This is the third year in the row when a pair of Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) breeds on the roof of the Natural Sciences building of the University of Bergen in Norway (only two floors above my office actually). Although this species usually breeds on the flat open ground, the „roof-breeding“ Oystercatchers have been described from few places worldwide – the best known is the population of ca. 230 roof-breeding pairs (in 2004) in Aberdeen (Scotland). Besides Norway and Scotland the roof-breeding Oystercatchers have been observed in Netherlands, Belgium, Finnland, Latvia and Germany.

For the first time this year the Oystercatchers appeared on 8. March; 26.April there were already two eggs in the nest and two days later, 28.April the third and last egg was laid. The birds are now hatching as you can see on the web-cam installed next to the nest. The live-cam snapshots and the whole story about roof-breeding Oystercatchers is available through this link below:

 

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