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The Dovekie is a small seabird that feeds on zooplankton and breeds in rocky, coastal, High Arctic habitats. Although its global population size is estimated at over 100 million individuals, the vast majority is found in Greenland, Svalbard and the Russian Arctic; fewer than 1000 are believed to breed at the single known breeding location in Canada. Currently, there are no data to describe trends in the Canadian population's abundance. Similarly, threats specific to the Canadian population are equally unclear. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
Dovekies are hunted throughout the year in Greenland by subsistence and commercial hunters, and were formerly hunted in Newfoundland in winter (Merkel and Barry 2008). Dovekies are also the second most commonly recovered bird during beach surveys targeting dead, oiled birds in Newfoundland (Wiese and Ryan 2003). However, because wintering locations for the small Canadian breeding population are unknown, the impact of these or other anthropogenic threats is unknown.
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.