Torgeir Nygård

• Dr. Scient.
• Senior Researcher at Norwegian Institute for Nature Research

Species interactions can be altered by climate change but can also mediate its effects. The gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) and the ptarmigan (Lagopus spp.) form a predator–prey couple that reflects the dynamics of boreal, tundra, and alpine ecosystems. To determine how climate change may impact the alpine food web, we investigated how ptarmigan abund...

Species interactions can be altered by climate change but can also mediate its effects. A predator-prey couple reflecting the dynamics of boreal and alpine ecosystems is the gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) and the ptarmigan (Lagopus spp.). To determine how climate change may impact the alpine food web, we investigated how ptarmigan abundance and local...

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were analysed in a high number of terrestrial samples of soil, earthworm, bird eggs and liver from red fox and brown rat in an urban area in Norway from 2013 to 2020. PFOS and the long chain PFCAs were the most dominating compounds in all samples, proving their ubiquitous distribution. Other less studied c...

A dense island population of Eagle-Owls (Bubo bubo) close to the Arctic circle had suffered considerable mortality due to powerlines (electrocution and collision) throughout many decades. A study using GPS transmitter technology was carried out between 2009 and 2014. We studied home-range sizes, dispersal distances, mortality, and proposed mitigati...

Currently, the US Fish and Wildlife Service makes eagle permitting and management decisions nationwide based on a limited understanding of the impacts of wind power generation on eagles, and the factors that influence risk at a given facility. Accurate estimates of eagle mortality at wind power facilities form the basis for comparing the magnitudes...

With the current possible presence of thousands of PFAS compounds in industrial emissions, there is an increasing need to assess the impacts of PFAS regulation of conventional PFAS on one hand and the exposure to emerging and yet unknown PFAS on the other. Today’s analytical methodologies using targeted approaches are not sufficient to determine th...

In this study, we evaluated the suitability of body feathers, preen oil and plasma for estimation of organohalogen compound (OHC) exposure in northern goshawk Accipiter gentilis nestlings (n = 37; 14 nests). In addition, body feathers received further examination concerning their potential to provide an integrated assessment of (1) OHC exposure, (2...

Langtidseffekter av Smøla vindpark på den lokale bestanden av havørn (Haliaeetus albicilla)

The occurrence of organohalogenated compounds (OHCs) in wildlife has received considerable attention over the last decades. Among the matrices used for OHC biomonitoring, feathers are particularly useful as they can be collected in a minimally or non-invasive manner. In this study, concentrations of various legacy OHCs –polychlorinated biphenyls (P...

There is a growing concern about the occurrence of bisphenols and benzophenone UV filters in natural ecosystems, while data are limited regarding their actual occurrence in wildlife species, especially in raptors. In this study, concentrations of bisphenol and benzophenone UV filter analogues were determined in liver tissue samples (n = 38) from wh...

Collision risk of soaring birds is partly associated with updrafts to which they are attracted. To identify the risk-enhancing landscape features, a micrositing tool was developed to model orographic and thermal updraft velocities from high-resolution remote sensing data. The tool was applied to the island of Hitra, and validated using GPS-tracked...

As wind energy deployment increases and larger wind‐power plants are considered, bird fatalities through collision with moving turbine rotor blades are expected to increase. However, few (cost‐) effective deterrent or mitigation measures have so far been developed to reduce the risk of collision. Provision of “passive” visual cues may enhance the v...

• Birds colliding with turbine rotor blades is a well‐known negative consequence of wind‐power plants. However, there has been far less attention to the risk of birds colliding with the turbine towers, and how to mitigate this risk. • Based on data from the Smøla wind‐power plant in Central Norway, it seems highly likely that willow ptarmigan (the...

The breeding population of peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) in Norway was almost exterminated by the early 1970's. Long-term monitoring of breeding pairs has been conducted since 1976 up to present. Peregrine falcons were first established at breeding sites in coastal habitats, where they remained at stable low numbers until the early 1990's. S...

Background: Since 2016, incursions of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N8 clade 2.3.4.4b have caused unprecedented clinical signs and mortality in white-tailed eagles (WTE; Haliaeetus albicilla) across Europe and have been found to be infecting other raptor species, such as the northern goshawk (NG; Accipiter gentilis). Before thi...

This study aimed to understand the movement behaviour and utilization distributions of Kori bustards in space and time in the Serengeti ecosystem. A total of 14 individuals were tracked with the aid of GPS (Geographical positioning system) satellite transmitters, and their sexes were identified using DNA analysis. A species utilization distribution...

Migratory behaviour is subject to intraspecific variation and may be determined by the age, sex and population origin of individuals. Here we equipped eight juvenile Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) with GPS-based satellite-transmitters to investigate their migratory behaviour from a recently re-established breeding area in central Norway. Migration rou...

In the present study, concentrations of legacy and emerging contaminants were determined in three non-destructive matrices (plasma, preen oil and body feathers) of northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) nestlings. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polybrominated dip...

Environmental exposure to organohalogenated contaminants (OHCs), even at low concentrations, may cause detrimental effects on the development and health of wild birds. The present study investigated if environmental exposure to OHCs may influence the variation of multiple physiological parameters in Norwegian white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicill...

Concentrations of organohalogenated contaminants (OHCs) can show significant temporal and spatial variation in the environment and wildlife. Most of the variation is due to changes in use and production, but environmental and biological factors may also contribute to the variation. Nestlings of top predators are exposed to maternally transferred OH...

While feathers have been successfully validated for monitoring of internal concentrations of heavy metals and legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs), less is known about their suitability for monitoring of emerging contaminants (ECs). Our study presents a broad investigation of both legacy POPs and ECs in non-destructive matrices from a bird o...

The global potential for wind power generation is vast, and the number of installations is increasing rapidly. We review case studies from around the world of the effects on raptors of wind-energy development. Collision mortality, displacement, and habitat loss have the potential to cause population-level effects, especially for species that are ra...

We analysed biological samples from the terrestrial and urban environment for various inorganic and organic contaminants in the Oslo area. A foodchain approach was used, in order to detect bioaccumulation of the different compounds. The species analysed were earthworms, fieldfare, sparrowhawk, brown rat, tawny owl and red fox. Air and soil samples...

Information on trace element pollution in the terrestrial environment and its biota is limited compared to the marine environment. In the present study, we collected body feathers and blood of 37 Northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) nestlings from Tromsø (northern Norway), Trondheim (central Norway), and Murcia (south-eastern Spain) to study regio...

Blood clinical-chemical parameters (BCCP) are used to investigate physiological consequences attributed to exposure to anthropogenic stressors, such as exposure to Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) and Dechlorane Plus (DP), which are flame retardants (FR), on avian health. Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) were used as a model species...

Author(s) Dorte Herzke (NILU), Torgeir Nygård (NINA), Eldbjørg S. Heimstad (NILU) Title – Norwegian and English Miljøgifter i terrestrisk og bynaert miljø 2015 Environmental pollutants in the terrestrial and urban environment 2015 Summary – sammendrag We analysed biological samples from the terrestrial and urban environment for various inorganic an...

The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) in Fennoscandia has a widespread breeding range. In Norway, it spans from 58° in the south to 71° north in Finnmark County, making it likely the northernmost breeding population of this species in the world. To gain knowledge about their dispersal and movement behavior, we tagged 25 nestling Golden Eagles in Fin...

On an assignment from the Norwegian Environmental Agency, the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) in collaboration with the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) collected and analysed biological samples from terrestrial and urban regions for various inorganic and organic contaminants. The purpose of this report is to provide an up...

1. Decreasing rate of migration in several species as a consequence of climate change and anthropic pressure, together with increasing evidence of space-use strategies intermediate between residency and complete migration, are very strong motivations to evaluate migration occurrence and features in animal populations. 2. The main goal of this paper...

Both through ongoing and previous studies of the conflict between birds and wind turbines car-ried out in the Smøla wind-power plant, the white-tailed eagle, Haliaeetus albicilla, has been identified as the most vulnerable species. The Smøla wind-power plant has an impact on the white-tailed eagle both through increased disturbance as well as incre...

Jacobsen, K.-O., Stien, A., Nygård, T., Kleven, O., Mabille, G., Johnsen, T.V., Opgård, O., Østlyngen, A., Johansen, K. & Myklevoll, V. 2014. The Golden Eagle in Finnmark. Annual Report 2013 – NINA Report 1023. 26 pp. The main objectives of this study were to gain more knowledge of the population of Golden Eagles in Finnmark. We have conducted stud...

The wind power plant on the island of Smøla, western Norway, is currently the largest in Norway; it has 68 turbines with nominal capacity of 2–2.3 MW each, hub height of 70 m and rotor blade radius of 38–41 m,. It was constructed in two phases between 2001 and 2005. Approximately 60 White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla territories are found in t...

Jacobsen, K.-O., Stien, A., Nygård, T. & Kleven, O., Johnsen, T.V., Opgård, O., Johansen, K., Østlyngen, A. & Myklevoll, V. 2013. The Golden Eagle in Finnmark. Annual Report 2012 – NINA Report 936. 22 pp. The main objectives of this study were to gain more knowledge of the population of Golden Eagles in Finnmark. We have conducted studies of behavi...

Jacobsen, K.-O., Stien, A., Nygård, T. & Kleven, O., Johnsen, T.V., Opgård, O., Johansen, K., Østlyngen, A. & Myklevoll, V. 2013. The Golden Eagle in Finnmark. Annual Report 2012 – NINA Report 936. 22 pp. The main objectives of this study were to gain more knowledge of the population of Golden Eagles in Finnmark. We have conducted studies of behavi...

On average, 7.8 white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) collide with wind turbines annually at the operating wind-power plant on the island of Smøla off the coast of central Norway. To better understand the impact of this wind-power plant on white-tailed eagles, we investigated how habitat utilization affected displacement effects. We collected...

Collisions between birds and wind turbines can be a problem at wind-power plants both on-shore and offshore, and the presence of endangered bird species or proximity to key func-tional bird areas can have a major impact on the choice of site or location of wind turbines. There is international consensus that one of the main challenges in the develo...

The latitudinal distribution of persistent organic pollutants (POPs: legacy organochlorines [OCs], polybrominated diphenyl ethers [PBDEs,] and hexabromocyclododecane [HBCD]) was examined in livers of two species of marine fish, the pelagic saithe (Pollachius virens,n = 40) and the demersal cod (Gadus morhua,n = 40), along a south-north gradient (59...

In 1992, monitoring of environmental pollutants in birds of prey was included in Programme for terrestrial monitoring in Norway (TOV). Using earlier published and unpublished data, we are now able to produce time-trends for pollutants over four to five decades. This data series is thus one of the longest of its kind in Norway. The results show main...

Climate change scenarios and efforts to reduce CO2 emissions have increased the focus on wind power and other renewable energy sources. Despite producing “clean” electricity, windfarms do have impacts on the environment. We studied the impact from a coastal windfarm on the breeding success of white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) at Smøla, wes...

To circumvent difficulties associated with monitoring adult predatory birds, we investigated the feasibility of different non-destructive strategies for nestling white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla). We were able to quantify polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs) in bod...

Earlier assessments have suggested that salmon farms may act as a source of mercury (Hg) and other elements in local marine environments. In this study, we measured 30 elements in the livers of demersal Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and pelagic saithe (Pollachius virens) caught in association with salmon farms (farm associated [FA]; n = 75) or at ref...

Large soaring birds of prey, such as the white-tailed eagle, are recognized to be perhaps the most vulnerable bird group regarding risk of collisions with turbines in wind-power plants. Their mortalities have called for methods capable of modelling collision risks in connection with the planning of new wind-power developments. The so-called “Band m...

The present study reports diastereomer-specific accumulation of HBCD from a point source in five marine species representing a typical food web in a Norwegian coastal area. Samples of mussels, polychaetes, crabs and seabird eggs were analyzed for the diastereomers α-, β- and γ-HBCD, as well as lipid content and stable isotopes of nitrogen ((15)N/(1...

Organohalogenated contaminants (OHCs), including organochlorines (OCs; PCB, and OC-pesticides), brominated flame retardants (BFRs; polybrominated diphenyl ethers [PBDE], hexabromocyclododecane [HBCD]) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), were measured in livers of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and saithe (Pollachius virens) caught in the vicinity of...

Conflicts between wildlife and aviation are important tasks both in relation to aviation safety and in relation to the effects of aviation on wildlife welfare and area use. On contract from the Department for environment at Oslo Airport, a database containing Norwegian, Swedish and international references relevant to this topic was collected into...

In aquatic birds, high body burdens of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have been associated with developmental effects related to growth, increased fluctuating wing asymmetry, and disruption of the thyroid hormone, vitamin A (retinol) and vitamin E (tocopherol) homeostasis. The aim of the present study was to examine if morphological variables...

Samples of two marine bird species, European shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) and common eider (Somateria mollissima) sampled at a remote coastal site in Norway were analysed for POPs and PFCs. Additionally samples of common eider were analysed from two other locations in Norway, representing a gradient from "densely populated" to "remote". The var...

Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) is the third most used brominated flame retardant globally, and has been found widely distributed in the environment. The present study reports concentrations and spatial patterns of alpha, beta and gamma-HBCD in a contaminated Norwegian fjord. Intertidal surface sediment and selected species from the marine food web w...

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are readily detected in biological samples at remote sites in the Arctic and sub-Arctic due to long-range transport from source areas. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of POPs, polybrominated contaminants and their metabolites in guillemot (Uria aalge) eggs from Iceland, the Faroe Islands, N...

This article summarizes results from raptor monitoring and contamination studies in Norway of the golden eagle, gyrfalcon, white-tailed sea eagle, osprey, peregrine, and merlin. Golden eagle and gyrfalcon populations have been monitored since 1990 as part of the "Monitoring Programme for Terrestrial Ecosystems" (TOV). No long-term trend in the popu...

The widespread occurrence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the environment has attracted considerable attention, leading to concerns about the extent and magnitude of wildlife and human exposure. In this work, we focus on the occurrence and fate of PBDEs in a Norwegian air-plant-herbivore-carnivore system. Specifically, we have analysed...

Polyfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFCs) are a group of chemicals of growing concern that have been detected in biological and abiotic samples worldwide. This study reports the concentrations of a suite of PFCs: perfluorooctyl sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctyl sulfonamide (PFOSA) and perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) in guillemot (Uria aalge) eg...

1. We discuss aspects of resource selection based on observing a given vector of resource variables for different individuals at discrete time steps. A new technique for estimating preference of habitat characteristics, applicable when there are multiple individual observations, is proposed. 2. We first show how to estimate preference on the popula...

Eggshell thickness is often expressed by means of an index based on the length, breadth and weight of the shell. The effect of the blow-hole and egg eccentricity on Ratcliffe's shell thickness index was investigated in a sample of 585 eggs from six raptor species. Corrections for the size of the hole and egg eccentricity are proposed, as is a combi...

Individual eggs of six species of birds from Norway representing different food chains were analysed for residues of polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs). In all species, the residue pattern was dominated by hexaBBs. The dominating congeners were PBB 153, PBB 154, and PBB 155. Whereas PBB 153 is present in technical hexabromobiphenyl, PBB 154 and PBB 15...

Aim Late Pleistocene glacial changes had a major impact on many boreal and temperate taxa, and this impact can still be detected in the present‐day phylogeographic structure of these taxa. However, only minor effects are expected in species with generalist habitat requirements and high dispersal capability. One such species is the white‐tailed eagl...

The early influences of wind power mills located at the coast of middle Norway on wildliving birds is investigated with a special focus on White-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla). Necropsy og 10 White-tailed eagles reflected high force trauma. The Many birds showed a similar injury pattern indicating the special cause of death.

ISBN 10: 82-426-1796-5

Brominated organic pollutants were found in selected samples of mollusk tissue, fish liver, as well as in the eggs and livers of shag from three sites in Central Norway. More than 80 organobromines were identified owing to the defined isotope ratio acquired by GC/ECNI-MS. However, only a few peaks could be assigned to anthropogenic brominated flame...

To assess the importance of semi-domesticated reindeer Rangifer tarandus calves in the diet of Golden Eagles Aquila chrysaetos, in Finnmark (northern Norway), we collected prey remains at 37 nests over six years (2001-2006). The study area was divided into 1) a fjord area, which is an important calving area for reindeer, and 2) an inland area where...

Most of the white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) populations in Europe experienced dramatic declines during the twentieth century. However, owing to intense conservation actions and the ban of DDT and other persistent pollutants, populations are currently recovering. We show that despite passing through demographic bottlenecks, white-tailed ea...

A set of 62 unhatched eggs was collected from six different predatory bird species throughout Norway after incubation period was completed. They were analysed for PBDE, PBB, TBBP A and naturally occurring halogenated compounds. BDE 47, 99 and 153 were the dominating congeners, with species dependent PBDE patterns. BDE 153 was observed as the most a...

The mean home-range size of the Javan Hawk-Eagle (Spizaetus bartelsi) on Java was estimated to be ca. 400 ha based on three different methods. The distance between nests of neighboring pairs was ca. 3 km in Gede-Pangrango and 2 km in the Salak Mountains. In the Halimun Mountains, the mean distance between territories was 1.8 km. Radiotracking of on...

To find out whether modern conservation treatments alter the level of metals in feathers, we analysed the content of 10 metals in feathers before and after skins were washed with detergent and treated with Eulan U-33 (a commonly used preservative at museums). Feathers of 31 birds of Goshawk Accipiter gentilis, Eagle Owl Bubo bubo. Feral Pigeon Colu...

The content of chlorinated persistent organic pollutants was determined in a total of 44 egg samples from 8 different raptor species collected throughout Norway in the period 1991-1997. The content of 8 chlorinated bornanes, 9 chlorinated pesticides, and 15 polychlorinated biphenyl congeners (PCB) were determined. The highest average concentrations...

The reproductive success of golden eagles was studied in an area in western Norway between 62 degrees and 63 degrees N between 1973 and 1999. Addled eggs were collected for analysis of chemical pollutants from nine territories; five from coastal areas and four from inland. The coastal sites had lower annual reproductive output than inland sites, an...

Within the past decade, a large number of ecotoxicological and trace analytical investigations identified synthetic musk compounds as important environmental contaminants in densely populated regions. Today, synthetic musks are still widely used as artificial fragrances added to perfume-, household-, hygienic- and cosmetic products. The presence an...