concept

seabirds

Also known as: seabird

Facts (55)

Sources

A review of climate change impacts on migration patterns of marine ... frontiersin.org Frontiers Oct 25, 2024 52 facts

claimPredatory fishes, seabirds, and marine mammals serve as sentinels of ecosystem health as upper trophic level consumers, according to Moore et al. (2014), Sydeman et al. (2015), and Moore and Kuletz (2019).

procedureLong-term monitoring via at-sea surveys is a method used to examine seabird responses to anomalously warm or ice-free conditions in the Arctic.

claimFish species in the Arctic may respond more directly and quickly to physical changes than other marine vertebrates, but they are generally more limited in mobility than seabirds and marine mammals.

claimReduced sea ice coverage could facilitate increases in cross-Arctic migration for seabird species.

claimSubarctic fish species often contain fewer lipids than Arctic species or serve as an unpredictable food source, which reduces their energetic value and predictability for seabirds and marine mammals (Österblom et al., 2008; Gaston et al., 2009; Hop and Gjøsæter, 2013; Descamps and Strøm, 2021).

claimMost seabirds are highly philopatric to colony breeding sites, and certain anadromous fishes have site-specific and inflexible migration patterns to freshwater breeding sites.

claimDuring the post-breeding period, seabirds in the eastern Chukchi Sea must replenish body reserves and prepare for winter and migrations south.

referenceCairns (1987) evaluated the use of seabirds as indicators of marine food supplies, as published in Biological Oceanography.

claimPost-breeding seabirds and migrant baleen whales arrive in the Arctic from the Subarctic or nearby temperate realms.

referenceKuletz et al. (2024) documented seabird responses to ecosystem changes driven by marine heatwaves in a warming Arctic.

claimWhile changes in sea ice influence actively migrating seabirds in the High Arctic, red-legged kittiwakes in the Bering Sea may not alter their use of overwintering areas based solely on ice conditions.

claimIncreased ship traffic and human activities in the Arctic are anticipated to affect the movement patterns of Arctic cod, seabirds, and marine mammals.

referenceHurley et al. (2015) identified biologically important pelagic areas by analyzing seasonal spatial patterns in the distribution of seabirds and marine mammals in the eastern Chukchi and western Beaufort seas.

referenceAmélineau et al. (2018) published a study titled 'Energyscapes and prey fields shape a North Atlantic seabird wintering hotspot under climate change' in Royal Society Open Science, volume 5, article 171883.

claimSea ice acts as a factor in seabird distribution and ecology in the Beaufort, Chukchi, and Bering Seas.

claimHighly mobile animals like seabirds may be capable of rapidly changing their migratory patterns, but these changes likely incur energetic costs due to traveling farther or for longer periods.

claimSeabird species exhibit high philopatry to their nesting sites, functioning as central place foragers during chick-rearing and becoming free-ranging for the remainder of the year.

claimIncome migrants, which include most seabirds that depend on feeding en route, benefit from more open water because it increases potential access to prey, making transits possible.

claimThe variability in foraging and migratory patterns among seabird families and species makes it difficult to generalize the impacts of climate change on these populations.

claimMost seabirds are 'income migrants' that require concentrations of prey along their migratory paths to replenish fat reserves lost during winter or breeding, or to fuel molting.

claimPredatory fishes, seabirds, and marine mammals are important food resources for people relying on Arctic marine ecosystems for subsistence and serve as cultural cornerstones, as noted by Guyot et al. (2006) and Huntington et al. (2013; 2016).

referenceMarkones et al. (2010) found that seasonal differences in the at-sea activity of seabirds highlight the high energetic demands placed on these birds during their breeding period.

claimAnadromous and marine fishes, certain marine mammals, and at least three species of seabirds exhibit resident migration patterns within Subarctic or Arctic areas.

claimBreeding migrants are seabird species that migrate from the Subarctic and other regions to breed in the Arctic.

claimSeabirds often depend on concentrated, high densities of prey for efficient foraging, particularly when feeding chicks, and this prey must be located near the surface or within the species-specific diving depth range.

referenceDay et al. (2013) investigate whether the appearance of new seabird species in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas is a response to climate change.

claimThe authors conducted a review of scientific literature to synthesize information on the impact of climate change on migratory Arctic marine vertebrates, including fishes, seabirds, and marine mammals, to inform decision-makers.

claimThe ivory gull is an ice-dependent seabird that feeds on prey ranging from marine invertebrates to seal carcasses and is tightly linked to sea ice habitats throughout the year.

claimIn the eastern Chukchi Sea, zooplankton-feeding seabirds like Aethia auklets and short-tailed shearwaters (Ardenna tenuirostris) were more abundant in offshore waters during the 2000s compared to the fish-eating seabirds (alcids and larids) that dominated the same area from 1974 to 1995.

measurementApproximately 64 seabird species utilize the Arctic, with about 30 of those species breeding exclusively within the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) boundaries.

claimWarming environments are impacting the ability of Indigenous coastal communities in Arctic North America, Greenland, and eastern Eurasia to engage in traditional harvests by altering the spatiotemporal patterns of migratory marine mammals, seabirds, and anadromous fishes.

claimThe lifestyles of Indigenous coastal communities in Arctic North America, Greenland, and eastern Eurasia are closely associated with seasonal sea ice, and their traditional harvests are being impacted by a warming environment that alters the spatiotemporal patterns of migratory marine mammals, seabirds, and anadromous fishes.

referencePiatt et al. (2007) revisited the use of seabirds as indicators of marine food supplies in a study published in Marine Ecology Progress Series.

referenceOrben et al. (2018) analyzed the persistent annual migration patterns of a specialist seabird.

claimThe distribution of zooplankton, pelagic and benthic invertebrates, and forage fishes influences the migration patterns of upper trophic level vertebrates, including seabirds, marine mammals, and anadromous fishes.

claimIn the Pacific Arctic, longer open water seasons and increased zooplankton productivity have caused planktivorous seabirds to shift their post-breeding movements northward.

claimResident species in Subarctic or Arctic areas spend most or all of their life cycle within those regions but exhibit regular movements within those areas, a pattern observed in some anadromous and marine fishes, certain marine mammals, and at least three species of seabirds.

claimThe term "seabirds" encompasses species that spend most of their lives at sea and return to land to nest (families Procellariidae, Phalacrocoracidae, Laridae, Alcidae), as well as marine-feeding birds that spend more time in terrestrial or freshwater habitats and do not typically nest in colonies (families Anatidae, Gaviidae, Stercoraridae, and Scolopacidae).

referenceTracking data indicates that while some seabird species maintain consistent overwintering areas across years (Orben et al., 2015b), other studies show individuals exhibit flexibility and variability in their overwintering locations (Guilford et al., 2011).

claimFor seabirds, the greatest shifts in timing and habitat use occur during the migratory periods immediately before and after breeding due to breeding season restrictions.

claimIn the Chukchi Sea, episodic environmental conditions create foraging hotspots for seabirds and marine mammals during the late summer and fall migration period, which may influence the timing and spatial patterns of migration, as reported by Kuletz et al. (2015).

referenceA 2001 review by Hamer et al. examined breeding biology, life histories, and life history-environment interactions in seabirds.

claimClimate change is altering seasonal habitats and food bases for fishes, seabirds, and marine mammals throughout the circumpolar Arctic.

claimMost seabirds have limited body fat storage capacity, necessitating a close synchronization of their seasonal life phases with environmental cues.

claimWoehler and Hobday (2024) suggest that the impacts of marine heatwaves on seabirds may be mediated by the specific life history strategies of the birds.

claimSome seabird species, such as Ardenna shearwaters and Aethia auklets, nest in regions south of the Arctic or in Subarctic regions but migrate seasonally to the Arctic to forage opportunistically during post-breeding periods.

referenceLydersen et al. (2014) established the importance of tidewater glaciers as habitats for marine mammals and seabirds in Svalbard, Norway.

claimThere is a lack of comprehensive data regarding the extent to which seabirds rely on cross-Arctic routes for migration between breeding and overwintering areas, though satellite tracking and radar studies have confirmed that such routes exist.

claimFor seabirds that migrate to the Arctic for post-breeding replenishment, the additional distance to prey fields that have moved farther north may no longer be energetically beneficial (Kuletz et al., 2024).

referencePhotoperiod is the critical element for timing migratory movements in seabirds, allowing mated pairs that migrate and winter apart to synchronize their returns to nest sites, as observed in thick-billed murres (Huffeldt et al., 2024).

referenceArctic marine vertebrates are categorized into three groups regarding migration: 1) Arctic residents with seasonal movements (species that complete their life cycle within the Arctic but move seasonally), 2) Breeding migrants (seabirds that enter the Arctic to breed and migrate south in the fall), and 3) Summer visitors for feeding (boreal fishes, seabirds, and marine mammals that arrive in the northern summer to feed but breed elsewhere).

claimSeabirds are highly mobile but are restrained by photoperiod and their relatively small body sizes, which limits their ability to use a capital migratory strategy, making them vulnerable to temporal and spatial changes in prey availability.

Lunar Cycles And the Underwater World dipndive.com DipNDive 1 fact

measurementApproximately 3 out of 10 olive ridley sea turtle hatchlings are preyed upon by seabirds while attempting to reach the surf.

Climate Change & Its Impact on Migration and Breeding Cycles husson.edu Husson University Aug 20, 2025 1 fact

claimWarming waters and changing seasonal habitats in the Arctic and Subarctic are altering migration and breeding patterns for fish, seabirds, and marine mammals.

From Pole to Shining Pole: Animal Migrations and Changing Climate sos.noaa.gov NOAA 1 fact

referenceThe 'From Pole to Shining Pole' educational module provides datasets based on animal GPS tracking that show the migration patterns of seals and seabirds.