Finland lies in the conifer zone with nearly a third of the country under marsh or bog. Mixed woodlands of spruce and birch hold many of the typical taiga species including the various owls, Hawk, Eagle, Ural and Tengmalms, Hazel Grouse and White-backed and Three-toed Woodpeckers.

Woodland further north holds Siberian Jays and Pine Grosbeaks. The eastern forests provide the best chance of finding Red-flanked Bluetail. Terek Sandpipers have nested. Broad-billed Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope and Temminck's Stint are more likely to be encountered.

Red-flanked Bluetail

Red-flanked Bluetail © Andy Walker

Lofoten Birding

For guided birding in neighbouring Northern Norway with experienced birders and photographers contact Martin Eggen and Håvard Eggen.

Showing the 37 Most Recent Trip Reports Posted

Finland and Varanger, May 2001 , author Surfbirds Admin (link created September 23, 2004)

Low cost birding in Finland with RyanAir, June 2004, author Surfbirds Admin (added September 23, 2004)

Finland (and Norway), the owls, June 2002 , author Surfbirds Admin (link created September 23, 2004)

Finland, 10th - 24th June 2000, author Surfbirds Admin (added September 23, 2004)

Birding through Finland (& Norway), author Surfbirds Admin (added September 23, 2004)

(Northern) Finland, Varangerfjord and a little bit of Sweden, May 26th - June 6th 2000, author Surfbirds Admin (added September 23, 2004)

North Finland and Norway, March - April 2003, author Surfbirds Admin (added September 23, 2004)

Finland, Estonia and Arctic Norway - May - June 2005, author Pete Morris (link created September 11, 2008)
(eight species of woodpecker and owl including Great Grey Owl and Northern Hawk Owl)

Finland May 2006 by Sue Bryan, author Sue Bryan (link created October 3, 2006)
(Ohlu, Great Grey Owl, Hawk Owl, Ural Owl)

Finland and Norway, 7th-29th July 2007, author Daniel López Velasco (added October 28, 2007)
(Is it possible to see the spring Finnish and Lapland specialties in July, as well as the three late arrival species (Arctic, Booted and Lanceolated Warblers)?)

Finland etc (trip around Baltic Sea) May-Jun 2014 , author John van der Woude (link created October 10, 2016)
(along the eastern border)

Finland 16th - 20th May 2005, author Bob Swann (added October 1, 2005)
(Oulu, Kuusomo, Great grey owl, Tengalm's owl, Siberian Jay, Red-flanked Bluetail)

Western Finland and Southern Lapland - 25th May - 4th June 2007, author Michael Cram (link created November 4, 2008)
(based in Oulu)

Finland, Scotland, Portugal, Spain - Oct-Nov 2023, author Greg Roberts (added November 11, 2023)
(Helsinki, Central Finland, Scottish Highlands, Isle of Skye, southern Portugal, southern & central Spain)

Finland - Bears and Birds - May 2013, author Mike Neale (added May 29, 2013)
(South/Mid Finland in May)

Finland - 29th May - June 6th 2010, author Neil Julian Thomas (added March 29, 2011)
(Helsinki to Inari in search of owls)

Finland - 24th - 26th February 2007, author Mark Hows (added March 18, 2007)
(Azure Tit, Hawk Owl and other specialities)

Finland May 2005, author Surfbirds Admin (added June 4, 2005)
(Oulu, Kuusamo, Great Grey Owl, Hawk Owl, Tengmalm's Owl, Pygmy Owl, Ural Owl, Siberian Jay, Siberian Tit, Hazel Grouse.)

Finnish Lapland & Arctic Norway - 27th May to 5th June 2005, author Christopher Hall (added June 30, 2005)
(Little Bunting plus lots of other Finnish specialities)

Finland - Owls and Woodpeckers - 20th - 25th May 2018, author Tony Moverley (added June 28, 2018)
(Oulu, Kuusamo)

Finland - owling weekend with Finnature - May 2011, author Jeff Hazell (added June 27, 2011)
(Finnature, Finland's Owls, Great Grey Owl, Oulu)

Finland - April 4th to 10th 2009, author Dave Wright (added June 2, 2009)

Finland - 22nd - 28th May 2017, author Glyn Sellors (link created June 13, 2017)
(Stunning images of Black-throated Divers, Little Gulls, Capercaillies, Hawk Owls and Pygmy Owls)

Finland - 27th May - 12th June 2011, author Mark Hows (added July 6, 2011)
(with photos of all the key species)

Finland - 14th to 18th May 2011, author Ian Merrill (added July 5, 2011)
(Ural Owl, Great Grey Owl, Northern Hawk-Owl, Eurasian Pygmy Owl, Tengmalm's Owl, Siberian Jay, Siberian Tit)

Finland and Northern Norway - From Joburg to Varanger and back - June 8th - 19th 2012, author John Bannon (added July 4, 2012)
(Six South Africans and a Scouser go birding from Helsinki to Varangerfjord and back (aka the ‘Quest for the Mythical Cinnamon Bun’). )

Finland & Norway, author Chris Mills (link created July 15, 2006)
(Central, Northern Finland, & Arctic Norway,Veranger Fjord, Chris Mills, Norfolk Birding, Finnature, Hawk Owl, Long-tailed Skua, Tengmalms Owl, Pygmy Owl, Great Grey Owl, Pine grosbeak, Brunnich's Guillemot)

Finland - May 2006, author Alan Miller (added January 5, 2007)
(A beautiful country with outstanding scenery and friendly people. Nine days in Finland produced a list of 143 species including all five speciality owls.)

Northern Finland - May - June 2003, author John van der Woude (link created January 25, 2011)
(Inari, Kuusamo, Oulu)

Finland (Independently) in Spring - 25th May - 19th June 2019, author Colin Reid (added January 15, 2020)
(Russian border, east of Oulu and similarly in the south, east of Helsinki, Western Capercaillie, River Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Great Grey Owl, Ural Owl, Northern Hawk Owl, Siberian Jay)

The owls of Finland - 2nd - 13th June 2002, author Birdseekers (link created January 15, 2007)

Finland & Arctic Norway: July 2014, author Karl Overman (added December 27, 2014)

Finland - 26th July - 2nd August, Mostly Mammals, author Neil Julian Thomas (added August 9, 2019)
(Wolverine, Wolf, Brown Bear, European Beaver, Ural Owl, Siberian Jay)

Finland and Arctic Norway - Summer 2016, author Mike Neale (added August 18, 2016)

Trip report to Finland and Varanger (Norway) - 16 July - 3 August 2010, author Anna Gallés (added August 13, 2010)
(Viikki, Laajalahti, Parikkala, Kuusamo, Varanger, Yellow-billed Loon, Two-barred Crossbill, Penduline Tit, White-backed Woodpecker, Lappland Bunting, Long-tailed Skua, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Pine Grosbeak)

Finland and Norway - 8th - 15th June 2018, author Glyn Sellors (link created August 11, 2018)
(Photos of Long-tailed Skua, Red-necked Phalarope, Little Bunting, Pine Grosbeak and more)

Finland - February 2019, author Glyn Sellors (link created April 5, 2019)
(Stunning Great Grey Owl and Hawk Owl images)

No Sightings Have Been Posted for this Region Yet.