Norway Ramsar wetland
Blindheimsvik Wildlife Sanctuary
242 bird species recorded; the most in May and from September to October.
Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 by EOX IT Services GmbH (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data), CC BY 4.0, with relief shading from Copernicus WorldDEM-30
This month here
116 species in January.108 species in February.123 species in March.147 species in April.167 species in May.148 species in June.137 species in July.153 species in August.175 species in September.164 species in October.121 species in November.118 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.



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- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
242 species, counted.
Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).
- 242Speciesrecorded more than once
- 135Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 15ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 36,401Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 14Raptors
- 4Owls
- 38Waders
- 31Gulls & seabirds
- 40Ducks & geese
- 11Herons, ibises & grebes
- 2Storks & cranes
- 86Songbirds
- 16Other birds
From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.
The checklist
All 242 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors14 species
- White-tailed EagleHaliaeetus albicilla
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- Eurasian GoshawkAccipiter gentilis
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Golden EagleAquila chrysaetos
- Gyr FalconFalco rusticolus
- Rough-legged BuzzardButeo lagopus
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
Owls4 species
- Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco
- Northern Eagle OwlBubo bubo
- Northern Hawk-OwlSurnia ulula
Waders38 species
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- RedshankTringa totanus
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- Purple SandpiperCalidris maritima
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Little StintCalidris minuta
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticola
- Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
- Broad-billed SandpiperCalidris falcinellusVU
- Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotos
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
- Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
- Spotted SandpiperActitis macularius
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
- Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisVU
- Black-winged PratincoleGlareola nordmanniNT
- Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatus
- White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisVU
- Great SnipeGallinago mediaNT
- Grey (Red) PhalaropePhalaropus fulicarius
- Little ringed ploverCharadrius dubius
Gulls & seabirds31 species
- Common LoonGavia immer
- European Herring GullLarus argentatus
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
- Common GullLarus canus
- Red-throated LoonGavia stellata
- Northern gannetMorus bassanus
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Black GuillemotCepphus grylle
- Iceland GullLarus glaucoides
- Black-legged kittiwakeRissa tridactylaVU
- Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreus
- RazorbillAlca torda
- Black-throated DiverGavia arctica
- Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
- Common MurreUria aalge
- Yellow-billed DiverGavia adamsiiNT
- Arctic TernSterna paradisaea
- European Storm-PetrelHydrobates pelagicus
- Great skuaStercorarius skua
- Little AukAlle alle
- Atlantic PuffinFratercula arcticaVU
- FulmarFulmarus glacialis
- Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
- Pomarine SkuaStercorarius pomarinus
- Long-tailed SkuaStercorarius longicaudus
- Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphia
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Pontic gullLarus cachinnans
Ducks & geese40 species
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Common EiderSomateria mollissimaNT
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
- Common ScoterMelanitta nigra
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Long-tailed duckClangula hyemalisVU
- Whooper SwanCygnus cygnus
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis
- Velvet scoterMelanitta fuscaVU
- Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus
- Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula
- Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifrons
- Greater ScaupAythya marila
- Brent GooseBranta bernicla
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- GadwallMareca strepera
- Taiga Bean GooseAnser fabalis
- Lesser white-fronted gooseAnser erythropusVU
- GarganeySpatula querquedula
- Tundra Bean GooseAnser serrirostris
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- Red-breasted GooseBranta ruficollisVU
- Bar-headed GooseAnser indicus
- GoosanderMergus merganser
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- Green-winged tealAnas carolinensis
- American WigeonMareca americana
- Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillata
- Mute SwanCygnus olor
- Snow gooseAnser caerulescens
- Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsii
- Ruddy ShelduckTadorna ferruginea
- SmewMergellus albellus
- King EiderSomateria spectabilis
- Steller's EiderPolysticta stelleriVU
Herons, ibises & grebes11 species
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis
- Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegena
- Horned GrebePodiceps auritusVU
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
Storks & cranes2 species
- Common CraneGrus grus
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
Songbirds86 species
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- European Rock PipitAnthus petrosus
- Hooded CrowCorvus cornix
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Great titParus major
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- FieldfareTurdus pilaris
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- TwiteLinaria flavirostris
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalis
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- Common RedpollAcanthis flammea
- Willow TitPoecile montanus
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- Common Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicus
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
- European Crested TitLophophanes cristatus
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- Lesser whitethroatSylvia curruca
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- Common crossbillLoxia curvirostra
- Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- Parrot CrossbillLoxia pytyopsittacus
- Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulus
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- Marsh warblerAcrocephalus palustris
- Rosy StarlingPastor roseus
- Paddyfield WarblerAcrocephalus agricola
- Icterine warblerHippolais icterina
- Marsh TitPoecile palustris
- White-winged CrossbillLoxia leucoptera
- Eurasian TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
- Blyth’s Reed WarblerAcrocephalus dumetorum
- Richard's PipitAnthus richardi
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- Ring OuzelTurdus torquatus
- Citrine WagtailMotacilla citreola
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- Yellow-browed WarblerPhylloscopus inornatus
- Eurasian River WarblerLocustella fluviatilis
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
- Arctic RedpollAcanthis hornemanni
- Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurio
- Shore LarkEremophila alpestris
- Red-throated PipitAnthus cervinus
- Greater Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactyla
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin
- Barred WarblerSylvia nisoria
- BluethroatLuscinia svecica
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- Rufous-tailed Scrub RobinErythropygia galactotes
- Common FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
Other birds16 species
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- Corncrake, corn crakeCrex crex
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- European SwiftApus apus
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
- Grey-headed WoodpeckerPicus canus
- Spotted CrakePorzana porzana
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
- Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
- WryneckJynx torquilla
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species in May and from September to October.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan2°/-1°172 mm
- Feb2°/-1°147 mm
- Mar3°/0°138 mm
- Apr7°/3°105 mm
- May10°/6°102 mm
- Jun13°/9°116 mm
- Jul16°/11°131 mm
- Aug16°/12°155 mm
- Sep13°/9°183 mm
- Oct9°/6°152 mm
- Nov5°/2°172 mm
- Dec3°/0°194 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Blindheimsvik Wildlife Sanctuary.
Protected area in Norway (Naturbase code: VV00001393)
Blindheimsvik Wildlife Sanctuary is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Norway.
242 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 36,401 open records.
The most recorded are the Eurasian Curlew, the Greylag Goose and the Common Shelduck.
75 species come for the summer, 58 for the winter and 2 only pass through.
15 are threatened worldwide, including Long-tailed duck, Grey Plover and Velvet scoter.
The most species are recorded in May and from September to October.

Get there and watch
- Hjelsetgården bobilparkeringcampsite · 8.9 km · 4 within 10 km
- Vigra fjordhotellplace to stay · 3.7 km · 17 within 10 km
- Nordstrandanearest town · 4.6 km in a straight line
- Ålesund Airport (AES)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 1 km in a straight lineCar hire at AES airport (Ålesund)Discover Cars · sponsored link↗
Plan the visit
A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
From above
The place and its surroundings.
The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.

Around, in OpenStreetMap
- 1viewpoints within 5 km
- 16car parks within 3 km
- 2restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- 4campsites within 10 kmHjelsetgården bobilparkering, Skjerva bobilparkering, Godøy Småbåthavn and 1 more
- 17places to stay within 10 kmVigra fjordhotell, Quality Hotel Ålesund, Hotel Noreg and 14 more
- bird hides within 6 km
- observation towers within 6 km
- marked trails within 4 km
- visitor centres within 6 km
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
In our other atlases
Around Blindheimsvik Wildlife Sanctuary.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q11961582) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 36,401 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology) |
| See these records | gbif.org |
| Species | GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons |
| Altitude | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Temperature and rain | NASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2) |
| What is around | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
| Sister atlases | Peakyas, Islandyas, Coastya, Lakeyas |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?
Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.



