The Environmental Health and Protection Office of the City of Reykjavík decided on Monday to give baby geese and other nestlings, hatched around the Reykjavík Pond next spring, food to secure their survival.
According to a recent report undertaken by the City of Reykjavík, the growth rate of the bird species living in the vicinity of the pond in central Reykjavík has come to a standstill and has not been as low since registration of the bird species began in 1973. Fréttabladid reports.
“We take the report very seriously,” said the director of the Environmental Health and Protection Office, Gísli Marteinn Baldursson. “If we don’t take action now we might lose the variety of bird life we have enjoyed at Reykjavík Pond.”
Only the graylag goose has been successful in bringing up its nestlings in recent years. It seems as if none of the nestlings of the species gadwall, tufted duck, eider and arctic tern have survived from last spring.
Likely reasons are lack of food in the pond and in the ocean and the growth of the population of lesser black-backed gull around the Reykjavík Pond.
In addition to feeding the nestlings hatched at the pond next spring, the Environmental Health and Protection Office of the City of Reykjavík has decided to take actions to scare the lesser black-backed gull away, which often beats the other birds to the food.
