Rescue kittiwake chicks: help needed!

Delphin Ruché
2 days ago
2 min read

Kittiwake rescue season is back! Last year, we saved 12 chicks thanks to incredible community support (read more here). It’s happening again soon, and we need help coordinating logistics now. Here's how you can help.

A young kittiwake chick that fell off its nest in Tromsø.

A young kittiwake chick in Tromsø waiting to be rescued.

The point of no return

Kittiwakes are unlike other seagulls: they only feed their chicks while they're still in the nest. If a chick falls before it can fly, it won’t survive. Without food or protection, it faces starvation or predators. Why do they fall? Sometimes the nest is too small. Other times, a scuffle between siblings pushes one out.

Kittiwake chicks instinctively cling to their nest, it’s in their DNA, but accidents still happen.

With the black-legged kittiwake listed as Highly Endangered (EN) on Norway’s Red List and populations having declined by 90% in recent decades, every single chick we manage to save truly matters.

A critical time for kittiwakes chicks on this crowded nest.

How you can contribute

Keep a lookout and contact us

If you spot a chick on the ground, call us right away: 969 25 726.

We only rescue kittiwake chicks. Unlike common gulls or herring gulls, whose chicks wander off and are still fed and fiercely protected by their parents, kittiwake parents do not feed or defend chicks once they’ve fallen from the nest. That’s why you’ll never be dive-bombed by a kittiwake… and why these chicks need our help to survive.

Donate fish

We don’t have the budget to buy fish for the rescued kittiwake chicks: you can help by donating fish, fresh or frozen. Kittiwake chicks are picky eaters and will only eat lean fish like cod (torsk) or pollock (sei). Every donation helps save a life!

Help build a shelter

Last year, kittiwake chicks ended up on our balcony. This year, we want to give them a better space. We're building a special shelter beside the house, and you can help!

Join us in designing and building it, or support us with materials like wood planks, screws, or netting. It’s urgent: the first chicks could arrive any day now!

Feed the chicks

Chicks need feeding twice a day, every day! That’s a big job for one person, so if you can help out, we’d love to have you on board. Even just taking a shift now and then would be amazing. The shelter will be at Rissa’s office, near the police station, just north of the city center.

Feeding two rescued kittiwakes chicks in 2024.

Come celebrate the releases with us!

As soon as the chicks are ready to fly, we’ll release them from the kittiwake hotels at Muséeparken (Muségata 2). We’ll share the release dates (ideally a day in advance) so you can join us to witness a fledgling take its first flight, made possible by a shared community effort!