Sweden
Sweden stretches from the Baltic Sea to the Scandinavian Mountains and Arctic Lapland, creating a strong north–south transition in landscapes and climate. Southern Sweden combines agricultural land, deciduous woodland and numerous lakes, while the central and northern regions are dominated by vast boreal forests, peatlands and river systems. Along the Norwegian border, mountains rise above the treeline into alpine heath and tundra. The Baltic coastline includes extensive archipelagos and islands, particularly around Stockholm, while Gotland and Öland have distinctive limestone landscapes and dry grasslands. Winters become progressively longer and colder towards the north, with short summers and midnight sun above the Arctic Circle.
Overview
Sweden is excellent for boreal, wetland and Arctic birding. Northern forests support Great Grey Owl, Northern Hawk-Owl, Siberian Jay, Three-toed Woodpecker, Capercaillie and Black Grouse, while Lapland adds Gyrfalcon, Long-tailed Jaeger, Lapland Longspur and other tundra species. In southern Sweden, Öland is one of northern Europe's premier migration destinations, with Ottenby concentrating large numbers of passerines, raptors and shorebirds in spring and autumn. Hornborgasjön is famous for spectacular spring gatherings of thousands of Common Cranes. Sweden has excellent roads, reserves and birding infrastructure, making independent travel straightforward, although the vast distances involved in reaching northern specialties require careful planning. Its combination of Arctic environments, extensive taiga and world-class migration sites provides exceptional seasonal variety.
Top 10 target species
| Species | Annual frequency | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Tit Parus major | 51.4% | 59.9% | 64.2% | 61.6% | 55.5% | 47.3% | 36.0% | 31.6% | 35.7% | 44.2% | 56.0% | 62.9% | 62.3% |
| Hooded Crow Corvus cornix | 50.4% | 50.0% | 53.7% | 56.3% | 51.2% | 46.6% | 40.5% | 41.8% | 45.5% | 54.4% | 57.0% | 55.1% | 52.3% |
| Eurasian Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus | 48.5% | 57.5% | 60.4% | 56.2% | 51.3% | 41.3% | 31.3% | 30.2% | 34.4% | 44.1% | 53.5% | 61.6% | 60.6% |
| Eurasian Blackbird Turdus merula | 43.7% | 49.2% | 44.8% | 45.1% | 50.7% | 53.9% | 48.3% | 38.8% | 23.0% | 25.3% | 43.8% | 50.2% | 50.7% |
| Eurasian Magpie Pica pica | 41.2% | 48.3% | 48.8% | 44.1% | 37.3% | 32.1% | 30.7% | 30.5% | 32.2% | 40.2% | 43.7% | 53.1% | 52.8% |
| Mallard Anas platyrhynchos | 35.7% | 29.4% | 30.3% | 37.5% | 46.2% | 42.2% | 31.8% | 30.4% | 35.7% | 38.6% | 39.2% | 35.6% | 31.2% |
| Common Wood-Pigeon Columba palumbus | 35.2% | 13.5% | 19.2% | 38.9% | 53.6% | 50.0% | 43.3% | 45.0% | 48.4% | 46.7% | 33.9% | 16.7% | 12.7% |
| Eurasian Jackdaw Coloeus monedula | 34.9% | 35.6% | 38.6% | 40.6% | 35.8% | 34.7% | 27.9% | 21.0% | 26.1% | 38.1% | 44.7% | 38.6% | 36.7% |
| Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs | 29.1% | 11.3% | 12.2% | 27.9% | 51.9% | 49.6% | 44.6% | 25.7% | 24.3% | 36.0% | 35.4% | 17.9% | 12.9% |
| Common Gull Larus canus | 27.6% | 14.6% | 14.1% | 20.3% | 42.2% | 41.5% | 42.0% | 43.3% | 29.0% | 22.3% | 25.0% | 20.0% | 16.4% |