2. Common murre
Uria aalge
• It is a good diver, it can dive down to
180m.
• The chicks jump down from the nest
before they are able to fly.
• The Common Murre is a seabird that
looks like a little penguin.
• In the North Atlantic Ocean on the bird
mountains you find big groups of them.
• In Finland you can find the Common
Murre only on the islands outside of
Loviisa. There are about 80 of them.
3. Snowy owl
Bubo scandiacus
• This owl is about 53 to 66 cm long,
the wingspan is about 140-165 cm.
• It weighs from 1,7 kg up to 2,1 kg.
• It lives on the tundra in the polar
regions (Scandinavia, Russia, Canada
and in northern USA).
• The Snowy Owl is very quiet and hard
to find.
• The nest is on the ground. The owl
often chooses a place which is free
from snow.
• The Snowy Owl mostly eats voles
and smaller birds.
4. Aspskär
• Aspskär is an important island for the
protection of the Tern.
• The vegetation is versatile even though the
islands are usually rocky.
• The beaches are shallow and sandy, which
is important when the birds and other wild
animals look for food.
• 188 species were seen at Aspskär in 2012.
• Aspskär is being watched by many
volunteers so that no-one can destroy the
unique environment. The volunteers also
ring birds in order to keep track of them.
5. Kestral
Falco tinnunculus
• The Kestral is a raptor and it hovers
when it hunts.
• There are about 5000-7000 pairs in
Finland.
• Kestrals are protected by law.
• The number of Kestrals became
smaller in 1980, because of the
pollutants and toxic substances in the
environment.
• In Eastern Uusimaa a kestral group
has been formed. The members put
up nesting boxes and also ring the
kestrals.
• In Loviisa there are about 67 pairs.
6. White-tailed Eagle
Haliaeetus albicilla
• The White-tailed Eagle is also known
under the name Sea-eagle.
• It is the largest bird in Northern
Europe.
• It has a big and very heavy nest that
can weigh as much as 500 kg.
• It mostly eats fish like mackerel and
trout.
• At the beginning of the 20th century
the population of eagles and White-
tailed Eagles became smaller but
after 1990 they increased again.
7. Birdwatching
In the spring of 2013 we went on a bird watching excursion to Räfsby with
Staffan Weckman, a teacher and amateur ornithologist. It's a popular
place for birds because the fields have large puddles. We answered
questions about birds and made notes of all the different species that we
saw. We observed for example Mallards, Teals, Wagtails, Skylarks and
Seagulls.
8. Laws about birds
• According to Finnish law one is forbidden to:
a) kill or hunt protected birds
b) destroy or move the birds’ nests
c) intentionally disturb their important
breeding places, especially during
their breeding season
• For example, if you kill a White-backed
Woodpecker you have to pay a fine.
9. Influence of the climate on the
migration
Winters are shorter and warmer than before and the birds come to Finland earlier. The
birds that come here from far away, for example Africa, are more affected by the
climate change. The birds from Africa follow the length of the day more than the
weather conditions. When they arrive here it might not be warm enough and they
won´t be able to find the food they usually eat. The climate is also getting warmer in
the northern parts, which makes the birds move further up north than before. This
might also make some of the birds disappear from areas they usually stay in.
