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Winters offshore at sea, mostly within breeding range and some birds close to colonies; extends S to W Mediterranean and Gulf of Maine (casually to Virginia) in Atlantic and to Korea, N Japan and S California (rarely to Baja California) in Pacific; N limits normally determined by ice conditions. Post-breeding dispersal highly variable: birds from Newfoundland; Irish Sea, Helgoland, Baltic and N Norway and relatively sedentary, whereas those from N Britain, Faeroes and possibly Iceland move to W Norway and North Sea; no trans-Atlantic migrations known, though some Icelandic birds suspected to reach Greenland and E Grand Banks of Newfoundland. Pacific populations winter off-shore near breeding colonies, except for N birds that move S after breeding, distance determined by weather and ice patterns. Most birds return to colonies Mar-Apr, rarely May in Labrador owing to ice break-up. In general, dispersal patterns often complex, requiring further examination, especially in N Atlantic.   (del Hoyo J, Elliott A, Sargatal J (eds), 1996)

• digitised by GROMS, after del Hoyo J A Elliott; J Sargatal (eds) (1996) - www.hbw.com,
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