Gavia arctica

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	GAVIIFORMES	GAVIIDAE

Scientific Name:

Gavia arctica

Species Authority:

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Arctic Loon, Black-throated Diver, Black-throated Loon

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2009

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Bird, J., Butchart, S.

Justification:
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

History:

2008	–	Least Concern
2004	–	Least Concern

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species has a wide range across northern latitudes, breeding on large, deep freshwater lakes in Russia, Scandinavia, Alaska (USA) and Canada. After breeding inviduals move southwards and towards the sea, wintering in sheltered coasts in the north-east Atlantic, and on the eastern and western coasts of the Pacific¹.
Countries:	Native: Albania; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; China; Croatia; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Hungary; India; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Ireland; Italy; Japan; Kazakhstan; Korea, Democratic People's Republic of; Korea, Republic of; Kyrgyzstan; Latvia; Lithuania; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Mexico; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Romania; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Svalbard and Jan Mayen; Sweden; Switzerland; Taiwan, Province of China; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; United Kingdom; United States Vagrant: Algeria; Armenia; Faroe Islands; Gibraltar; Israel; Jordan; Luxembourg; Morocco; Portugal Present - origin uncertain: Monaco
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Behaviour This species is strongly migratory^{1, 3}. It breeds in isolated solitary pairs^{1, 3} from April onwards², nesting later further to the north depending on the timing of the thaw¹. On migration the species often forms flocks of c.50 individuals¹, generally occurring singly, in pairs or small flocks during the winter³ and occasionally forming large congregations in rich coastal fishing areas¹. Habitat Breeding It breeds on deep, productive, freshwater lakes¹ or extensive pools with islets, peninsulas and other inaccessible nesting sites³. Non-breeding Outside of the breeding season the species is most common on inshore waters along sheltered coasts¹, occasionally also frequenting large inland freshwater bodies^{1, 2} such as natural lakes or barrages, lagoons and large rivers³. Diet Its diets consists predominantly of fishalthough aquatic insects, molluscs, crustaceans and some plant matter may also be taken¹. Breeding site The nest is a heap of plant matter placed near the water's edge¹ on islets or hummocks emerging from the water, sometimes also on clumps of grass on the shore². Management information In Scotland the construction of floating artificial nesting islands (rafts) on lakes where breeding success was low and/or nests had been flooded succeeded in increasing the breeding success of the species in the area⁸. In Sweden it was also found that nesting islands and areas of surrounding water should be included in sanctuaries for this species⁶.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

Behaviour This species is strongly migratory^{1, 3}. It breeds in isolated solitary pairs^{1, 3} from April onwards², nesting later further to the north depending on the timing of the thaw¹. On migration the species often forms flocks of c.50 individuals¹, generally occurring singly, in pairs or small flocks during the winter³ and occasionally forming large congregations in rich coastal fishing areas¹. Habitat Breeding It breeds on deep, productive, freshwater lakes¹ or extensive pools with islets, peninsulas and other inaccessible nesting sites³. Non-breeding Outside of the breeding season the species is most common on inshore waters along sheltered coasts¹, occasionally also frequenting large inland freshwater bodies^{1, 2} such as natural lakes or barrages, lagoons and large rivers³. Diet Its diets consists predominantly of fishalthough aquatic insects, molluscs, crustaceans and some plant matter may also be taken¹. Breeding site The nest is a heap of plant matter placed near the water's edge¹ on islets or hummocks emerging from the water, sometimes also on clumps of grass on the shore². Management information In Scotland the construction of floating artificial nesting islands (rafts) on lakes where breeding success was low and/or nests had been flooded succeeded in increasing the breeding success of the species in the area⁸. In Sweden it was also found that nesting islands and areas of surrounding water should be included in sanctuaries for this species⁶.

Systems:

Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	During the breeding season the species is threatened by the acidification of breeding waters, heavy metal pollution and water level fluctuations¹ especially during the incubation period^{6, 7}. It also suffers from lower reproductive success due to human disturbance¹ (e.g. from tourists or wetland visitors)⁶ and is indirectly affected by breeding habitat alteration (e.g. afforestation)¹. During the winter the species is highly vulnerable to coastal oil spills, especially in rich fishing grounds where large congregation may occur, and is commonly caught and drowned as bycatch in fishing nets¹. The species is also highly sensitive to disturbance from coastal wind farms (wind turbines)⁵ and is susceptible to avian influenza so may be threatened by future outbreaks of the virus⁴.

Major Threat(s):

During the breeding season the species is threatened by the acidification of breeding waters, heavy metal pollution and water level fluctuations¹ especially during the incubation period^{6, 7}. It also suffers from lower reproductive success due to human disturbance¹ (e.g. from tourists or wetland visitors)⁶ and is indirectly affected by breeding habitat alteration (e.g. afforestation)¹. During the winter the species is highly vulnerable to coastal oil spills, especially in rich fishing grounds where large congregation may occur, and is commonly caught and drowned as bycatch in fishing nets¹. The species is also highly sensitive to disturbance from coastal wind farms (wind turbines)⁵ and is susceptible to avian influenza so may be threatened by future outbreaks of the virus⁴.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2009. Gavia arctica. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2012.
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