Diet of moulting King Eiders Somateria spectabilis at Disko Island, West Greenland
Abstract
During the autumns of 1990-1992, 109 moulting King Eiders Somateria spectabilis were collected at Disko Island, West Greenland, for analysis of stomach contents . All collected birds had food in their stomachs . The mean number of prey items per stomach was 11 .1 . Moulting King Eiders had a varied diet (minimum 41 prey species), with mollusks comprising the bulk of the food. Bivalves of 21-40 mm length occurred more frequently in the stomachs than did other size categories of bivalves . There was no marked difference in food composition between sex and age classes of eiders, and the diet varied only slightly between the study years. Female eiders depend strongly on a high prey density owing to their late arrival in the area and shorter day lengths.How to Cite
Frimer, O. (1997). Diet of moulting King Eiders Somateria spectabilis at Disko Island, West Greenland. Ornis Fennica, 74(4), 187–194. Retrieved from https://ornisfennica.journal.fi/article/view/133473