Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, 45(special issue) 2002

Issue:

VOL 45(special issue) 2002

Keywords:

Whaling stations, bird remains, bowhead whale, Little Auk, food preferences, seasonali

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Bird remains from 17^th century whaling stations on Spitsbergen (Svalbard)

• Wietske PRUMMEL
• Jørn T. ZEILER

Abstract:

Bird remains from two 17^th century whaling stations at the Bellsund on Spitsbergen (Svalbard) have been studied. Birds were fowled in summer, although presumably mainly in autumn or winter when the food supplies ran short. This seasonal fowling in autumn or winter may account for the scarcity of bones of the Little Auk, which is only on Spitsbergen during summer. Another factor that may have caused the low representation of Little Auk bones in the whalers’ garbage pits is a possible preference for larger birds than the Little Auk. The scarcity of Little Auk bones in the studied whaling stations’ garbage pits does not necessarily mean that the Little Auk was a rare bird in the 17^th century.