Did you find a kittiwake chick on the ground?

If a kittiwake chick falls from its nest, its parents will no longer feed it. Without help, it has no chance of surviving. This article is a practical first-aid guide for fallen kittiwake chicks, based on what I learned while helping Rissa Citizen Science rescue chicks in Tromsø.

Kittiwake Chick Hot Line

Call 96 92 57 26 (Tromsø)

A young kittiwake chick fallen from his nest in Tromsø.

Ideally, a chick should be put back to where it came from. But despite the dedicated monitoring work of the Kittiwalkers, it is not always possible to know exactly which nest a chick belongs too.

Do not place a chick into a nest unless you are certain it is its own. Kittiwakes generally do not adopt chicks from other nests. It is also extremely disturbing or a whole colony when a human access a nest, even if it is with good intentions.

Kittiwake chicks naturally stick to their nest until they can fly. Those who fall are doomed.

Before you decide to do anything, make sure the chick is a kittiwake and not another species of gull. Unlike kittiwakes, the chicks of common gulls, herring gulls, and great black-backed gulls often leave the nest and wander off while their parents continue to protect and feed them.

Kittiwake chicks are easy to recognize: they have a black stripe on the neck and wing, a white belly and head. They are not spotted.

Lost kittiwake chick in Tromsø.

Once you are sure it is a kittiwake chick, pick it up carefully and calmly, and place it into a box.

• The bottom of the box should not be slippery. Covering it with a towel or other cloth can help. This is particularly important if the chicks is very small so it doesn't get tossed around during transport.

• Keep it cool or keep it warm! As a general rule, a chick that is still covered only in down will need an external source of warmth. However, if the outside temperature is above 20°C, keep the box away from direct sunlight, and make sure it does not overheat.

• Cover the box to reduce stress and for safety. Make sure there is enough air flowing through the box.

A very young kittiwake chick is warming up in a woolen sock. Tromsø, July 2026.

In case you can't get hold of someone at Rissa Citizen Science right away, leave the chick in the box, in a quiet place. Call again, someone will pick up the phone, as they are on the watch almost 24/7 in during the chick rearing period!

Check their Instagram (@rissa_citizen_science), there might be some useful update.

Once you have handed the chick over to Rissa Citizen Science, your mission is complete. But if you would like to stay involved, you are always welcome to check in on the chick, stop by for a visit, or even volunteer to help with the feedings.

A kittiwake chick is being released in Tromsø.

When a chick is old enough to fly, it is ringed, and released by the sea, away from traffic and people. It will usually join a group of other young kittiwakes, giving it a second chance at life.

Don't forget that you can make a lasting contribution by adopting a kittiwake. Your donation and supporting Rissa Citizen Science's conservation work in Tromsø. Your donation will be earmarked specifically to support Rissa Citizen Science's work with kittiwakes.

A Kittiwalker is releasing a kittiwake chick in Tromsø.

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About the author:

Joris Kern is a workshop facilitator, trainer for social workers, pedagogues and therapists as well as an author in the fields of consensual sexuality and consensual society. Joris also works as a mediator, coach and counseler for individuals, groups and teams and lives in Berlin.