Polar bear depredation of a thick-billed murre fledgling in open water at Prince Leopold Island, Nunavut

Abstract

Sea-ice distribution and duration are declining across the circumpolar range of the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), resulting in a reduced access to ice-obligate seals, its primary prey. Consequently, polar bears may have increased reliance on alternative food sources in the future. Foraging on land is well documented but foraging in open water is less understood. We report the successful depredation of a thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia) in open water near Prince Leopold Island, Nunavut, and discuss implications for understanding the behavioural plasticity of polar bears and their opportunistic foraging patterns.

Keywords

• climate warming
• plasticity in foraging behaviour
• uria lomvia
• ursus maritimus
• sea-ice loss
• jumplings