Norway Ramsar wetland
Giske Wetlands System
220 bird species recorded; the most from April to May and from September to October.
Ryan Hodnett · CC BY-SA 4.0
This month here
107 species in January.103 species in February.115 species in March.140 species in April.152 species in May.137 species in June.124 species in July.132 species in August.148 species in September.146 species in October.115 species in November.112 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.
VU
NT
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VUNT
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VU
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NTVUNT
NTVUVUNT
NT
NT
NT
VUVU
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NTNT
NTNTNTNT
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NTNTNTNT
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VU
NTNTNTVU
VU
NTNT
VUNT
VUNTVUVUNTNTVUVUVUNT
NT
NTVUVUVU- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
220 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).
- 220Speciesrecorded more than once
- 126Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 14ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 21,215Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 13Raptors
- 4Owls
- 33Waders
- 26Gulls & seabirds
- 37Ducks & geese
- 11Herons, ibises & grebes
- 2Storks & cranes
- 79Songbirds
- 15Other 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 220 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors13 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- White-tailed EagleHaliaeetus albicilla
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- 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
Owls4 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco
- Northern Eagle OwlBubo bubo
- Northern Hawk-OwlSurnia ulula
Waders33 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- RedshankTringa totanus
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- Purple SandpiperCalidris maritima
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticola
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Little StintCalidris minuta
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
- Spotted SandpiperActitis macularius
- Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotos
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
- Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
- Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
- Broad-billed SandpiperCalidris falcinellusVU
- Great SnipeGallinago mediaNT
- Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisVU
Gulls & seabirds26 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- 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
- Black GuillemotCepphus grylle
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Black-legged kittiwakeRissa tridactylaVU
- RazorbillAlca torda
- Iceland GullLarus glaucoides
- Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
- Black-throated DiverGavia arctica
- Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreus
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
- Common MurreUria aalge
- Yellow-billed DiverGavia adamsiiNT
- European Storm-PetrelHydrobates pelagicus
- Arctic TernSterna paradisaea
- Little AukAlle alle
- FulmarFulmarus glacialis
- Atlantic PuffinFratercula arcticaVU
- Great skuaStercorarius skua
- Pontic gullLarus cachinnans
Ducks & geese37 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- Common EiderSomateria mollissimaNT
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Common ScoterMelanitta nigra
- Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
- Long-tailed duckClangula hyemalisVU
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- Whooper SwanCygnus cygnus
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- Velvet scoterMelanitta fuscaVU
- Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis
- Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula
- Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifrons
- Greater ScaupAythya marila
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- Brent GooseBranta bernicla
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- GarganeySpatula querquedula
- Taiga Bean GooseAnser fabalis
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- Red-breasted GooseBranta ruficollisVU
- GadwallMareca strepera
- Tundra Bean GooseAnser serrirostris
- GoosanderMergus merganser
- Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillata
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- Bar-headed GooseAnser indicus
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
- American WigeonMareca americana
- Mute SwanCygnus olor
- Lesser white-fronted gooseAnser erythropusVU
- Snow gooseAnser caerulescens
- King EiderSomateria spectabilis
- Steller's EiderPolysticta stelleriVU
- Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsii
Herons, ibises & grebes11 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- 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
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common CraneGrus grus
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
Songbirds79 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- European Rock PipitAnthus petrosus
- Hooded CrowCorvus cornix
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Great titParus major
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- FieldfareTurdus pilaris
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- TwiteLinaria flavirostris
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalis
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- Willow TitPoecile montanus
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- Common RedpollAcanthis flammea
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- Common Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
- YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- European Crested TitLophophanes cristatus
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- Common crossbillLoxia curvirostra
- Parrot CrossbillLoxia pytyopsittacus
- Lesser whitethroatSylvia curruca
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicus
- Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulus
- Paddyfield WarblerAcrocephalus agricola
- Rosy StarlingPastor roseus
- Marsh TitPoecile palustris
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- Marsh warblerAcrocephalus palustris
- Icterine warblerHippolais icterina
- White-winged CrossbillLoxia leucoptera
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- Eurasian TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
- Blyth’s Reed WarblerAcrocephalus dumetorum
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- Ring OuzelTurdus torquatus
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- Citrine WagtailMotacilla citreola
- Yellow-browed WarblerPhylloscopus inornatus
- HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
- Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurio
- Shore LarkEremophila alpestris
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- Eurasian River WarblerLocustella fluviatilis
- Arctic RedpollAcanthis hornemanni
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- Richard's PipitAnthus richardi
Other birds15 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- Corncrake, corn crakeCrex crex
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- European SwiftApus apus
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
- Black GrouseLyrurus tetrix
- Spotted CrakePorzana porzana
- Grey-headed WoodpeckerPicus canus
- 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 from April to 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
Giske Wetlands System.
Protected wetlands in Norway
Giske Wetlands System is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Norway.
220 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 21,215 open records.
The most recorded are the Eurasian Curlew, the Common Loon and the Eurasian Oystercatcher.
64 species come for the summer, 58 for the winter and 4 only pass through.
14 are threatened worldwide, including Long-tailed duck, Velvet scoter and Horned Grebe.
The most species are recorded from April to May and from September to October.
Get there and watch
- Hjelsetgården bobilparkeringcampsite · 10 km · 1 within 10 km
- Vigra fjordhotellplace to stay · 4.8 km · 9 within 10 km
- Nordstrandanearest town · 5.6 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
- 12car parks within 3 km
- 2restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- 1campsites within 10 kmHjelsetgården bobilparkering
- 9places to stay within 10 kmVigra fjordhotell, Quality Hotel Ålesund, Hotel Noreg and 6 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 Giske Wetlands System.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas562 mountains within 25 kmGoaldet490 m · 7.8 kmAksla166 m · 10 kmMyklebosthornet329 m · 11 kmSukkertoppen, Heissa314 m · 11 kmTverrfjellet777 m · 17 kmBergetindane620 m · 20 kmHellandshornet · 21 kmFonnehesten540 m · 22 km
Islandyasthe islandVigra20 km²
Coastya1 beaches within 10 kmBlimsanden · 2.7 km
Lakeyas2 lakes within 15 kmAlnesvatnet0.5 km² · 12 kmSøvikvatnet0.3 km² · 12 km
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Photographs
The place, as people saw it.
Other places nearby.
Giske Wetlands System
Norway
- 86Birdyas Score
- 220Species
- 126Migrants
- 14Threatened
Blindheimsvik Wildlife Sanctuary
Norway · 1 km
- 87Birdyas Score
- 242Species
- 135Migrants
- 15Threatened
Rørvikvatnet Nature Reserve
Norway · 2 km
- 87Birdyas Score
- 245Species
- 137Migrants
- 15Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q17776168) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 21,215 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.
beaches
Find your beach: sea temperature, sun and swimming month by month.Visit lakes
Every lake on Earth: water temperature, ice, depth and the shore.Visit mountains
Every summit in 3D: summit weather, the 0 °C line, huts and trails.Visit 
waterfalls
Every waterfall: height, flow month by month and when it roars.Visit islands
Every island from the sea up: size, sea temperature, ferries and 3D.Visit 
rivers
Every river from source to sea: the journey, the flow and the basin in numbers.Visit 
canyons
Every canyon cut to scale: depth to the floor, rim and floor temperatures, trails and viewpoints.Visit 
caves
Every cave with its real depth and length: the rock above, the temperature inside all year, and how to visit.Visit 
dark skies
Where the night is still dark: the sky of every place, the Milky Way month by month, the Moon, eclipses and auroras.Visit 
viewpoints
Every viewpoint with its real 360° panorama: the peaks you can name, how far you see and where the sun sets.Coming soonVisit 
birdwatching
Every bird sanctuary and wetland with the species recorded month by month: who is resident, who comes for the summer, who only passes through.You are here
forests
Every forest with its land-cover rings, what grows and lives in it, and the best months to walk it.Coming soonVisit