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).
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.
Horned grebe (breeding plumage).
Grey heron.
Water rail.
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.
Red-throated diver.
Black-throated diver.
Great northern diver.
White-billed diver.
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.
Snow goose.
Pink-footed goose.
Taiga bean goose.
  • The Snow goose.
  • The Pink-footed goose.
  • The Taiga bean goose.
Lesser white-fronted goose.
Greater white-fronted goose.
Pink-footed goose.
  • The Snow goose.
  • The Pink-footed goose.
  • The Taiga bean goose.
Brent goose.
Barnacle goose.
Whooper swan.
  • The Northern shoveler.
  • The Mallard.
  • The Common shellduck.
Northern shoveler.
Mallard.
Common shellduck.
  • The Eurasian widgeon.
  • The Northern pintail.
  • The Eurasian teal.
Eurasian widgeon.
Northern pintail.
Eurasian teal.
  • The Tufted duck.
  • The Greater scaup.
  • The Common goldeneye.
  • Barrow's goldeneye.
Tufted duck.
Greater scaup.
Common goldeneye.
Barrow's goldeneye.
  • The Steller's eider.
  • The Common eider.
  • The King eider.
Steller's eider.
Common eider.
King eider.
  • The Harlequin duck.
  • The Common scoter.
  • The Velvet scoter.
Harlequin duck.
Common scoter.
Velvet scoter.
  • The Smew.
  • The Long-tailed duck.
Smew.
Long-tailed duck.
  • The Common merganser.
  • The Red-breasted merganser.
Common merganser.
Red-breasted merganser.

Pictures

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.
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The Icelandic Climate Fund (2020-2021)
The North Atlantic Cooperation (2021-2023)