THE IMPACT OF OIL SPILLS ON SEABIRDS
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HANDBOOK ON OIL IMPACT
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4.0 SPILL RESPONSE
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Greenland Sea and Icelandic waters
 data deficient

Seabirds in the area: internationally important breeding populations of divers (inland), auks,
gannets and seaduck, some breeding cormorants. Wintering auks (pelagic and coastal) and
cormorants (coastal).

Species of particular conservation concern: Manx Shearwater, European Storm-petrel, Leach’s
Storm-petrel

Breeding distribution data:

Waterfowl censuses in coastal areas:

Standardised studies of seabirds at sea: anectdotal information and local surveys (e.g. Meltofte
1972; Camphuysen 1993; Petersen et al. 1994); no overview data at hand on seabird distribution
at sea, published or within any substantial database.

Seabird migration studies:

Beached bird monitoring programmes:

(Marine) Important Bird data: (e.g.…birdlife atlases)

OVI evaluation and area sensitivity: analysis never undertaken

Anticipated sensitivity to chronic oil pollution: very high, certainly in summer; from ringing results
there is some information on migratory routes and winter staging areas available (Lyngs 2003).

Contact points for data updates: no data
Species of particular conservation concern:
Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus This species has a large range, with an estimated global breeding Extent of
Occurrence of 50,000-100,000 km 2. It has a large global population estimated to be at least 1,000,000
individuals (Brooke 2004). Global population trends have not been quantified, but the species is not
believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e. declining
more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least
Concern (BirdLife International 2007a). Within Europe, the major part of the breeding population is
concentrated at a few sites, including 7000-10,000p on Iceland; SPEC Category 2, status (Localised);
Brooke & Tasker 1994)
GREENLAND SEA, ICELAND – HANDBOOK ON OIL SPILL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
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THE IMPACT OF OIL SPILLS ON SEABIRDS
HANDBOOK DOCUMENTS
European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus has a large global population estimated to be 840,000 individuals
(Fishpool and Evans 2001). About 90% of the known breeding population is concentrated in the Faroe
Islands (Denmark) (150,000-400,000 pairs), United Kingdom (20,000-150,000 pairs), Ireland (50,000100,000 pairs) and Iceland (50,000-100,000 pairs), with smaller colonies elsewhere. This species has a
large range, with an estimated global breeding Extent of Occurrence of 50,000-100,000 km2. It nests on
remote islands that are largely free of mammalian predators. Despite evidence of population declines in
some areas, the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of
the IUCN Red List (i.e. declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the
species is evaluated as Least Concern (BirdLife International 2007b).
Leach’s Storm-petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa. This species has a large range, with an estimated global breeding
Extent of Occurrence of 50,000-100,000 km². It has a large global population estimated to be 8,000,000
individuals. Global population trends have not been quantified, but the species is not believed to approach
the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e. declining more than 30% in ten
years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern (BirdLife
International 2007c). Within Europe there are only a few colonies, all on remote islands close to oceanic
feeding grounds. An estimated 80,000-150,000p breed in Iceland (SPEC Category 3, status (Localised);
Tasker 1994, Mitchell 2004)
References
BirdLife International 2007a. Species factsheet: Puffinus puffinus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 27/10/2007
BirdLife International 2007b. Species factsheet: Hydrobates pelagicus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 27/10/2007
BirdLife International 2007c. Species factsheet: Oceanodroma leucorhoa. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on
27/10/2007
Brooke M. de L. & Tasker M.L. 1994. Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus. In: Tucker G.M. & Heath M.F. (eds). Birds in Europe their conservation status: 68-69. Birdlife Conservation Series No. 3, Birdlife International, Cambridge.
Camphuysen C.J. 1993. Summer distribution of seabirds and marine mammals in the Greenland Sea, 1985-90. Sula 7(special
issue): 45-64.
Lyngs P. 2003. Migration and winter ranges of birds in Greenland. An analysis of ringing recoveries. Dansk Orn. Foren. Tidsskr.
97: 1-168.
Meltofte H. 1972. Ornithological observations in the Norwegian Sea, the Greenland Sea, and NE Greenland, July-August 1972.
Dansk Orn. Foren. Tidsskr. 66: 108-112.
Petersen Æ., G.A. Gudmundsson & I.K. Petersen 1994. Icelandic seabird research with emphasis on alcid studies. Circump.
Seabird Bull. 1: 7-8.
Tasker M.L. 1994. Leach's Petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa. In: Tucker G.M. & Heath M.F. (eds). Birds in Europe - their
conservation status: 76-77. Birdlife Conservation Series No. 3, Birdlife International, Cambridge.
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