Report on fulmarus glacialis expedition II Jan Mayen june-august 1983

Apart from being mysteriously attracted to the arctic environment we had several good reasons for ornithological research on Jan Mayen. The bird-life of this isolated arctic island was poorly known. Reports of ornithologists visiting Jan Mayen almost 50 years ago give some information on the species living there but are rather incomplete. Almost no data are available on the number of birds or on their distribution, and details on e.g. morphology of several species are unknown. Such data are of basic interest for all biological studies. Information on number and distribution of birds is, apart from its scientific interest, indispensable in decisions concerning management of the area. A special reason to go to Jan Mayen was the Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis (Norwegian: Havhest ; Dutch:Noordse Stormvogel). In a long-term study it is tried to reveal patterns in the Fulmar’s distribution and morphology. Such patterns may be the basis for a reconstruction of the evolutionary history of this species. In morphology the Atlantic Fulmar shows a wide variation in colour of the plumage and in size. General trends are that Atlantic Fulmars become darker and smaller towards colder breeding-areas. Data on colour and size of Jan Mayen Fulmars were very incomplete and confusing, and formed one of the last important gaps in the knowledge on Atlantic Fulmars. Field studies on Jan Mayen could solve this problem.