Akpait bird cliff

Drama at Akpait

CANADA | Thursday, 20 November 2014 | Views [165]

There is continuous frenzied activity at the Akpait bird cliff as adults fly from their nests to feed at sea and then bring back food for their young chicks. The traffic is fast and furious. Sometimes large groups of kittiwakes take flight at the same time, filling the air with their high pitched cries.

Brunnich's guillemots (Uria lomvia) and black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) are among the birds which migrate to the Arctic to breed. They choose rugged cliffs for their nest sites to gain protection from predators. One such nest site is this cliff on Baffin Island in the Akpait National Wildlife Area. It houses one of Canada's largest Brunnich's guillemots colonies.

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The availability of real estate on the cliff is very limited with only a few narrow ledges offering suitable sites. Birds nest in a dense, cacophonous crowd. The noise has to be heard to be believed. Perhaps it is fortunate that Brunnich's guillemots require less than 1 square foot per bird. Eggs are laid on the bare rock, their shape preventing them from rolling off. Adults have to land precisely when returning to their nest.

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Akpait bird cliff

Drama at Akpait

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