • The Taiga bean goose.
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Lesser white-fronted goose.
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Greater white-fronted goose.
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Pink-footed goose.
  • The Snow goose.
  • The Pink-footed goose.
  • The Taiga bean goose.
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Brent goose.
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Barnacle goose.
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Whooper swan.
  • The Northern shoveler.
  • The Mallard.
  • The Common shellduck.
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Northern shoveler.
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Mallard.
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Common shellduck.
  • The Eurasian widgeon.
  • The Northern pintail.
  • The Eurasian teal.
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Eurasian widgeon.
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Northern pintail.
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Eurasian teal.
  • The Tufted duck.
  • The Greater scaup.
  • The Common goldeneye.
  • Barrow's goldeneye.
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Tufted duck.
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Greater scaup.
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Common goldeneye.
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Barrow's goldeneye.
  • The Steller's eider.
  • The Common eider.
  • The King eider.
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Steller's eider.
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Common eider.
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King eider.
  • The Harlequin duck.
  • The Common scoter.
  • The Velvet scoter.
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Harlequin duck.
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Common scoter.
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Velvet scoter.
  • The Smew.
  • The Long-tailed duck.
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Smew.
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Long-tailed duck.
  • The Common merganser.
  • The Red-breasted merganser.
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Common merganser.
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Red-breasted merganser.
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Pictures

  • "Slavonian Grebe (Podiceps auritus) = Horned Grebe" by Rainbirder is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
  • "Héron cendré (Ardea cinerea) - Ile de France" by LUMIKS LUMIKS is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
  • "Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus)" by Andrej Chudy is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
  • "File:Flickr - Rainbirder - Red-throated Diver (Gavia stellata) (1).jpg" by Steve Garvie from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
  • "Arctic ( Black-throated ) Loon ( Diver ) - Oulu - Finland 02" by fveronesi1 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
  • "Common Loon Gavia immer" by Mark Peck Bird Photography is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
  • "Yellow-billed Loon" by Tom Wilberding is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
  • "Snow Goose" by Brookhaven National Laboratory is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
  • "File:Lesser white fronted goose (Anser erythropus) (1).JPG" by Ken Billington is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
  • "White-fronted Goose. (Anser albifrons)" by jimmyedmonds is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
  • "Anser anser" by Ján Svetlík is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
  • "Anser brachyrhynchus (Pink-footed goose)" by Leon van der Noll is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
  • "File:Sædgås (Anser fabalis).jpg" by Marton Berntsen is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
  • "Brent Goose" by Andrej Chudy is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
  • "An Arctic Visitor At The Park - Barnacle Goose" by aaron_nikon_photography is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
  • "Whooper swan on the ice" by Tambako the Jaguar is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.
  • "Northern Shoveler Pair photographed at California City Bird park" by birdtographer.zion is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.
  • "Mallard Pair" by gone2foto is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
  • "Ànec blanc en vol - Taro blanco en vuelo 03 - Common shelduck in flight - Tadorna tadorna" by ferran pestaña is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
  • "赤頸鴨 Eurasian Wigeon" by Hiyashi Haka is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
  • "A pair of Northern pintail ducks (Anas acuta) fly over the Platte River near Wood River, Nebraska" by diana_robinson is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
  • "Eurasian Teal" by naturalengland is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
  • "Anas crecca-Eurasian Teal" by Aviantic is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
  • "Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula" by f_snarfel is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
  • "Greater Scaup - Pair" by Len Blumin is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
  • "Common Goldeneye - Bucephala clangula (pair)" by az3 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
  • "Barrow's Goldeneye pair - 4638" by Len Blumin is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
  • "Steller's Eider (Polysticta stelleri)" by sussexbirder is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
  • "Common Eider (Eurasian) (Somateria m. mollissima) male and female" by Allan Hopkins is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
  • "Somateria spectabilis" by 57Andrew is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
  • "harlequin ducks" by Andrew Reding is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
  • "斑臉海番鴨 Velvet Scoter (ビロードキンクロ)" by Hiyashi Haka is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
  • "Common Scoter 15" by chloesview is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
  • "File:Sjöorre - Common Scoter 2.jpg" by Stefan Berndtsson is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
  • "Long-tailed Duck" by Mick Thompson1 is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
  • "Female Long-tailed Duck, Northeast National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska" by mypubliclands is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
  • "Common Merganser" by esellingson is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
  • "Red-Breasted Merganser-Pair" by jerrygabby1 is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
  • "Red-throated loon" by USFWSAlaska is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
  • "Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis)" by Allan Hopkins is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
  • "Common Eider Ducks" by Me in ME is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

References

  • Birding Svalbard. (2021). Norwegian Ornithological Society. http://www.svalbardbirds.com/index.html.
  • BirdLife International (2022) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 16/05/2022.  
  • Grey Heron Bird Facts | Ardea Cinerea. (n.d.). The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Retrieved May 18, 2022, from https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/grey-heron/
  • Hackett, S.J., Kimball, R.T., Reddy, S., Bowie, R.C.K., Braun, E.L., Braun, M.J., Chojnowski, J.L., Cox, W.A. (2008). A Phylogenomic Study of Birds Reveals Their Evolutionary History. Science. 320 (5884): 1763–1768.
  • Hammer, S., Madsen, J. J., Jensen, J.-K., Pedersen, K. T., Bloch, D., & Thorup, K. (2014). The Faroese Bird Migration Atlas. Fróðskapur - Faroe University Press. http://www.birdmigrationatlas.dk/uk/species
  • Hilmarsson, J. Ó. (2011). Icelandic Bird Guide: Appearance, Way of Life, Habitat (3rd ed.). Mal Og Menning.
  • Olofson, S. (2012). Birds of the Faroe Islands. Visit Faroe Islands. www.visitfaroeislands.com.
  • Sale, R. (2006). A complete guide to Arctic wildlife. Christopher Helm.
  • Svensson, L., Mullarney, K., Zetterström, D., & Grant, P. J. (2010). Collins Bird Guide: The Most Complete Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe (2nd ed.). Collins.
PARTNERS

Project collaborators in Iceland

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Made possible with support from

The Icelandic Climate Fund (2020-2021)
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The North Atlantic Cooperation (2021-2023)
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  • Home
  • Goals
  • Local Nature
    • Flora >
      • Arctic poppy
      • Cow parsley
      • Mountain avens
      • Nootka lupin
      • Purple saxifrage
      • Reindeer lichen
    • Land mammals >
      • Carnivores >
        • American mink
        • Arctic fox
        • Red fox
      • Herbivores >
        • Reindeer
        • Muskox
      • Insectivores
    • Marine mammals >
      • Seals and Bears >
        • Harbor seal
        • Polar bear
        • Ringed seal
      • Whales and Dolphins >
        • Humpback whale
        • Minke whale
        • Orca
    • Birds >
      • Birds of prey >
        • Gyrfalcon
        • Snowy owl
        • White-tailed eagle
      • Land birds >
        • Rock ptarmigan
        • Rock pigeon
        • Eurasian three-toed woodpecker
      • Passerines >
        • Common raven
        • European starling
        • Snow bunting
      • Sea birds >
        • Atlantic puffin
        • Great cormorant
        • Northern fulmar
      • Seagulls >
        • Black-legged kittiwake
        • Arctic tern
        • Arctic skua
      • Waders >
        • Eurasian oystercatcher
        • Common ringed plover
        • Purple sandpiper
  • News
  • Contact us