2.21 Pink-Footed Goose

Indicator 2.21 - Pink-Footed Goose

heiðagæsahópur Here you can find information about the population of pink-footed goose in the impact area of Kárahnjúkavirkjun power plant.

Progress

a. Number of pink-footed goose pairs in selected sites at the basins of Jökulsá á Dal and Jökulsá í Fljótsdal rivers.

The population of pink footed goose has increased rapidly for the last decades. This development has been very obvious at Fljótsdalshérað region and surrounding heaths. Hálslón Reservoir did not cause a reduction in the number of geese in spite of decreased grazing area and the fact that over 500 (531) nests disappeared (see table under "Baseline").

This development is shown in the following figures, on one hand from areas close to Hálslón reservoir (figure 1) and on the other hand areas by river Jökla (Jökulsá á Dal) in upper Jökuldalur valley and in Hnefilsdalur valley (figure 2). This development indicates that a shortage of nesting places hardly affects the pink footed goose. In 2011 number of nests in Vesturöræfi area decreased by 62-64% presumably because of cold spell in late May and exploiting. Such decrease is well known with nesting geese when similar conditions arise. In 2012 the population of pink-footed goose had recovered and even more in 2013. Number of nests increased in accordance with the development noted before at Háls hill, Hálslón reservoir and Vesturöræfi wilderness. In the spring of 2014-2016 was snowy and similar trends as in 2011 were detected in the population of pink-footed goose. The summer 2017, the number of breeding pairs had almost tripled since 2013. A significant increase has also occurred in Kringingilsárrani (figure 2), were the number of nests went from 400 nests the year 2000 up to 2000 nests the year 2017. The spring 2015 was decision made to direct the monitoring to the lower parts of the valleys. Number of laying birds in Hnefilsdalur valley was similar to earlier observations (figure 3) but fewer birds were found in Húsárdalur valley than in 2010. In Jökuldalur valley however, laying birds were twice as many as in 2008. Aggregated results from all counting sites indicate that the spring cold spell had negative effect on laying success and prompted movement between areas. It seems like the nesting places in Hafrahvömmum, Laugavalladölum valley and Sauðárdölum valley is fully used and perhaps also in Hrafnkelsdalur and its side valleys.

Figure 1. Results from counting pink-footed goose nests around Hálslón reservoir 1981-2017.

X-axes: Year (ár) Y-axes: Number of nests (fjöldi hreiðra)

Figure 2: Results from detected data of singular modes on nests in Kringilsárrani the years 2000, 2008 and 2017.

Figure 3: Results from counting pink-footed goose nests in selected areas in Hnefilsdalur valley and part of Jökla at Steinshlaup-Merki farm 1980 - 2015.

X-axes: Year (ár) Y-axes: Number of nests (fjöldi hreiðra)

In 2010 a review was made on the pink-footed geese in the highlands near Hálslón reservoir and Jökuldalur valley, and results from the baseline studies on the population in 2005 - 2008 (before the construction of the power plant) were analyzed (NA-110113 / LV-2011-080, only in Icelanic).

Source: Landsvirkjun 2018.
Updated: August 20, 2018

b. Number of moulting geese in Eyjabakkar area and by Hálslón Reservoir.

Moulting pink-footed geese were counted in Snæfellsöræfi wilderness, including Eyjabakkar and by Hálslón reservoir, in 2008. Out of 7,911 birds, 2,121 were in the Eyjabakkar area and 5,790 by Hálslón reservoir and its vicinity. Goslings accounted for about 30% of these. In 2011, the counting was repeated in the same area and there turned out to be a total of 10,110 moulting pink footed geese (including Þorláksmýrar moor, with 98 birds), thereof 5,035 in Eyjabakkar. Goslings were 417, which is about 4%. Growing percentage of yearlings in moulting groups at Eyjabakkar (figure 4) was recorded in the period 2009-2011 and again in 2015; 28% (2009), 33% (2010), 44% (2011), 26% (2015), 29% (2016) and 28% (2017). The ratio of yearlings seems to indicate how successful breeding was in the previous year and the survival rate of goslings.

Figure 4. Number of moulting pink-footed geese at Eyjabakkar area 2007-2017 and ratio of yearlings 2009-2011, 2015-2017. The number of goslings is not included.

Y-axes: Year (ár) X-axes: Number of birds (fjöldi)

14 month old gray. - >14 month old orange.

In 2013 number of geese at Eyjabakkar had slightly decreased compared to previous years and goslings were unusually few compared to 2012. In 2014 the number of pink-footed geese had increased in Eyjabakkar area and had not been higher since 2002/03. The number of moulting pink-footed geese decreased slightly in Eyjabakkar area in 2015. The number in July 2016 and 2017 was comparable like in the years 1990, 1992, 1997 and 2002 or almost ten thousand birds (figure 5).

Figure 5. Number of moulting pink-footed geese at Eyjabakkar area 1979 - 2017.

X- axes: Year (ár). Y-axes: Number (fjöldi).

Source: Landsvirkjun 2018.

Updated: August 20, 2018

Monitoring Protocol

Metrics: What is measured?

Number of breeding birds in selected sites in the river basins of Jökulsá á Dal and Jökulsá í Fljótsdal valley. (Project effect: indirect)
Number of moulting geese at Snæfellsöræfi. (Project effect: indirect)

Monitoring Protocol

Counting of nests (number of pink-footed goose pairs in selected nesting sites): Annual count in areas near Hálslón reservoir, that is Háls hill and Vesturöræfi wilderness. For comparison counting will be performed alternately in different areas that is in Hrafnkelsdalur valley and areas below Jökuldalur valley.
Counting of birds (moulting pink footed geese): Annual bird counting of moulting pink-footed geese will continue at Eyjabakkar and Hálslón areas, but some years will be between counting in other ateas of Snæfellsöræfi.

Targets/expectations:

The number of breeding birds will not decrease more than 600 pairs.
The number of geese in moulting in Snaefellsoraefi will not decrease from baseline information collected in 2005.

Changes to indicator and metrics

In forth phase of the initiative the numbers of the indicators were changed. This indicator war originally number 24.1 and is referenced as such in earlier documents of the project.

Baseline

The number of pink footed goose breeding pairs in East Iceland almost quadrupled in the period from 1980 to 2000. This increase has been similar proportionally to the total increase in the Icelandic-Greenlandic stock.

In 1981, 2,000 pairs were estimated to nest in the area, 4,000 pairs in 1988 and 7,300 pairs in the year 2000. These numbers account for roughly 15-20 percent of the breeding pairs of the Icelandic-Greenlandic stock. The Icelandic-Greenlandic stock accounts for 85 percent of pink footed geese in the world.

In 2005, almost 50 percent of all breeding pairs in East Iceland (3,300 pairs) nested in 40 sites located in the river basins of Jökulsá á Dal river. The largest sites were in Kringilsárrani (300-400 pairs), along the river upstream of Sandfell mountain (i.e. the area that was inundated by Hálslón reservoir, 330 pairs), in Hafrahvammagljúfur gorge (206), between Hölkná river and Merki farm (435), by Hnefla river (407) and in Glúmsstadadal valley (293). The largest site at the river basin of Jökulsá í Fljótsdal is located between Kleif farm and Laugará river (96 pairs).

In some breeding sites in the river basin of Jökulsá á Dal the number of nests had remained stable for 20 years before the dam was built or grown very slowly (by less than 3 percent per year). In other sites however, the number had grown rapidly, even up to 10-15 percent per year. Overall, the breeding stock of the pink-footed goose in East Iceland has been growing at a similar rate as the Icelandic-Greenlandic stock that showed high growth rates from 1980 to 1995.

The table below shows breeding sites for the pink-footed goose that were considered to disappear or be damaged because of the Kárahnjúkar project.

Sites	# of breeding pairs	Nests that disappear
Sauðá river, Vesturöræfi wilderness	96	66
Kringilsárrani	300	50
Jokulsá river, upstream of Sandfell mountain	330	330
Sauðá river, Brúardölum valleys	50	40
Jökulsá river downstream of Eyjabakkar	5	5
Glúmsstaðadalur, valley	193	40
TOTAL	994	531

Source: IINH

Rationale for Indicator Selection

The Kárahnjúkar project is believed to affect the pink-footed goose considerably.

The impact will be both temporary, due to construction activity and long term. Firstly, some breeding sites and grazing land were inundated by Hálslón Reservoir. Secondly, more traffic in the area during construction, and because of better access to the area, can disturb the birds.

In 2000, a total of 2,200 pairs of pink-footed geese nested within the impact area of the dam. Nesting sites for a total of 500 to 600 breeding pairs were inundated by Hálslón reservoir, which amounted to about one-third of all nests in Brúardalir valleys and Vesturöræfi wilderness (including tributary valleys of Hrafnkelsdalur valley). This corresponds to seven percent of breeding pairs in East Iceland, and 1-2 percent of the total number of breeding pairs in the Icelandic-Greenlandic stock.

The land submerged to make Hálslón reservoir is considered an internationally important breeding site for the pink-footed goose according to criteria in the Ramsar Convention and the International Bird Committee. Grazing land for pink-footed goose has been interrupted and increased traffic during and after construction has negative effect on living conditions for geese in the area.

Neither Hálslón reservoir nor other smaller reservoirs of Kárahnjúkavirkjun power plant are likely to influence moulting sites for the pink footed goose.

New rationale: The experience from monitoring breeding population has until now shown constant increase and colonization of new areas. The monitoring has taken this development into account, so as to repeat some counts annually (areas in the vicinity of Hálslón reservoir) while other areas are monitored alternately.

The dispersal of sterile birds in the moult is far more complicated. Data exists from Eyjabakkar from several decades and occasional counts from other areas. With the emergence of Hálslón reservoir, conditions for moulting geese emerged alongside the reservoir. Counting of geese around Hálslón reservoir have recently begun and are conducted concurrently with counting at Eyjabakkar area.