Tromsø Kittiwake hotels: a win for birds and the city

A collaborative initiative to offer alternative breeding sites is showing promising results. The so-called kittiwake hotels provide a proactive way to support coexistence with this highly endangered species in urban areas.

A new kittiwake hotel at the "Mack Øst" site, as compensation for the loss of the birds' former colony.

The Mack Øst example

Around 150 pairs of kittiwakes were breeding on the "Mack Øst" building before it was demolished this winter. This was one of the largest colonies in Tromsø city center. To reduce the risk of the birds dispersing and to compensate for the loss of their former colony, two kittiwake hotels were erected at the same site. This compensatory measure was a condition for the demolition to proceed.

This exemplary project was made possible with financial support from Mack and brought to life through a collaboration between ornithologist Tone Reiertsen at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Robert Lund Mentzoni at Tromsø Kommune, architect Kjeld Nash at AT Arkitektur, and artist Lawrence Malstaf, all of whom have contributed to the design and deployment of the other kittiwake hotels in Tromsø.

The Mack Øst building, where Storgata Camping was, being demolished in winter 2025.

Before long, the displaced kittiwakes began settling onto the new hotels, which provide between 280 and 320 potential nesting spots. These two wooden structures—that resemble the traditional fishdrying rack—can accommodate all the pairs that once nested on the Mack Øst building, and even more.

Kittiwakes adopting their new home, at the begining of the breeding season 2025 .

As of early May 2025, not all the ledges are occupied, and birds seem to prefer the sides facing the sea. However, black-legged kittiwakes are highly social and tend to seek safety in numbers. Successful colonies often draw in new pairs searching for nesting space, and the hotels' attractiveness will grow over time.

Even though the Mack Øst kittiwake hotels aren’t yet at full capacity, the initiative is already proving successful. Moreover, these structures offer much-needed refuge for over 200 pairs displaced by deterrents and demolitions in the heart of Tromsø this winter. In this sense, the Mack Øst hotels, as well as others installed in the city, should be viewed as a welcome solution for nearby building owners, as they lower the risk of relocation.

Kittiwakes on the seaside of the Mack Øst kittiwake hotels in May 2025.

Improvement at Fylkeshuset

In recent years, multiple efforts have been made to deter kittiwakes from nesting on Fylkeshuset. Nets and flags have limited access to the roof and gutters, and in 2024, two scaffold-based kittiwake hotels were installed in front of the building. However, as long as their original nesting sites remained accessible, the birds had little motivation to move, and the hotels remained unused.

In 2025, the hotels were raised in height, and this adjustment appears to have made a difference. Several pairs have now begun to explore and use the structures. While it is still early to predict how many will settle there, the outlook is encouraging. Kittiwakes may continue to return to Fylkeshuset while they can, but the presence of early adopters is helping to make the new hotels a more appealing alternative.

Kittiwakes starting to use the hotels in front of Fylkeshuset in spring 2025.

Two increasingly successful kittiwake hotels

The green hotel, designed by artist Kåre Grundvåg, has proven to be a highly attractive nesting site. Installed in 2023, it was quickly adopted by kittiwakes displaced from the Kunstforening building. In 2024, the Kittiwalkers recorded 40 nests on the structure: 40 pairs that won’t be nesting on a building this season. Mission accomplished!

This second hotel, designed by artist Lawrence Malstaf and constructed from recycled materials, was installed in 2024. In its very first season, it attracted 28 nesting kittiwake pairs. With 63 ledges available, the hotel shows great promise for future occupancy.

Kittiwake hotels that have effectively lured kittiwakes away from the Kunstforening building.

A new mega kittiwake hotel in Tromsø

Just a few meters from the two previously mentioned hotels, a large yet elegant structure offering 460 ledges was installed earlier this year. This more permanent hotel stands as a testament to the successful collaboration between Tromsø kommune, scientists, architects, and artists working together to find solutions for coexistence with kittiwakes in the city.

This case also highlights how public funding can be effectively used to tackle a shared challenge; one that affects many businesses and property owners who either struggle with the presence of kittiwakes or hope to prevent them from nesting on their buildings.

The first 460-ledge kittiwake hotel in Tromsø.

The kittiwake hotels in Tromsø demonstrate that our society is actively working to support a species being pushed toward extinction in Norway by human-driven pressures. In this way, these hotels have become a powerful symbol of hope in an era of alarming biodiversity loss. By investing in these innovative nesting structures, Tromsø is gaining both national and international recognition, and setting a meaningful example of how we can move toward a more balanced and respectful coexistence between species.

The stone in the shoe

These otherwise successful efforts are undermined by the dismantling of Tromsø’s two oldest kittiwake hotels at Strandgata 8 during the winter. In 2024, nearly 100 pairs nested on these hotels, which played a key role in keeping kittiwakes away from both private and public buildings. Taking down these two hotels runs counter to the broader goals of fostering coexistence in Tromsø. It is especially ironic given the significant efforts made by various local stakeholders to support this endangered species and find solutions for peaceful coexistence in urban areas.

The timing couldn’t be worse: with at least two-thirds of the nests in central Tromsø destroyed this winter, removing established, functioning hotels does more harm than failing to build new ones. It is not just a missed opportunity to help a vulnerable species, it actively fuels further conflict, as displaced birds are now forced to seek new nesting sites elsewhere.

Tromsø’s two oldest kittiwake hotels dismantled in winter 2024-2025.

Hope for Skattøra kittiwakes

Away from the city center, the industrial zone of Skattøra is the second area used by kittiwakes on Tromsøya. In 2024, according to bird scientists at the Norwegian institute for nature research/NINA, Skattøra was home to two kittiwake colonies, respectively 128 and 84 pairs strong. Additionally, 157 pairs were using a floating dock. In total, the ornithologists mapped 369 pairs in Skattøra. In April and May 2025, new colonies were discovered by the Kittiwalkers in the area.

The main colony (128 pairs in 2024) is now covered in netting (photo below), and none of the known colonies are legally protected. Hopefully, ongoing discussions with land owners and Tromsø kommune will lead to better protection of these colonies nesting on cliffs, far away from residential areas.

One solution would be to deploy cost-effective kittiwake hotels directly above the cliff where the 84 pairs of kittiwakes were nesting in 2024. The colony is on private land and under threat, while conviniently the land above the colony is owned by Tromsø municipality.

Will this be the next Tromsø's success story?

Kittiwakes finding their former nest covered in netting in April 2025 in Skattøra.