Discover the Birds of Runde
Join a guided tour of our bird exhibition and learn about the extraordinary lives of seabirds.
Book the activity
Join a guided tour of our bird exhibition and learn about the extraordinary lives of seabirds.
Book the activityRunde once teemed with an extraordinary number of birds, nearly half a million arriving each year to nest. While today the numbers have settled around 100,000, the island still boasts some of the largest seabird colonies south of the Arctic Circle. This makes Runde a prime destination for researchers, ornithologists, and bird enthusiasts alike. For those visitors, a trip to the bird exhibition at the Runde Environmental Center is essential. Here, expert nature guides from Experience Runde share compelling insights into the seabirds' remarkable lives and their crucial role in coastal ecosystems.
Runde's most celebrated resident is undoubtedly the puffin, returning each spring to breed on the island. From April to August, visitors gather at Lundeura in the evenings, eager to witness the charming "sea parrot" flitting in and out of its burrows on the grassy slopes of the steep mountainside.
However, Runde is not just a haven for puffins. A diverse array of seabirds inhabits the island's cliffs, and the bird exhibition at Runde Environmental Center is designed to reflect this vibrant ecosystem. You'll embark on a journey that begins at sea level with the eider ducks and ascends through the exhibits, culminating in the majestic white-tailed eagle soaring high above. Along the way, you'll encounter intriguing stories about everything from shelducks and various gull species to the endangered auks—the common murre and the razorbill.
However, Runde is not just a haven for puffins. A diverse array of seabirds inhabits the island's cliffs, and the bird exhibition at Runde Environmental Center is designed to reflect the bird mountain. You'll embark on a journey that begins at sea level with the eider ducks and ascends through the exhibits, culminating in the majestic white-tailed eagle soaring high above. Along the way, you'll encounter intriguing stories about everything from shelducks and various gull species to the endangered auks—the common murre and the razorbill.
Upon arriving at Runde, the Murre waste no time in finding a mate and laying a single egg. But here's where things get interesting: just two weeks after hatching, the chick is encouraged to take a rather dramatic plunge – a 250-meter drop from the cliff edge into the waiting waves below! There, it floats on the surface as the father diligently cares for it, while the mother heads out to hunt.
The northern gannet is undeniably one of Runde's most captivating seabirds. These powerful birds have claimed the cliffs once occupied by black-legged kittiwakes, who have since moved on. Gannets are renowned for their breathtaking hunting dives, plunging into the sea at speeds reaching 100 kilometers per hour, like a feathered spear. Their sleek, aerodynamic form, in fact, rivals that of the kingfisher—a bird so perfectly designed for speed that it inspired Japanese engineers in the development of high-speed trains. By studying the kingfisher's beak, engineers were able to minimize air resistance when trains entered tunnels.
"Fjellpolitiet" at Runde is the big boy. But he's also a bandit. Police because he will attack you if you dare to leave the organized hiking trail and go out into the marsh where he lives during the breeding season. Bandit because he steals other birds' food. At Runde , he does this by chasing the gannet until she throws up in self-defense. Afterwards, the great blue heron collects the vomit, takes it with him to his nest and feeds it to his chick.
Curious about Runde's amazing seabirds? Join us for a guided tour of the bird exhibition at Runde Environmental Center!
Runde once teemed with an extraordinary number of birds, nearly half a million arriving each year to nest. While today the numbers have settled around 100,000, the island still boasts some of the largest seabird colonies south of the Arctic Circle. This makes Runde a prime destination for researchers, ornithologists, and bird enthusiasts alike. For those visitors, a trip to the bird exhibition at the Runde Environmental Center is essential. Here, expert nature guides from Experience Runde share compelling insights into the seabirds' remarkable lives and their crucial role in coastal ecosystems.
Join a guided tour of our bird exhibition and learn about the extraordinary lives of seabirds.
Runde once teemed with an extraordinary number of birds, nearly half a million arriving each year to nest. While today the numbers have settled around 100,000, the island still boasts some of the largest seabird colonies south of the Arctic Circle. This makes Runde a prime destination for researchers, ornithologists, and bird enthusiasts alike. For those visitors, a trip to the bird exhibition at the Runde Environmental Center is essential. Here, expert nature guides from Experience Runde share compelling insights into the seabirds' remarkable lives and their crucial role in coastal ecosystems.
Runde's most celebrated resident is undoubtedly the puffin, returning each spring to breed on the island. From April to August, visitors gather at Lundeura in the evenings, eager to witness the charming "sea parrot" flitting in and out of its burrows on the grassy slopes of the steep mountainside.
However, Runde is not just a haven for puffins. A diverse array of seabirds inhabits the island's cliffs, and the bird exhibition at Runde Environmental Center is designed to reflect the bird mountain. You'll embark on a journey that begins at sea level with the eider ducks and ascends through the exhibits, culminating in the majestic white-tailed eagle soaring high above. Along the way, you'll encounter intriguing stories about everything from shelducks and various gull species to the endangered auks—the common murre and the razorbill.
Upon arriving at Runde, the Murre waste no time in finding a mate and laying a single egg. But here's where things get interesting: just two weeks after hatching, the chick is encouraged to take a rather dramatic plunge – a 250-meter drop from the cliff edge into the waiting waves below! There, it floats on the surface as the father diligently cares for it, while the mother heads out to hunt.
The northern gannet is undeniably one of Runde's most captivating seabirds. These powerful birds have claimed the cliffs once occupied by black-legged kittiwakes, who have since moved on. Gannets are renowned for their breathtaking hunting dives, plunging into the sea at speeds reaching 100 kilometers per hour, like a feathered spear. Their sleek, aerodynamic form, in fact, rivals that of the kingfisher—a bird so perfectly designed for speed that it inspired Japanese engineers in the development of high-speed trains. By studying the kingfisher's beak, engineers were able to minimize air resistance when trains entered tunnels.
Curious about Runde's amazing seabirds? Join us for a guided tour of the bird exhibition at Runde Environmental Center!
Book the activityBonus: Your ticket includes a guided tour of our Runde Treasure exhibition, where you'll hear fascinating tales of history and discovery!
Runde's most celebrated resident is undoubtedly the puffin, returning each spring to breed on the island. From April to August, visitors gather at Lundeura in the evenings, eager to witness the charming "sea parrot" flitting in and out of its burrows on the grassy slopes of the steep mountainside.
A Safari to the World of Puffins
The puffins bring messages from the sea
However, Runde is not just a haven for puffins. A diverse array of seabirds inhabits the island's cliffs, and the bird exhibition at Runde Environmental Center is designed to reflect the bird mountain. You'll embark on a journey that begins at sea level with the eider ducks and ascends through the exhibits, culminating in the majestic white-tailed eagle soaring high above. Along the way, you'll encounter intriguing stories about everything from shelducks and various gull species to the endangered auks—the common murre and the razorbill.
Upon arriving at Runde, the Murre waste no time in finding a mate and laying a single egg. But here's where things get interesting: just two weeks after hatching, the chick is encouraged to take a rather dramatic plunge – a 250-meter drop from the cliff edge into the waiting waves below! There, it floats on the surface as the father diligently cares for it, while the mother heads out to hunt.
The northern gannet is undeniably one of Runde's most captivating seabirds. These powerful birds have claimed the cliffs once occupied by black-legged kittiwakes, who have since moved on. Gannets are renowned for their breathtaking hunting dives, plunging into the sea at speeds reaching 100 kilometers per hour, like a feathered spear. Their sleek, aerodynamic form, in fact, rivals that of the kingfisher—a bird so perfectly designed for speed that it inspired Japanese engineers in the development of high-speed trains. By studying the kingfisher's beak, engineers were able to minimize air resistance when trains entered tunnels.
Curious about Runde's amazing seabirds? Join us for a guided tour of the bird exhibition at Runde Environmental Center!
Book the activityBonus: Your ticket includes a guided tour of our Runde Treasure exhibition, where you'll hear fascinating tales of history and discovery!