Moving kittiwake hotels in Tromsø

On 15 March, the endangered kittiwake brought people together as two kittiwake hotels had to be relocated. The Kittiwalkers turned out in force, following the lead of Kjeld Nash and Lawrence Malstaf, under the watchful eye of photographer Adrian Valentin Roibu.

The Kittiwalkers are moving hotel 4 from Muséparken to Fylkeshuset.

Kittiwalkers in action.

One more year for Kittiwake Hotels 3 and 4

The 2-year permit allowing Hotels 3 and 4 to stand in Muséparken had expired (more about this in this article: Kittiwake hotels in Tromsø: an update before the birds return). A solution had to be found for 2026.

Hotel 3 will remain in Museparken, and was only moved by a few meters. This is great news for the kittiwakes, as Hotel 3 was the most successful kittiwake hotel in Tromsø in 2025.

Hotel 4 was moved a few hundred meters south, from Muséparken to Fylkeshuset, where it now stands between Hotels 8 and 9. As new deterrents are being tested on the Fylkeshuset building, there is hope that the birds will find these three hotels attractive and begin relocating in the coming weeks.

Hotel 4 being moved to its new location in front of Fylkeshuset in March 2026.

Lawrence Malstaf showing everyone what's right (and left).

Kittiwake advocates in Tromsø

The black-legged kittiwake is listed as endangered on Norway's Red List. Only 10% of the kittiwakes that were living in mainland Norway thirty years ago are still alive. The species is now facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. Climate change seems to be the leading cause of this collapse, while bird flu, pollution, overfishing and predation also play a role.

Some of the surviving kittiwakes have found refuge in Tromsø. The first pair began nesting here in 2015, and others have followed since. But not everyone is willing to share the city with these birds, despite their endangered status.

Fortunately, a number of kittiwake advocates are working to develop practical solutions that make coexistence acceptable for all. Kittiwake hotels are one such solution. They are alternative nesting sites designed to attract birds away from buildings where they are not welcome.

Architect Kjeld Nash and artist Lawrence Malstaf have been playing a key role in finding solutions to coexist with kittiwakes in Tromsø.

The Kittiwalkers

In 2025, more than 50 users downloaded the Rissa Citizen Science app (on Google Play and Apple Store) to monitor kittiwake breeding activity in Tromsø.

The Kittiwalkers act as citizen scientists, sentinels, and advocates, deepening our understanding of urban kittiwakes, raising public awareness, and reporting illegal nest destruction when needed. Their achievements from last year are summarized in this article: What happened with kittiwakes in Tromsø in 2025?

They also rescue kittiwake chicks that fall from their nests (The Kittiwalkers rescued 15 kittiwake chicks in 2025), and share a live view of the kittiwake orphanage on YouTube.

Mission accomplished! Thanks everyone!

---

About the photographer: you can see more of Adrian Valenting Roibu's work on Instagram (v_adrian_photographer).

---

In 2025, Sparebankstiftelsen SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge and Birdlife Troms have supported Rissa Citizen Science’s efforts to survey kittiwakes breeding in Troms, and advocate coexistence with this endangered species. Rissa Citizen Science is able to lend binoculars to the Kittiwalkers thanks to a generous support from Focus Nordic. We are using the Kite Ursus 10x42 and are very happy with them.

In 2026, the Hurtigruten Foundation is supporting this long-term effort, and the Kittiwalkers are more motivated than ever to engage for the protection of the kittiwakes in Tromsø.