In May and June 2023, a registration was conducted to monitor the birds residing on university grounds during the early summer. Singing males defending their territories were recorded, reflecting the number of breeding pairs in the area. Notably, several red-listed species were among the observations.
See which birds have been observed on campus Blindern
- Black redstart, Phoenicurus ochruros
- Common chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs
- Common gull, Larus canus (red-listed)
- Common swift, Apus apus (red-listed)
- Common wood-pigeon, Columba palumbus
- Crow, Corvus cornix
- Eurasian blackbird, Turdus merula
- Eurasian blackcap, Sylvia atricapilla
- Eurasian blue tit, Cyanistes caeruleus
- Eurasian collared-dove, Streptopelia decaocto
- Eurasian jackdaw, Corvus monedula
- Eurasian magpie, Pica pica
- Eurasian nuthatch, Sitta europaea
- Eurasian oystercatcher, Haematopus ostralegus (red-listed)
- Eurasian tree sparrow, Passer montanus
- Eurasian wren, Troglodytes troglodytes
- European goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis
- European greenfinch, Chloris chloris (red-listed)
- European pied flycatcher, Ficedula hypoleuca
- European robin, Erithacus rubecula
- European starling, Sturnus vulgaris (red-listed)
- Fieldfare, Turdus pilaris
- Great tit, Parus major
- Hawfinch, Coccothraustes coccothraustes
- Herring gull, Larus argentatus (red-listed)
- House sparrow, Passer domesticus (red-listed)
- Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos
- Redwing, Turdus iliacus
- Rock pigeon, Columba livia
- Spotted flycatcher, Muscicapa striata
- Whinchat, Saxicola rubetra
- White wagtail, Motacilla alba
- Willow warbler, Phylloscopus trochilus
To encourage more birds to settle in our area, numerous birdhouses with varying hole sizes have been hung up to accommodate different species.
Wild birdlife is not always appreciated by the public. Every year, the gull families guard their young, often near Georg Sverdrup’s hus. Until the chicks are fully capable of flight, they are closely monitored by their parents, who are effective at deterring passersby. Eggs, nests and gull chicks are protected by the Nature Diversity Act. Moving nests are also prohibited while they are in use. The best thing to do is respect this brief period of time and navigate around the area.
Available housing for bats
Limited access to suitable roosts and nesting sites, such as old trees or buildings, has created a housing shortage for bats. To address this, a bat box has been installed in a large ash tree at Nedre Blindern. The box was donated by the Norwegian Zoological Society in 2024.
So far, no bats have been observed by the bat box, but it is not unusual that it takes some time before bats move into new bat boxes. Experts have stated that there are likely bats in the area, so there is still hope. Park Services also has a goal of installing more bat boxes.
Better conditions for six-legged creatures
In recent years, several measures have been taken to create better living conditions for insects and other small creatures on university ground. Among other things, areas that were previously used as lawns have been transformed into meadows or long grass areas. This creates a richer plant diversity, consequently enhancing the diversity of insects as well.
Park Services has deliberately left dead wood on the ground in several areas to provide a more natural look to the park. Dead wood is important habitats for various insects and fungi.
In the Herb Garden outside Kristine Bonnevie's hus, there is a systematic garden with a wide variety of plants. This garden is frequently visited by insects during the spring and summer months.
