Birds

Birds are very common despite lack of save nesting areas.

Most common are snow buntings, Jagers, snow geese and tarmagons.

Tarmagons

I saw snowy owls and Gyr falcons only in an isolated area on Western Axel Heiberg Island. Here, we found a nest with young snow owls and a nest with white Geier Falcons. The latter are extremely rare birds. Rich Arabs pay a fortune to acquire a Geier Falcon and they are known to be smuggled out of Siberia.

Nest with young snow owls.

Snowy owl. Photograph by Brian Hawkes..

Nest with young Gyr falcons.

Gyr falcons. Photograph by Kim Poole..