Iceland Road Painted To Stop Arctic Terns Being Killed

A group of biologists have painted the road Útnesvegur, located on the tip of Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland, in bright colours in an effort to prevent the untimely death of hundreds of young Arctic terns.

h/t: icelandmag

Large Arctic tern colonies are found on Snæfellsnes peninsula, especially in the area between the hamlets of Hellissandur and Rif. The young often wander onto roads, seeking the heat from the tarmac, and consequently get killed by passing vehicles.

Biology student Hanna Kristrún Jónsdóttir oversees the project. She hopes the results will prove to be beneficial. “The black colour of the tarmac serves as camouflage for the young. We hope the bright colours will deter the birds from wandering onto the roads,” she told the National Broadcasting Service.

Chunks of the road were painted in three different colours. The experiment’s results will be determined at the end of summer and hopefully repeated next year if proven successful.