Birds of the new periglacial territories of Grønfjord Bay (Spitsbergen)

The warming of the Arctic climate in the Atlantic has led to a significant reduction in the glaciation of Spitsbergen. The numerous periglacial lakes formed on the ice-free areas among the moraines, their banks and adjacent areas have become the suitable habitat for the birds. The current stage of deglaciation of Western Spitsbergen began about 100 years ago, and the first to be freed from ice were those land areas that lie at low hypsometric levels. Over the past 100 years (since the 1920s), the large glaciers of Grønfjord Bay (Nordenschöld Land) have retreated 2.1–2.8 km from the coast, freeing up significant land with a total area of about 14 km2. Numerous lakes of various sizes (52 lakes) with a total size of 1.9 km2 have formed on these moraines. The shores of Grønfjord Bay were surveyed during August 2022–2024 and 26 bird species were identified. Among them, 9 bird species were found within the “new land” — in the areas of glacial moraines. We noted that the following bird species were often observed or found nesting on the moraines: the red-throated loon, fulmar, bean goose, barnacle goose, rock ptarmigan, purple sandpiper, glaucous gull, Arctic tern and snow buntings. The bird species, their status and numbers were registered at a visible distance during a field survey in various habitats, by counting or photographing the birds by camera or “digiscoping”. All the bird species encountered were recorded within the visibility range, without a fixed counting strip. As a result, differences in the bird composition and numbers were found for moraines of the Austre, Vestre GrØnfjordbreen and Aldegondabreen glaciers: the most preferred habitats for birds were the gentle or flat areas of young moraines covered by pioneer vegetation near the periglacial lakes. These are the areas, which became free of glaciers at an early stage of deglaciation more than 50–60 years ago. Despite the diversity of bird species in the bay, they occupy the new periglacial areas relatively slowly.

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