Megan Starr, travel blogger and Kittiwalker in Tromsø

Megan Starr and her partner traveled to Tromsø to spend a week volunteering with Rissa Citizen Science. Having already taken part in several of Rissa’s events, Megan is bringing valuable insights from her background as a professional traveler, sparking thought-provoking conversations, especially around tourism in Tromsø.

She has a particular fondness for birds, with a special place in her heart for one: the highly endangered black-legged kittiwake.

Megan, the page is yours!

Two migratory birds meet.

I never gave much thought to birds before COVID. I had traveled around the Arctic and Nordic region extensively, but I paid more attention to whales, landscapes, and WWII artifacts than I did the feathery friends that surrounded me. I was stuck in Armenia during COVID's infamous lockdowns, and the streets of Yerevan fell silent. But for the birds of Yerevan, it was business as usual and I started noticing (and appreciating!) their presence.

Post-lockdown, I gravitated to the Nordics. I had previously lived in Norway and bought a house in Finland in 2022. Nearly all of my travels were in and around the region and I quickly started learning about the birds I was surrounded by. It didn't take me long to realize that there was this one particular bird in nearly every place I was visiting in Northern Norway: the black-legged kittiwake.

Kittiwakes on Vardø's Pomor Museum.

The black-legged kittiwake is a bird I had previously seen but hadn't given much thought to. I just held the food in my hands a little tighter, assuming it shared the same gluttonous appetite as the gulls teeming the Norwegian coastline. But that wasn't the case. These birds appeared to be in pairs and nesting on the sides of buildings or cliffs. They didn't care about the food in my hand or my presence nearby. I started taking photos of them in Svalbard, Vardø, Båtsfjord, Lofoten, Ekkerøy, and beyond. The unassuming kittiwake became my favorite bird.

I have spent a lot of time in Tromsø over the years and was familiar with the endangered kittiwakes here, but I had no idea that while I declared them my favorite bird, others declared them a nuisance. I simply can't wrap my head around the unwillingness to co-exist with an animal that, if done correctly, could be such a draw for a business.

Kittiwakes in Pyramiden, Svalbard.

As a travel writer and blogger for 15+ years, I have visited places around the world and I almost always seek out what the wildlife situation is in an area and how I can learn more about it. If I write about it, eyes always land on the article and many people reach out to thank me or ask questions. This tells me that I am not alone. There is a market for this. And most importantly of all, people are genuinely interested (there is a reason the birdwatching industry is worth billions).

Megan Starr in Greenland's waters.

After a bit of research and coming across Rissa Citizen Science, I reached out to them to find out how I could help. I admire their mission and efforts and wanted to get involved in some capacity, especially after seeing a restaurant I previously recommended to travelers put up deterrents to get rid of nesting kittiwakes. From my years of traveling, writing, and being involved in tourism development in various countries across the world, I have realized that everything can be turned into an opportunity with the right people.

Alongside my (bird-loving) partner who lives with me in Finland, I came to Tromsø to do some monitoring with Rissa Citizen Science as a Kittiwalker. Seeing the kittiwake hotels and efforts made by some members of the Tromsø community was incredible... but seeing the apathy of some of the businesses here was disheartening. Especially seeing spikes and deterrents on businesses I have spent years recommending to travelers. That one really hurt.

This building hosted one of the main kittiwake colonies in Tromsø until Pellerin AS , the building's owner, deployed deterrents in the winter 2024/25 without providing an alternative nesting site. The breeding pairs just moved to neighboring buildings.

Community-based tourism (CBT) has such potential in Tromsø among these businesses and using these kittiwakes as a means to do so not only helps the kittiwakes keep their seasonal homes intact, but also offers a sustainable and low-overhead type of tourism to the visitors already coming to the city.

With the efforts of Rissa Citizen Science, its partners, and volunteers from the community (and afar, like me!), businesses can become friends of the kittiwakes rather than foes of them.

In Lake Arpi National Park, Armenia.

Follow Megan Starr on https://www.meganstarr.com/ and on Instagram @Meganstarrtravel