University geese at risk – please show consideration

It is not only students and staff who reside on the university campus - a large flock of Greylag Geese lives here too. These geese aren't wild birds in the traditional sense; instead, they've adapted their behaviour to city life and live in close proximity to humans.

The Greylag Geese you see here have a unique history. Most migratory Icelandic geese, the traditional Greylags, fly to the United Kingdom for the winter. However, starting around 1970, a portion of the population settled in Reykjavík, nesting within the city limits. Their descendants have multiplied steadily ever since, and since the turn of the millennium, there has been a continuous increase in the population that stays in the capital year-round.

Today, thousands of Greylag Geese are a permanent fixture of city life. Many make their home right here at the University of Iceland and in the surrounding Vatnsmýri wetlands. They are so accustomed to people that they stroll peacefully across roads, car parks, and walkways on campus just like any other university community member; they have even been spotted inside the Main Building.

The geese remind us of the interplay between nature and human life and have, in fact, become an informal symbol for the University of Iceland. They have even become part of daily life at Háskólatorg, where plaster casts fly within the centre's yellow dome ceiling.

We kindly urge drivers and pedestrians to show consideration for the geese. Despite their proximity to the University and cars, they aren't exactly well-versed in traffic laws.

Please drive carefully when navigating the campus and allow these feathered colleagues of ours to enjoy the area on their own terms. Even if they aren't heading to a lecture, they are still valued members of the university community.