Habitat
Nests among talus slopes, scree, and rubble in rock crevice, cliff rubble, or in a burrow at the foot of cliffs or coastal mountains or on rocky outcrops surrounded by glaciers (Norderhaug et al. 1977, Roby et al. 1981, Harris and Birkhead 1985, Boertmann 1994, Stempniewicz 1995, Boertmann and Mosbech 1998). Prefers areas of early snowmelt, sheltered from high winds. Nests usually on coast but locally inland in some areas.
References
Boertmann, D. 1994. An annotated check list to the birds of Greenland. Meddelelser om Gronland, Bioscience 38.
Boertmann, D. and A. Mosbech. 1998. Distribution of Little Auk (Alle alle) breeding colonies in Thule District, northwest Greenland. Polar Biol. 19:206-210.
Harris, M. P., and T. R. Birkhead. 1985. Breeding ecology of the Atlantic Alcidae. Pages 155-204 in Nettleship, D. N., and T. R. Birkhead, eds. The Atlantic Alcidae. Academic Press, N.Y.
NatureServe. 2007b. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 6.2. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://www.natureserve.org/explorer.
Norderhaug, M., E. Brun, and G. U. Uleberg. 1977. Seabird resources of the Barents Sea. Nor. Polarinst. Medd. 104 (translated by R. G. Brown).
Roby, D. D., K. L. Brink, and D. N. Nettleship. 1981. Measurements, chick meals and breeding distribution of Dovekies (Alle alle) in Northwest Greenland. Arctic 34: 241-248.
Stempniewicz, L. 1995. Predator-prey interactions between Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) and Little
Auk (Alle alle) in Svalbard. Ornis Scandinavica 18:152-155.
