Austria
Austria is dominated by the Eastern Alps, which cover much of the west and south with high peaks, glaciers, alpine meadows, conifer forests and deep valleys. The landscape becomes lower and more open towards the east, where the Danube Valley, Pannonian plains and Lake Neusiedl create a striking contrast to the mountains. Forest covers almost half the country, while traditional farmland and alpine pastures remain prominent in rural regions. Austria has a temperate Central European climate, strongly modified by elevation, with alpine conditions in the mountains and warmer, drier influences in the east.
Overview
Austria combines excellent Alpine birding with internationally important eastern wetlands and grasslands. The Alps support Golden Eagle, Rock Ptarmigan, Alpine Chough, Snowfinch and Alpine Accentor, while mature mountain forests hold Three-toed Woodpecker and Eurasian Pygmy Owl. In the east, Neusiedler See–Seewinkel is the country's premier wetland, attracting Great Bustard, Eastern Imperial Eagle, herons, shorebirds and large numbers of migrants. The nearby Pannonian landscapes add dry-country species uncommon farther west. Excellent roads, public transport, hiking trails and protected areas make Austria easy to explore independently. Its particular strength is the ability to combine high-Alpine specialties with steppe and wetland birds within relatively short travelling distances.
Top 10 target species
| Species | Annual frequency | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Tit Parus major | 44.1% | 58.0% | 57.4% | 53.3% | 44.8% | 37.7% | 29.0% | 31.9% | 34.0% | 37.2% | 44.5% | 47.0% | 54.8% |
| Eurasian Blackbird Turdus merula | 38.8% | 45.6% | 41.9% | 47.3% | 47.6% | 48.2% | 43.7% | 38.0% | 22.2% | 23.2% | 32.8% | 33.1% | 41.6% |
| Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs | 32.2% | 30.6% | 33.4% | 45.2% | 41.1% | 37.5% | 35.1% | 28.0% | 20.9% | 20.1% | 32.2% | 30.0% | 32.9% |
| Carrion Crow Corvus corone | 31.3% | 36.9% | 37.1% | 37.0% | 30.0% | 27.0% | 23.9% | 26.7% | 25.1% | 27.4% | 33.8% | 32.8% | 38.1% |
| Eurasian Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus | 31.2% | 44.5% | 44.1% | 38.9% | 30.0% | 21.2% | 16.9% | 20.4% | 23.9% | 25.1% | 32.5% | 33.6% | 43.0% |
| Mallard Anas platyrhynchos | 28.6% | 29.7% | 32.6% | 33.0% | 32.8% | 30.1% | 19.5% | 21.6% | 27.2% | 25.2% | 27.1% | 31.3% | 33.0% |
| European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis | 24.3% | 22.3% | 25.1% | 28.6% | 31.0% | 28.3% | 24.3% | 30.8% | 23.6% | 15.7% | 21.0% | 19.9% | 20.6% |
| Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major | 23.1% | 30.3% | 27.4% | 26.5% | 20.6% | 20.0% | 18.2% | 19.4% | 21.8% | 19.6% | 21.9% | 23.8% | 27.7% |
| Hooded Crow Corvus cornix | 21.7% | 26.1% | 24.6% | 22.8% | 22.2% | 22.7% | 18.3% | 18.6% | 17.9% | 18.9% | 22.0% | 21.4% | 24.7% |
| European Robin Erithacus rubecula | 20.4% | 18.8% | 18.6% | 33.4% | 27.8% | 16.3% | 16.9% | 14.5% | 12.6% | 16.2% | 25.4% | 24.0% | 20.7% |