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<p>The snow petrel <i>Pagodroma nivea</i> is one of the few seabirds that breed far inland in Antarctica, nesting in rock crevices on isolated nunataks, as well as on coasts and islands. Due to logistical difficulties, inland colonies have rarely been surveyed, leaving their true population sizes largely unknown. In order to address this critical knowledge gap, we surveyed snow petrel nesting sites in a 7.75 km<sup>2</sup> area around the Troll research station (Dronning Maud Land), located approximately 220&#xa0;km inland from the Antarctic coast, during the 2024–2025 breeding season. We recorded 1,744 snow petrel nests, of which 869 were occupied. Nest distribution was highly heterogeneous, with few nests found in flat, gravel-dominated areas and high concentrations found in rocky sectors with abundant crevices. The mean nest density was approximately 0.000225 nests per m² (~ 225 nests per km²), with peaks reaching 0.04 nests per m² in optimal habitats. This is an order of magnitude greater than the previous rough estimate in the early 1990s. Our findings are consistent with the view that the inland Antarctic mountains are home to significant yet largely undocumented snow petrel colonies. Further surveys across similar inland regions are essential to refine snow petrel population estimates and facilitate the long-term protection of snow petrels.</p>

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Undocumented abundance of breeding snow petrels in an inland colony of Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月22日

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  • Christophe Sauser,
  • Sébastien Descamps

摘要

The snow petrel Pagodroma nivea is one of the few seabirds that breed far inland in Antarctica, nesting in rock crevices on isolated nunataks, as well as on coasts and islands. Due to logistical difficulties, inland colonies have rarely been surveyed, leaving their true population sizes largely unknown. In order to address this critical knowledge gap, we surveyed snow petrel nesting sites in a 7.75 km2 area around the Troll research station (Dronning Maud Land), located approximately 220 km inland from the Antarctic coast, during the 2024–2025 breeding season. We recorded 1,744 snow petrel nests, of which 869 were occupied. Nest distribution was highly heterogeneous, with few nests found in flat, gravel-dominated areas and high concentrations found in rocky sectors with abundant crevices. The mean nest density was approximately 0.000225 nests per m² (~ 225 nests per km²), with peaks reaching 0.04 nests per m² in optimal habitats. This is an order of magnitude greater than the previous rough estimate in the early 1990s. Our findings are consistent with the view that the inland Antarctic mountains are home to significant yet largely undocumented snow petrel colonies. Further surveys across similar inland regions are essential to refine snow petrel population estimates and facilitate the long-term protection of snow petrels.