The following is an near exhaustive list of land birds (excluding passerines, or songbirds) commonly found in the East Atlantic Arctic. These birds are found in forests, tundras, and heaths.
Cranes are the members of the Gruidae family in the order Gruiformes. They are large birds that have long legs and long necks. The only crane that is commonly found in the East Atlantic Arctic is the Common crane (Grus grus), although some Sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis) have been seen in Greenland. Part of the common crane population breeds in Fennoscandia, except in northern, northwestern, and southern Norway. It migrates to southern regions for the winter. It is a rare but regular visitor in Iceland, and a few individuals have been found in Svalbard, altough they did not survive. |
Cuckoos are the members of the Cuculidae family, the only family in the order Cuculiformes. Some cuckoos are brood parasites, like the Common cuckoo Cuculus canorus, which is only cuckoo found in the East Atlantic Arctic. The common cuckoo usually lays one egg in the nest of another, smaller bird species, such as a meadow pipits, dunnocks. or reed warblers. The cuckoo egg hatches earlier than the other eggs, and he pushes them out the nest to be the sole bird raised by the smaller parents. Common cuckoos are resident throughout Fennoscandia. It is a rare vagrant in Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland. |
Swifts are the members of the Apodidae family, in the Apodiformes order which also includes treeswifts and hummingbirds. The look like swallows, but are not closely related to them. The Common swift is the only swift found in the East Atlantic Arctic. It breeds in a large range in Eurasia, from western Europe to Southeastern Russia, throughout Fennoscandia, and down to northern Africa and India. It is migratory, wintering in the southern part of Africa. |
Common crane. Due to its size (100–130cm tall, wingspan: 180–240cm) and shape, it is easy to identify. It flies with a streched neck.
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Common cuckoo. It is medium sized (32-34cm in length, wingspan: 55–60cm), and its plumage mimicks the sparrowhawk.
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Common swift. It is most usually seen in flight (wingspan: 38-40cm). It is black with a white throat.
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Landfowl belong to the Phasianidae family in the order of Galliformes. The phasianidae family includes most game birds, such as pheasants, chickens, or turkeys. All phasianidae species native to the East Atlantic Arctic are types of grouse, a subgroup of the family. These birds often show strong sexual dimorphism (difference between the male and female bird). A good identification for some of these species can be found here.
- Black grouse Lyrurus tetrix. This grouse is large (males about 60cm in length and up to 2.1kg, females about 45cm in length and up to 1.1kg). It can be found in conifer forests in alpine, temperate, subarctic and arctic environments from northwestern Europe to northeastern China. It is found throughout Fennoscandia except for the most mountainous and northernmost areas, which do not have trees. In the UK, it is called the Red grouse because the subspecies found there has a rusty brown coloration.
- Western capercaillie Tetrao urogallus. This is the heaviest of all grouse species, and one of the most sexually dimorphic species of birds (males: up to 100cm and 6.7kg, females: up to 64cm and 2.5kg). Its distribution is similar to that of the black grouse, including in Fennoscandia.
Black grouse (male). The tail is lyre shaped, and white underneath, The white tail feathered are displayed during the mating season.
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Black grouse (female). The black grouse female has a white bar on the wing which is not present in the capercaillie female.
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Western capercaillie (female and male in background), The female western capercaillie is bigger than the female black grouse, and she has a rusty colored patch on the breast. See male in the cover picture.
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- Hazel grouse Tetrastes bonasia. This small grouse (35-39cm in length). It is found in dense woodlands from central and northern Europe to Korea. It is present throughout Fennoscandia, except for the High Arctic and most of coastal Norway.
- Rock ptarmigan Lagopus muta. This small species (34-36cm in length, 54-60cm wingspan, 440–640g) is circumpolar. In the East Atlantic Arctic, it is found in open rocky areas or sparsely vegetated areas in coastal Greenland except for the North, all around Iceland, and in coastal Fennoscandia. Svalbard has a specific subspecies, the Svalbard ptarmigan, which is found throughout the islands. The species was introduced a few times to the Faroe Islands for hunting, where it is now extinct.
Hazel grouse (male). Its plumage and size are easy to identify, although the female lacks the males black and white throat patterns, as well as the red eye feathers.
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Rock ptarmigan (male and female in background). Adults in summer are brown with white on the wings and belly, and they are white in the winter, The male can be recognized by the more pronounced red eyebrow, black bar on the eye even in winter, and it stays white for longer in the spring.
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- The Willow ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus. This medium-sized bird (35-44cm in length, 60-65 wingspan, 430-810g) breeds in the High Arctic regions of Canada, Alaska, and Eurasia, where it is migratory. It is resident to the subarctic regions of western Eurasia and North America, It is absent from Greenland and Svalbard. Like the rock ptarmigan, the species was introduced a few times to the Faroe Islands for hunting, where it is now extinct. It can be distinguished from the rock ptarmigan by the bigger size and thicker
Pigeons and doves belong to the family Columbidae, the only family in the order Columbiformes. They are found on every continent except the Antarctic. Three species can be found in the East Atlantic Arctic.
- Eurasian collared dove Streptopelia decaocto. This medium-sized slim dove (32cm length on average, 47-55cm wingspan, 125-240g) is native to Asia from northern China to the northern Middle East including India, northern coastal Africa, and Europe from western Russia to Portugal and the UK. It was introduced to America from northern Central America to southern Canada, and to eastern Japan. In the East Atlantic Arctic, it is only found in coastal Norway. It is a vagrant in the Faroe Islands and Iceland.
- Rock pigeon Columba livia. This medium-sized pigeon (29-37cm length, 62-72cm wingspan, 238-380g) is one of the most well-known and common bird species, as one of its subspecies is the domestic pigeon. It is native to North Africa, the Middle East, southern Europe and southwestern India, but the domestic pigeon has colonized every continent except the Antarctic. In the East Atlantic Arctic, it breeds in coastal Norway and the Faroe Islands, as well as a few pairs around farms in Iceland.
- Common wood pigeon. The common wood pigeon is sturdy and fairly large (38-44.5cm length, 68-80cm wingspan, 300-615g). It is found mainly in Europe, and is found in Fennoscandia, mostly as a visitor in the Arctic including northern Norway, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands.
Eurasian collared dove. It is slender, light colored, and the black half collar is characteristic.
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Rock pigeon. The iridescent neck feathers are characteristic in the nominate subspecies, but feral pigeons can also vary in colors from all white to black.
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Common wood pigeon. It is bigger than the rock pigeon, and the breast is pinkish.
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Woodpeckers are the members of the Picidae family, one of the nine families in the order Piciformes, which also includes other arborial birds such as toucans. Most woodpeckers are characterized by their habit of foraging trees for insects. The sound they make by breaking the bark with their beak can be heard from far away in the forest. Five species are found in the East Atlantic Arctic.
- The Lesser spotted woodpecker Dryobates minor. This bird is the smallest woodpecker species in Europe (14-15cm length, 25-27cm wingspan, 17-25g). It is found from western Europe to eastern Russia, including throughout Fennoscandia.
- The Great spotted woodpecker Dendrocopos major. This woodpecker ressembles the lesser spotted woodpecker, but is bigger (20-24cm length, 34-39cm wingspan, 70-98g) with more defined markings. Its distribution is similar to that of its smaller relative, but it extend much farther South in eastern Asia. It also doesn't extend as far North in Fennoscandia. It is a rare vagrant in Iceland and the Faroe Islands.
- The Black woodpecker Dryocopus martius. This woodpecker is the largest species in the family that is found in the East Atlantic Arctic (45-55cm length, 64-84cm wingspan, 250-400g). It is easy to recognize with its entirely black plumage except for red on the top of the head. The range of the black woodpecker extends from France to Japan. It is found throughout Fennoscandia except most of the Norwegian coast.
- The Eurasian three-toed woodpecker Picoides tridactylus. This medium-sized woodpecker (21-24cm length, 60-85g) is found from northern Europe to Korea and down to Japan. It breeds throughout most of Fennoscandia, and is not migratory.
- The Eurasian wryneck Jynx torquilla. This small bird (15-17cm length, 30-50g) has a shorter bill than other woodpeckers. It is migratory, breeding from western Europe to eastern Asia, and wintering in equatorial Africa and southern Asia.
Pictures
- "Common Crane" by Andrej Chudy is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
- "Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)" by sussexbirder is licensed under CC BY 2.0
- "Apus apus -Barcelona, Spain-8 (1).jpg" by Snowmanradio is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
- "Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix) Male" by Rainbirder is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
- "Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus Muta).jpg" by Jan Frode Haugseth is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
- "Willow Ptarmigan" by DenaliNPS is licensed under CC BY 2.0
- "Ptarmigan" by DenaliNPS is licensed under CC BY 2.0
- "Lagopus lagopus - adult (Denali, 2010).jpg" by Yathin S Krishnappa is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
- "Eurasian Collared Dove" by Koshyk is licensed under CC BY 2.0
- "Common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus), Parc de Woluwé, Bruxelles" by Frank.Vassen is licensed under CC BY 2.0
- "Rock Dove 6/20/2013" by Kaaren Perry is licensed under CC BY 2.0
- "Lesser spotted woodpecker" by Jevgenijs Slihto is licensed under CC BY 2.0
- "Greater spotted woodpecker" by andy.v is licensed under CC BY 2.0
- "Spillkråka / Black Woodpecker" by Åsa Berndtsson is licensed under CC BY 2.0
- "Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus)" by sussexbirder is licensed under CC BY 2.0
- "Eurasian Wryneck (Jynx torquilla)" by sussexbirder is licensed under CC BY 2.0
- "Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus)" by sussexbirder is licensed under CC BY 2.0
- "カワラバト/河原鳩、ドバト (Rock Dove, Rock Pigeon)" by Dakiny is licensed under CC BY 2.0
- "Svalbardrype (Lagopus muta hyperborea) Svalbard rock ptarmigan" by NTNU, Faculty of Natural Sciences is licensed under CC BY 2.0
References
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- BirdLife International (2021) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 03/12/2021
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- Common Swifts in Iceland (2006). https://notendur.hi.is/yannk/status_apuapu.html
- Eurasian Collared Doves in Iceland (2006). https://notendur.hi.is/yannk/status_strdec.html
- Great spotted woodpeckers in Iceland (2011). https://notendur.hi.is/yannk/status_denmaj.html
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- Winkler, H., Christie, D. A., Nurney, D. (1995). Woodpeckers: An Identification Guide to the Woodpeckers of the World. ISBN 978-0395720431