Birdwatching locations in Helsinki

A woman is Bird-watching over the marshes from Lammassaari duckboards on a clear, sunny day.
English

Helsinki offers lots of great opportunities for birdwatching in springtime. Most of the birdwatching spots in Helsinki are easy to get to by public transport or bicycle, for example. This article presents five birdwatching locations, four of which are easily accessible, plus Laajalahti Nature Reserve in Espoo, which you can get to by metro. To get to the fifth, the island of Isosaari, you will need to jump on a boat.

Risto Nevanlinna
Birdwatcher
Risto Nevanlinna

The basic tool you need for birdwatching is a pair of binoculars. A more powerful telescope on a stand is useful for following migrations and watching birds across broad wetlands and fields. The other things you need for a successful birdwatching outing are warm clothing and plenty of snacks.

You should head out early in the morning. Birdwatching enthusiasts like to get to the birdwatching towers already at sunrise, which means getting up at an ungodly hour especially in springtime – but it’s worth it! Many birds are most vocal and active at sunrise, and there are fewer disturbances. Birds of prey and cranes, on the other hand, are more active later in the day.

A polite, expectant silence usually prevails at birdwatching towers and popular viewing areas. If there is too much talking, you might miss the sounds of migrating birds overhead. Still, don’t be afraid to ask more experienced birdwatchers for help in identifying the birds – there is no such thing as a stupid question!

Lammassaari
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Old Town Bay and Viikki

The most expansive nature reserve in Helsinki, the Old Town Bay (Vanhankaupunginlahti) is perfect for a quick visit to the island of Lammassaari or the fields of Viikki, for example. Equally well, you can spend an entire day climbing the seven birdwatching towers in the area and observing from the bird hide at Pornaistenniemi.

Around 80 different bird species nest each year in the Old Town Bay, and many times more can be observed during the migration season. The great crested grebe and common goldeneye can be seen in large numbers on the water, while the singing of reed warblers, sedge warblers and common reed buntings can be heard coming from the reeds. You may even spot a great reed warbler among them. The high-pitched piglet-like squeals of the water rail can be heard especially at dawn and dusk. The groves along the shoreline offer an ideal habitat for Eurasian blackcaps and thrush nightingales, while Northern lapwings and Eurasian skylarks can be heard in and above the fields.

The Old Town Bay and Viikki have been popular among birdwatchers for many years. Painter and ornithologist Magnus von Wright spent a lot of time there in the early 1800s, and in the 1940s the ornithologist Leo Lehtonen published a book entitled “Bird Paradise” (Lintuparatiisi) specifically about the Old Town Bay. The first funding for the nature reserve was secured in 1959, and systematic bird monitoring has taken place there since 1986. These days, the Old Town Bay is one of the most popular birdwatching destinations in Finland.

Uutela
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Vuosaari landfill hill and Uutela recreational area

The Vuosaari landfill hill is a rarity among birdwatching locations, as it was entirely built by human hand during the construction of the nearby Vuosaari Harbour. It reaches an impressive height of 60 metres above sea level, and in the 2010s it has been landscaped with rocks, logs, plants and paths.

A popular destination among birdwatchers, the landfill hill is fondly referred to as Himalaya, but in reality it resembles more closely a Lappish fell covered by lots of plant life. The hill affords an unobstructed view in all directions, which makes it perfect for observing birds feeding or nesting on the hill, as well as migratory birds. These include common buzzards, rough-legged buzzards, geese and common wood pigeons. Arrivals in springtime also include thrush nightingales, marsh warblers and reed warblers, which can be heard around the hill especially at night. The corn crake can also be heard, though it is less esteemed for its singing skills, as it is a perennial visitor to the area.

If you decide to go to the Vuosaari landfill hill, you should combine it with a visit to the beautiful Uutela recreational area. There you can hike through old forests, admire the wetlands and enjoy the scenery from the Skatanniemi or Särkkäniemi headlands, which extend all the way out to the sea. These places are also perfect for observing the spring migration of arctic geese and waterfowl.

View from Lauttasaari overlooking a bay surrounded by reeds and grasses, where the city can be seen on the horizon to the left. The sky is a mixture of brilliant blue, distorted to dusky purples by clouds on the left and reflected in the water..
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Lauttasaari

The residential island of Lauttasaari may not be a “hot spot” among bird enthusiasts, but it actually offers lots of excellent opportunities for birdwatching. It even has a birdwatching tower at Myllykallio that affords an unobstructed view – and splendid vistas – especially the west and south, out to the sea. In March–April you can expect to see taiga bean geese and greater white-fronted geese heading inland, and in April, with the right wind, you might spot common cranes returning to the north.

As spring progresses and the migration of arctic waterfowl picks up, the rocky southern tip of the island – Särkiniemi – is ideal for observing this natural spectacle. With a suitably southwest wind, you might see barnacle geese, for example. Looking in the same direction towards the horizon, you might also see silent formations of long-tailed ducks and loons. Especially in early spring, you can see lots of local long-tailed ducks feeding in the waters just off the coast.

Lauttasaari is the perfect destination for enjoying a birdwatching walk or cycle ride last two or three hours. You can start from the Koivusaari metro station and then follow the shoreline down to the Särkiniemi headland. At the Humaus ice-swimming area you can head inland again and then follow the paths through the park to the Myllykallio birdwatching tower. From there it’s a short walk back to either the Koivusaari or Lauttasaari metro stations.

Isosaari
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Isosaari

The island of Isosaari is Helsinki’s “newest” birdwatching destination. Having served the military for over a century as a fortified island, Isosaari was closed to the public until recent years. Now you can get there by ferry from the Market Square and even stay overnight on the island. In addition to a camping area, there is also a guest harbour, and more services are planned for the future.

From mid-May to the end of the month, Isosaari is an ideal place for observing the migrating barnacle geese, brent geese, long-tailed ducks, common scoters, loons and red-throated divers. A good spot on the island for doing so is the base of the Peninniemi headland on the northeast side (the rest of the headland is still closed to the public).

Watching the spring arctic birds while standing on the rocky shoreline means waking up early, being patient – not all days are perfect for birdwatching – and warm clothing, as the temperatures on the outer islands can get very chilly. Fortunately, Isosaari is not just a “big island” but also a very diverse one for bird enthusiasts. In the forested interior of the island you can hear the singing of greenish warblers, Eurasian wrens and red-breasted flycatchers. In more open areas you might hear the chirping of the common rosefinch or the melancholic call of an Eurasian wryneck. You could even see a red-backed shrike stalking its prey or common house martins, which nest on the island.

Later in spring, the shrubs provide singing platforms for nightingales and reed warblers, which begin singing late in the evening and cease their singing one by one at sunrise. The birdlife along the shoreline and nearby islands is very diverse with common eiders, black guillemots and common sandpipers.

Little birdwatcher in Espoo
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Espoo, Laajalahti

Laajalahti is a lush bay nestled between Helsinki and Espoo. The Laajalahti Nature Reserve can be found on the Espoo side, and the best view to the nature reserve is from the Maarinlahti birdwatching tower, which is just over a five-minute walk from the Aalto University metro station.

Laajalahti is among the best bird wetlands in the metropolitan area. The nature reserve covers an area of just under two square kilometres and is mainly open water with reeds, wet meadows and lush groves along the shores. Laajalahti is known as a diverse nesting area and resting stop for migratory waterfowl and waders, especially in April–May. The birdwatching tower is perfect for observing the migrating birds, as well as local species.

The meadow in front of the Maarinlahti birdwatching tower offers an excellent opportunity for learning to identify waders. You will soon become acquainted with common ringed plovers, little ringed plovers, redshanks, wood sandpipers and ruffs, and with a bit of luck you might even spot some less common waders, such as broad-billed sandpipers and little stints. There are also plenty of species of waterfowl, and out in the open water in springtime you might see dozens of smews and hundreds of tufted ducks and common mergansers. The reeds surrounding the birdwatching tower are the home of common reed buntings in the early spring, and later in the spring you can also hear reed warblers and sedge warblers – and often also the less common great reed warbler.

Because of its popularity, you will almost always find experienced bird enthusiasts at the Maarinlahti birdwatching tower. Don’t be afraid to ask them for advice and help identifying the birds, and they’ll also be happy to point out the most interesting species among the hundreds or even thousands of birds. A two-kilometre nature trail leads from the tower to the Nature House Villa Elfvik, close to which is another birdwatching tower looking over the bay.

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Helsinki offers lots of great opportunities for birdwatching in springtime. Most of the birdwatching spots in Helsinki are easy to get to by public transport or bicycle, for example. This article presents five birdwatching locations.