Liminka Bay is the number one bird watching spot in Finland.
Table of Contents
Or so says our guide Jari Peltomäki, one of Finland’s top wildlife photographers. He’s won the Finnish Wildlife Photographer award multiple times, along with a slew of other awards, so he knows what he’s talking being. After visiting Liminka Bay and experiencing it with my own eyes, I agree that he makes a strong case.
You can find over 200 species of birds in Liminka Bay, the largest bay in the Gulf of Bothnia. An impressive variety of bird species nest in the brackish waters.
My Birding Experience at Liminka Bay
I visited in late August, which this far north the Finns consider to be autumn. It was migration season so the birds had already started migrating south trying to beat the cold. In just over an hour, I saw a flock of 200 geese, 500 starlings, a wood sandpiper, a Ural owl, and a Caspian tern, the largest tern in the world. There were just so many attractive birds, I couldn’t keep up!
The highlight of the day was spotting a giant white-tailed eagle! My birding group had planned to keep track of the number of different species. However, we got distracted and lost count somewhere around eleven. I know the bird count had we continued it, would have been much higher.
I now more fully understand the joy of avid bird watchers who spend hours and hours staring at the sky. It truly is an exciting experience. The giddy feeling I got when we spotted the national bird of Finland was one I didn’t expect. The elegant whooper swan was… you guessed it, elegant to say the least.
I find birds fascinating, but admittedly am sh*t at identifying them by species – even with a good pair of binoculars. If you’re like me, here’s the #1 birding tip in Finland I can give you, passed on from Jari.
If you see or hear a bird but can’t identify it, assume it’s a Willow Warbler. There are 30 million of them. They’re the most common bird in Finland.
Owls I do know though. I used to work with short-eared owls when I taught environmental education at the Calgary Zoo. Birders will be pleased to learn that you can find up to eight species of Owls in Liminka Bay.
When trying to pin Jari down for the best time of year for birding in Finland, he remains indecisive between spring and fall.
The birds are more concentrated in spring. But they’re also in a hurry to get to their nesting grounds up further north. They’re less concentrated in fall but stick around longer.
There is no wrong time for birding in Liminka Bay between April and October. Every year in May there is a bird counting day. The record was 110 species spotted in a single day!
In fall, you can witness up to 10,000 common cranes migrating!
Visiting Liminka Bay for Bird Watching
Regardless of when you visit Liminka Bay, you’ll want your first stop to be the entrepreneur owned and operated Liminganlahti Bay Visitor Centre. They have a fantastic interactive exhibition about birds in the area. It’s worth checking out before you start your actual bird watching.
There’s also a restaurant and hostel-style accommodation in large, clean rooms. If you’re planning on bird watching for more than a day, this is the place to stay for its location.
They can also organize guiding services for you. I highly recommend this unless you are an experienced birder and even then, I would still recommend asking for Jari. His passion and knowledge are unsurpassed. He’ll entertain you with stories of how he’s got some of his most epic award-winning wildlife shots. I won’t reveal all his secrets, but I will say this – it’s not easy!
Practical Info for Finland’s #1 Bird Watching Destination: Liminka Bay
Where to Stay
Liminka’s availability of accommodation is limited. Liminganlahti Visitor Centre is the only accommodation nearby. Otherwise, you could stay in Oulu, approximately 30km north of Liminka Bay.
Getting to Liminka Bay
Oulu is the nearest airport. You will need to drive as this area is minimally developed for tourism (yeah!!!). Plus, there are five watchtowers around Liminka Bay. You need to drive to get between them, so I highly recommend renting a car.
Additional Activities Near Liminka Bay:
Visit the largest sand dunes in Finland in Kalajoki and take a boat trip to Maakalla, a fishermen’s island with a long history.
Further down the coast is the Kvarken Archipelago, Finland’s only natural UNESCO Heritage Site. It’s another excellent bird-watching spot in Finland – try doing it with a kayak, and you’re practically guaranteed some close encounters!
Liminka Bay Visitor Centre is also a great place to learn about Finland’s finest wetlands. They are open from 10 AM to 6 PM daily. It is a child and pet-friendly place to get to know more of what Liminka Bay has to offer.
Other Wildlife and Adventure Activities in Finland:
I cycled across Finland which I enjoyed. You don’t have to do a trip as extensive as the one that I did to experience it. There are lots of shorter options. Wildlife lovers will enjoy bear and wolverine watching and searching for the highly endangered Saimaa Ringed Seal.
Finland is a great place to reconnect with nature and especially Liminka Bay, which offers the best bird watching in Finland.
Note: My visit was made possible by Outdoors Finland. All opinions are my own.
