A single polar bear destroyed 89% of an entire ‘eider bird colony’ on an Alaskan barrier island in less than a day, giving scientists a striking example of how a changing Arctic is altering relationships between predators and seabirds. The incident, recorded on Spy Island in July 2024, was part of a wider pattern described in a 2026 study published in ‘ Norwegian Polar Institute .’ Researchers found that polar bear attacks on bird colonies have become more noticeable as summer sea ice declines, leaving bears with less access to the seals they traditionally hunt. Instead, some bears are spending more time on land and turning to eggs, chicks and birds for food. The discovery is important because such predation was once rare in northern Alaska, but is now adding pressure to seabirds already facing other climate-related problems there.
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