Finland Birding Tours

During our Finland birding tours we will take in the vast wilderness and its wonderful wildlife. The important wetland of Liminganlahti, part of the Oulu region wetlands, and the Oulanka National Park will be particular highlights (a veritable shorebird and wildfowl paradise), as well as our first taste of the expanse of taiga forest which spreads northwards. The services of our excellent local guides give us fantastic chances of finding the specialty birds of Finland. Oulu and Oulanka are two of the 100 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Finland and these are vital sites for the birdlife of the country. As we head north, we will see the habitats change until we make the long journey across Lapland to Norway and the second leg of our combined Finland and Norway tour.

According to International Ornithological Congress (IOC) taxonomy, Finland has a bird list of 495 species (IOC v10.2), as of September 2020, of which 26 are globally threatened and quite a few are species at the northwesternmost limit of their breeding range. The list of highlight species of our Finland and Norway birding tour is extensive. Therefore, we have broken down the highlights into different regions that we will visit.

In the Oulu region wetlands we hope to come across a large number of shorebird (wader) species (including rare breeders such as Ruff, Spotted Redshank, and Terek Sandpiper). In addition, Common Crane, Caspian Tern, Black-throated Loon, Pallid Harrier, Blyth’s Reed Warbler, and Citrine Wagtail are all highly prized target species.

Moving north into the deep forests around Ivalo we will look for Hazel Grouse (Hazel Hen), Western Capercaillie, White-tailed Eagle, seven owl species (Eurasian Eagle-Owl, Ural Owl, Eurasian Pygmy Owl, Great Grey Owl, Boreal (Tengmalm’s) Owl, Tawny Owl, and Long-eared Owl), Black Woodpecker, Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Siberian Jay, Spotted Nutcracker, and Parrot Crossbill.

Moving even further northeast in Finland and the start of the true taiga habitat, we can find rare European breeding bird species such as Bohemian Waxwing, Grey-headed Chickadee (Siberian Tit), Arctic Warbler, Red-flanked Bluetail, Pine Grosbeak, Arctic Redpoll, Lapland Longspur (Bunting), Little Bunting, and Rustic Bunting.

Crossing into Norway we can expect many of the species above plus more birds of prey such as Rough-legged Buzzard, Short-eared Owl, Snowy Owl, and Gyrfalcon.

Many more fantastic birds are likely (see the detailed itinerary here for more potential highlights); Finland’s avifauna is sure to captivate and astonish in equal measure. During our birding tour around Finland we may also come across large mammals such as Moose (Elk) and (European) Brown Bear.

The mystery and feeling of being immersed in nature are incomparable on the European continent and bird watching in Finland is loved by all visitors. Combined with a visit to the wonderful Varanger Peninsula in Arctic Norway, this Scandinavia birding tour promises the spectacular at every turn, while giving you an authentic Scandinavian experience with fantastic food and welcoming people.