Håvard Eggen from Bodø is actually a social worker. But in his spare time he does something completely different. He is a bird enthusiast. – I have been looking at birds ever since I was a child, he says. That is why he has strung up some very special nets in his garden. This titmouse ended up in the net in his garden. All birds are released after they have been tagged. Photo: Matilde Mørk / news Håvard Eggen in Bodø has a license to ring birds. He has set up very special nets outside his house in Bodø. Photo: Matilde Mørk / news In the net, he had a very special catch: A bluethroat. Also called the “Paradise Bird of the North”. The bird is not so rare in Bodø. But rarely as late in autumn as now. – It is a special date for the bluethroat that nests in the mountain home in Norway. It breeds in the summer, but moves out of Norway already in August/September, says Eggen. Håvard Eggen in Bodø has a license to ring birds. He has set up very special nets outside his house, and releases the birds after he has ringed them. Photo: Matilde Mørk / news For a bird that mainly feeds on insects, it is becoming urgent to get away. – Why did you see it now? – Maybe it came from further north or east in Europe, or maybe it simply made a mistake. Håvard Eggen holds up a bluethroat he caught in his net in October this year. Photo: Håvard Eggen / Privat Blåstrupen shows off its beautiful plumage. Photo: Håvard Eggen / private Strong winds prevent migrating birds Biologist Rune Aae explains that there are always some birds that migrate incorrectly. – We don’t know why, but especially for one-year-olds who only draw on instinct, it happens that they draw incorrectly. Aae has been tracking the osprey Mrs Rauers for several years. Last year her entire journey was documented in news, and this year news’s readers could follow the timeline and journey of the eagle on a website. He says that migratory birds that are off course can be seen as irrational, but in sum it is a way of spreading genes. Biologist Rune Aae Photo: Sindre Thoresen Lønnes / news – It can be a great way to spread species. He says there is no indication that there is an increase in migratory birds on detours. But the wind plays a role. And a warmer climate means more wind. – Many individuals and species can struggle more in stronger winds. It can be an advantage if it goes faster, or a disadvantage if there is a headwind all the way. – It can also mean that the birds do not reach. Stronger gusts of wind can be a significant challenge. According to Aae, it is not easy for migratory birds to adapt to climate change. – I am very worried about the migratory birds. They struggle to adapt to climate change from year to year. All directions are strengthened and this affects the rhythm of nature. It is more out of step from year to year. – What can the blue throat in Bodø tell us? Håvard Eggen closes the nights when he is not at home to look after. Photo: Matilde Mørk / news – It is an indicator of how things are going. Each species has its own distinctive features that tell a great deal about what the stoda is like. Both birds in particular and species in general are important to keep an eye on. Climate affects migratory birds But it is not just the researchers who are seeing more and more changes in how birds migrate. And it’s not just about them flying wrong. Ornithologist and biologist Jan Erik Røer of BirdLife Norway says the bluethroats are migrating to India. He himself has seen them in New Delhi. Jan Erik Røer, advisor at BirdLife Norway. Photo: Hans Erik Weiby / news Bluethroats move far, and are therefore one of the species that can start their migration earlier, explains Røer. – It was warm and nice in northern Norway this summer, but it didn’t start so well. It also means that nesting may have started earlier. And if this first litter was unsuccessful, the bluethroats may find themselves trying again, and thus they may breed later than usual. A flag woodpecker that ended up in Håvard Eggen’s net for the second time. Photo: Matilde Mørk / news – Climate seems to affect migratory birds quite a bit. When the climate changes, the birds change with it. – When spring comes earlier the birds come earlier, when autumn is milder some species migrate later. – Why is this important to research? – It can explain a lot about why some species do well, and others poorly. It can also say something about which areas it is important to protect in the future, which are not protected today, or move the conservation period. A problem that nature is being destroyed For bird enthusiast Håvard Eggen in Bodø, it is nice to be able to contribute to providing more answers. – Although I think this is fun, I contribute to concrete research. There is an extra dimension to this. Håvard Eggen got his license to ring birds when he was in civil service at the Lista Bird Station. Photo: Matilde Mørk / news He believes his project can lead to knowing where the birds migrate, how old they get and development in the population. – Bird populations are declining very much. There are many reasons for this, but one reason for all nature loss is that areas are being built down. The birds need various places where they can stop on their way south. If enough areas are built down, there is danger on the way, according to Eggen. Håvard’s red book with notes on bird observations. Photo: Matilde Mørk / news
ttn-69
Climate change affects migratory birds – found bluethroats in Bodø in October – news Nordland
