Norway Ramsar wetland
Giske Wildlife Sanctuary
230 bird species recorded; the most in May and from September to October.
Ryan Hodnett · CC BY-SA 4.0
This month here
113 species in January.109 species in February.121 species in March.140 species in April.165 species in May.151 species in June.141 species in July.151 species in August.163 species in September.154 species in October.116 species in November.109 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.
NT
VU
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VUVUNT
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VUNTVUNT
NTNT
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VU
NTNT
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NTNTNTNT
NTNT
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NTNT
NT
NTNT
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VUNTNTNTVUNT
VU
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NTVUVU
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VU
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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
230 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).
- 230Speciesrecorded more than once
- 136Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 15ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 33,745Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 11Raptors
- 3Owls
- 36Waders
- 32Gulls & seabirds
- 39Ducks & geese
- 10Herons, ibises & grebes
- 1Storks & cranes
- 83Songbirds
- 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 230 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors11 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- White-tailed EagleHaliaeetus albicilla
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- Eurasian GoshawkAccipiter gentilis
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- Golden EagleAquila chrysaetos
- Gyr FalconFalco rusticolus
- Rough-legged BuzzardButeo lagopus
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
Owls3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco
- Northern Eagle OwlBubo bubo
- Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
Waders36 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- RedshankTringa totanus
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- Purple SandpiperCalidris maritima
- Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- Little StintCalidris minuta
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
- Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticola
- Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
- Broad-billed SandpiperCalidris falcinellusVU
- Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotos
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
- Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
- Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisVU
- Black-winged PratincoleGlareola nordmanniNT
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatus
- White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisVU
- Eurasian DotterelCharadrius morinellus
- Grey (Red) PhalaropePhalaropus fulicarius
- Little ringed ploverCharadrius dubius
Gulls & seabirds32 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- European Herring GullLarus argentatus
- Common LoonGavia immer
- Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Common GullLarus canus
- Northern gannetMorus bassanus
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Red-throated LoonGavia stellata
- Black-legged kittiwakeRissa tridactylaVU
- Iceland GullLarus glaucoides
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Black GuillemotCepphus grylle
- Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreus
- RazorbillAlca torda
- Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
- Black-throated DiverGavia arctica
- European Storm-PetrelHydrobates pelagicus
- Great skuaStercorarius skua
- Arctic TernSterna paradisaea
- Common MurreUria aalge
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
- Yellow-billed DiverGavia adamsiiNT
- FulmarFulmarus glacialis
- Little AukAlle alle
- Atlantic PuffinFratercula arcticaVU
- Leach's Storm PetrelOceanodroma leucorhoaVU
- Pomarine SkuaStercorarius pomarinus
- American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus
- Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
- Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphia
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Long-tailed SkuaStercorarius longicaudus
Ducks & geese39 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- Common EiderSomateria mollissimaNT
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Common ScoterMelanitta nigra
- Long-tailed duckClangula hyemalisVU
- Whooper SwanCygnus cygnus
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- Velvet scoterMelanitta fuscaVU
- Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis
- Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus
- Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula
- Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifrons
- Greater ScaupAythya marila
- Brent GooseBranta bernicla
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- GadwallMareca strepera
- Lesser white-fronted gooseAnser erythropusVU
- Taiga Bean GooseAnser fabalis
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- GarganeySpatula querquedula
- Tundra Bean GooseAnser serrirostris
- King EiderSomateria spectabilis
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- GoosanderMergus merganser
- Bar-headed GooseAnser indicus
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
- Green-winged tealAnas carolinensis
- American WigeonMareca americana
- Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillata
- Mute SwanCygnus olor
- Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsii
- Ruddy ShelduckTadorna ferruginea
- SmewMergellus albellus
- Mandarin DuckAix galericulata
- Steller's EiderPolysticta stelleriVU
Herons, ibises & grebes10 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis
- Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegena
- Horned GrebePodiceps auritusVU
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
Storks & cranes1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common CraneGrus grus
Songbirds83 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- European Rock PipitAnthus petrosus
- Hooded CrowCorvus cornix
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- Great titParus major
- TwiteLinaria flavirostris
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- FieldfareTurdus pilaris
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalis
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Common RedpollAcanthis flammea
- Willow TitPoecile montanus
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicus
- YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- Lesser whitethroatSylvia curruca
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Common crossbillLoxia curvirostra
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
- Common Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
- Ring OuzelTurdus torquatus
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- European Crested TitLophophanes cristatus
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulus
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- WoodlarkLullula arborea
- Parrot CrossbillLoxia pytyopsittacus
- Eurasian TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
- Richard's PipitAnthus richardi
- Icterine warblerHippolais icterina
- Shore LarkEremophila alpestris
- Marsh TitPoecile palustris
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- Citrine WagtailMotacilla citreola
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- Marsh warblerAcrocephalus palustris
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- Yellow-browed WarblerPhylloscopus inornatus
- Eurasian River WarblerLocustella fluviatilis
- Common RosefinchCarpodacus erythrinus
- Arctic RedpollAcanthis hornemanni
- Rosy StarlingPastor roseus
- Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurio
- White-winged CrossbillLoxia leucoptera
- Lanius excubitorLanius excubitor
- Greater Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactyla
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Barred WarblerSylvia nisoria
- Rufous-tailed Scrub RobinErythropygia galactotes
- Common FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
Other birds15 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- European SwiftApus apus
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- Corncrake, corn crakeCrex crex
- Grey-headed WoodpeckerPicus canus
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
- CootFulica atra
- Spotted CrakePorzana porzana
- PtarmiganLagopus muta
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
Giske Wildlife Sanctuary.
Protected area in Norway (Naturbase code: VV00001392)
Giske Wildlife Sanctuary is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Norway.
230 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 33,745 open records.
The most recorded are the Eurasian Curlew, the Common Shelduck and the Greylag Goose.
80 species come for the summer, 53 for the winter and 3 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
- Godøy Småbåthavncampsite · 3.7 km · 6 within 10 km
- Alnes Gårdplace to stay · 3.4 km · 14 within 10 km
- Valderøynearest town · 5.5 km in a straight line
- Ålesund Airport (AES)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 8 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
- 6viewpoints within 5 kmSukkertoppen, Rantane, Johann Skytt and 3 more
- 15car parks within 3 km
- 6campsites within 10 kmGodøy Småbåthavn, Skjerva bobilparkering, Hjelsetgården bobilparkering and 3 more
- 14places to stay within 10 kmAlnes Gård, Vigra fjordhotell, AirBnB and 11 more
- bird hides within 6 km
- observation towers within 6 km
- marked trails within 4 km
- visitor centres within 6 km
- restaurants and cafés within 3 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 Wildlife Sanctuary.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas651 mountains within 25 kmSukkertoppen, Heissa314 m · 6.1 kmAksla166 m · 7.8 kmTverrfjellet777 m · 12 kmMyklebosthornet329 m · 13 kmGoaldet490 m · 15 kmLeinehornet364 m · 24 kmKongsvollen683 m · 24 kmBergetindane620 m · 25 km
Coastya1 beaches within 10 kmBlimsanden · 7.0 km
Lakeyas2 lakes within 15 kmAlnesvatnet0.5 km² · 3.9 kmBrørevatnet0.5 km² · 14 km
Cascadyas1 waterfalls within 15 kmFossane · 13 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 Wildlife Sanctuary
Norway
- 87Birdyas Score
- 230Species
- 136Migrants
- 15Threatened
Blindheimsvik Wildlife Sanctuary
Norway · 6 km
- 87Birdyas Score
- 242Species
- 135Migrants
- 15Threatened
Rørvikvatnet Nature Reserve
Norway · 7 km
- 87Birdyas Score
- 245Species
- 137Migrants
- 15Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q17776167) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 33,745 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, Coastya, Lakeyas, Cascadyas |
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