Birding in Greenland (1 Viewer)

MikeB. said:

Hi,

I've just moved to south Greenland, and can anyone tell me what are the best books / references for birding, plus any other info about wildlife? There are some big eagles here but i don't recognise them, yet.

It's just coming out of winter here, -23C today, and not much birdlife, no trees either (!), and looking forward to warmer weather.

Much appreciated and thanks!!

Mike

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Edward said:

Hi Mike

I have a bit of a "thing" about Greenland, even though I've only been once. To be honest the birdlife in Greenland isn't prolific; it's the stunning landscapes, the unparalleled sense of wilderness and the local culture (esp. on the East coast and in the NW - if only I were a millionaire and could afford to visit that region) which are the main attractions for me.
Where are you based in the south, Nanortalik, Qaqortoq, Narsaq?
Identifying your eagles is easy, they are White-tailed Eagles. If you see any large white falcons they will be Gyr Falcons and any smaller darker falcons in spring and summer will be Peregrines - there's not much to choose from!

As for wildlife guides then Benny Gensbøl's Greenland Wildlife Guide is very useful to give you an idea of the range of birds and mammals but the Collins Bird Guide is a much better ID reference - there's nothing in Greenland that isn't in Collins. Gensbøl's book can be expensive by the way. Also available is Richard Sale's Complete Guide to Arctic Wildlife which has some good text, some inexplicable howlers, some absolutely third-rate photos but all in all gives a quite good overview of the region's wildlife.

Some basic info on Greenlandic birds can be found here;
http://www.natur.gl/index.php?id=38&L=3

E

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