Birds Found on the Arctic Slope of Northern AlaskaBee, James W.
Science
Birds Found on the Arctic Slope of Northern Alaska
Bee, James W.
Birds -- Alaska
Additional specimens, especially from the contact zone between the
areas of geographical distribution of _Gavia immer_ and _Gavia
adamsii_, are needed in order to decide on the subspecific _versus_
specific status of these two kinds of loons.
+Gavia arctica pacifica+ (Lawrence): Arctic loon.--Specimens, 2:
Barrier Lake, NE Teshekpuk Lake, 153 deg.05'40", 70 deg.39'40", 8 ft., No.
30570, ad. female, July 29, 1951; Topagaruk River, 155 deg.48', 70 deg.34', 10
ft., No. 30572, ad. female, July 7, 1951.
On July 3, 1952, between Umiat and Ivashak River, pairs of Arctic
loons were on only small and medium sized lakes; on this date they
mostly were free of ice whereas large lakes were ice covered and thus
unavailable to this species of loon. The use of small and medium sized
lakes by this loon may result from the described unavailability of
large lakes at nesting time. The tundra, at this time, when nesting
has begun, is free of snow except for cornices and deposits in deep
gullies. Willows and alders at Umiat on July 3 were without foliage,
whereas these plants farther east were in leaf. On July 4, 1951, at
two-tenths of a mile south of the Arctic Research Laboratory, a single
bird flew over the tundra and onto the Arctic Ocean beyond. It called
regularly as it passed overhead. At Topagaruk (July 5, 1951) the pairs
of Arctic loons were nesting on the vegetated edges of lakes of medium
size. This species of loon constituted less than one per cent of the
avian population of the area. A nest of this loon on a promontory
between two lakes and within 30 centimeters of deep water was damp,
shallow, slightly depressed and held eggs exposed to view. On July 7,
the female was killed as she left the nest. The wind blowing offshore
drifted her toward the center of the lake. Later, as she reached a
point near the opposite side, the male alighted near the dead female
and indulged in its courtship display of raising and lowering its head
and neck. Swimming around the mate several times he continued to
solicit attention from the lifeless form. An hour later we examined
the off-shore and found the dead female among the sedges. By this time
the male had abandoned its mate and was observed feeding in an
adjacent lake. Arctic loons on several adjacent lakes could be heard.
The male that had been deprived of its mate, did not respond.
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