AU takes action to reduce rook population in the University Park

If you take a walk through the University Park in the early morning hours of May, you might come across a hunter. He has been tasked with controlling the park's large population of rooks. The Danish Nature Agency has granted permission to regulate the rook population due to the birds' loud calls. Photo: Jens Hartmann Schmidt

15 May 2025 by Henriette Stevnhøj

A new rook colony in the oak trees in the northwestern part of the University Park has become so noisy that Aarhus University has been given permission to take action to reduce the number of birds. To reduce the rook population, a licensed hunter will shoot the young as they leave the nests. This is intended to stress the birds into abandoning their nests and leaving the park.

Rooks are protected in Denmark, as are their eggs and young. So it’s always necessary to obtain permission from the Danish Nature Agency before taking steps to regulate their population, such as shooting birds in the colony or disturbing them earlier in the season by removing their nests.

The latter approach was no longer an option for this year, admits the head of Estates Facilities at Heath Conor Leerhøy, who is responsible for operations and maintenance in the University Park.

“We discovered the colony in March, but by then the breeding season had already started, so shooting the young is the most effective solution,” says Conor Leerhøy.

This action is being taken to protect residents in the Student Halls of Residence in the University Park, which are located less than 200 metres from the oak trees with nests.

“Rooks are extremely loud, and the noise they generate is considered harmful to people’s health. So we see no other solution,” says Conor Leerhøy.

The culling measures will be undertaken by a licensed hunter, who will use a small calibre rifle fitted with a silencer, so no gunshots will be heard in the University Park.

However, Conor Leerhøy stresses the importance of informing the public about the regulation effort, so that nobody becomes unnecessarily alarmed if they see someone with a firearm in the park. The shooting will take place in the early morning hours between 06:00 and 07:30 and will end on 3 June.

When the breeding season is over, the nests may be removed between 1 August 2025 and 1 February 2026 to prevent the colony’s growth. However, it is expected that the rooks will return next spring.

Contact

Head of Estates Facilities Conor Richard O'Connor Leerhøy
45 28 99 22 41
conor@au.dk