Научно-издательский центрDOI: 10.38006/00187-838-4.2024.58.60
М. В. Гаврило - ААНИИ, Санкт-Петербург
И. И. Чупин - ИСиЭЖ СО РАН, Новосибирск
В. Г. Пчелинцев - ААНИИ, Санкт-Петербург
High-Arctic remote small offshore Wiese Island with its harsh climate, monotonous lowland landscape (max 22 m a. s. l.) and exposed thermoabrasional shores alternated with lifeless lagoons provide limited habitats for birds. Scares vegetation, absence of local insects and terrestrial mammals strictly limit land food resources. Avifauna totals 29 taxa of 6 orders including 8 breeding species (dominated by gulls and terns), 11 migrants, and 10 vagrants. Most birds depend on marine food, while abundance of purple sandpiper and snow bunting is extremely low. The most abundant breeding species is rare Red-listed Ivory gull. Abandoned small settlement provides additional nesting and feeding habitats, it recently allowed cliff-breeding Kittiwakes to establish colonies, and represent nowadays bird hotspot. In turn, Kittiwakes act as ecosystem engineers as they transport nutrients from sea to land and facilitate dispersal of insects. Low diverse breeding bird fauna is more than doubled by transit migrants as well as enriched by vagrants during warm seasons.