

Isosaari in Finnish means "Great Island". The island is not great by size, but very well a great place for birds - unfortunately not for birders, because the island is a military fortress island and not allowed for visitors. I had the extreme pleasure to spend there one year, and the following observations are made by Anssi K. Kullberg and Mikko I. Marttala from autumn 1994 till summer 1995.The situation of the island is in the Finnish Bay, about 10 kilometres south from Helsinki coast, and about 80 kilometres north from Estonian coast. The island is very rich of different habitats which have remained quite untouched and natural because of the military presence. Also the fact that beach tourists are missing makes the island a good place for birds. Besides, it is situated in crossroads of migrating routes - the arctic and Siberian migrators are passing it along the bay and the Finnish passerines use the island as a resting point when crossing the bay from the Baltic countries in spring. Maybe our observations give you some picture of what you can see on available islands off South Coast of Finland as well as they give a repport from area not usually reported.
At first, here you can find the total list of the 144 species of birds that we saw on the island. Note that such species like House Sparrow, Feral Pigeon and Magpie are missing and Jackdaws we only saw once, passing the island.

The following is a list of bird species which may be found in Isosaari

ENGLISH NAME - SCIENTIFIC NAME - FINNISH NAME Great White-billed Diver - Gavia adamsii - jääkuikka Black-throated Diver - Gavia arctica - kuikka Red-throated Diver - Gavia stellata - kaakkuri Great Crested Grebe - Podiceps cristatus - silkkiuikku Red-necked Grebe - Podiceps griseigena - härkälintu Slavonian Grebe - Podiceps auritus - mustakurkku-uikku Great Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo - merimetso Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea - harmaahaikara White Stork - Ciconia ciconia - kattohaikara Mute Swan - Cygnus olor - kyhmyjoutsen Whooper Swan - Cygnus cygnus - laulujoutsen Brent Goose - Branta bernicla - sepelhanhi Barnacle Goose - Branta leucopsis - valkoposkihanhi Greylag Goose - Anser anser - merihanhi Bean Goose - Anser fabalis - metsähanhi Bar-headed Goose - Anser indicus - tiibetinhanhi Common Shelduck - Tadorna tadorna - ristisorsa Eurasian Wigeon - Anas penelope - haapana Eurasian Teal - Anas crecca - tavi Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos - sinisorsa Northern Pintail - Anas acuta - jouhisorsa Northern Shoveller - Anas clypeata - lapasorsa Greater Scaup - Aythya marila - lapasotka Tufted Duck - Aythya fuligula - tukkasotka Long-tailed Duck - Clangula hyemalis - alli Common Scoter - Melanitta nigra - mustalintu Surf Scoter - Melanitta fusca - pilkkasiipi Steller's Eider - Polysticta stelleri - allihaahka Common Eider - Somateria mollissima - haahka King Eider - Somateria spectabilis - kyhmyhaahka Common Goldeneye - Bucephala clangula - telkkä Smew - Mergellus albellus - uivelo Red-breasted Merganser - Mergus serrator - tukkakoskelo Goosander - Mergus merganser - isokoskelo White-tailed Sea-eagle - Haliaëetus albicilla - merikotka Western Honey Buzzard - Pernis apivorus - mehiläishaukka Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo - hiirihaukka Steppe Buzzard - Buteo vulpinus - idänhiirihaukka Rough-legged Buzzard - Buteo lagopus - piekana Northern Sparrowhawk - Accipiter nisus - varpushaukka Northern Goshawk - Accipiter gentilis - kanahaukka Northern Hobby - Falco subbuteo - nuolihaukka Common Merlin - Falco columbarius - ampuhaukka Capercaillie - Tetrao urogallus - koppelo Eurasian Crane - Grus grus - kurki Palearctic Oystercatcher - Haematopus ostralegus - meriharakka Eurasian Woodcock - Scolopax rusticola - lehtokurppa Greater Snipe - Gallinago media - heinäkurppa Common Snipe - Gallinago gallinago - taivaanvuohi Western Curlew - Numenius arquata - isokuovi Eurasian Whimbrel - Numenius phaeopus - pikkukuovi Bar-tailed Godwit - Limosa lapponica - punakuiri Common Sandpiper - Actitis hypoleucos - rantasipi Green Sandpiper - Tringa ochropus - metsäviklo Wood Sandpiper - Tringa glareola - liro Common Redshank - Tringa totanus - punajalkaviklo Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia - valkoviklo Purple Sandpiper - Calidris maritima - merisirri European Dunlin - Calidris alpina - suosirri Temminck's Sandpiper - Calidris temminckii - lapinsirri Ruddy Turnstone - Arenaria interpres - karikukko Northern Lapwing - Vanellus vanellus - töyhtöhyyppä Ringed Plover - Charadrius hiaticula - tylli Lesser Ringed Plover - Charadrius dubius - pikkutylli Grey Plover - Pluvialis squatarola - tundrakurmitsa European Golden Plover - Pluvialis apricaria - kapustarinta Arctic Jaeger - Stercorarius parasiticus - merikihu Greater Black-backed Gull - Larus marinus - merilokki Lesser Black-backed Gull - Larus fuscus - selkälokki Herring Gull - Larus argentatus - harmaalokki Mew Gull - Larus canus - kalalokki Black-headed Gull - Larus ridibundus - naurulokki Common Tern - Sterna hirundo - kalatiira Little Auk - Alle alle - pikkuruokki Black Guillemot - Cepphus grylle - riskilä Wood Pigeon - Columba palumbus - sepelkyyhky Stock Pigeon - Columba oenas - uuttukyyhky Short-eared Owl - Asio flammeus - suopöllö Long-eared Owl - Asio otus - sarvipöllö Common Swift - Apus apus - tervapääsky Little Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocopos minor - pikkutikka Great Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocopos major - käpytikka Great Black Woodpecker - Dryocopus martius - palokärki Common Skylark - Alauda arvensis - kiuru Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica - haarapääsky House Martin - Delichon urbica - räystäspääsky Tree Pipit - Anthus trivialis - metsäkirvinen Meadow Pipit - Anthus pratensis - niittykirvinen Eastern Water Pipit - Anthus littoralis - luotokirvinen Tawny Pipit - Anthus campestris - nummikirvinen Yellow Wagtail - Motacilla flava - keltavästäräkki White Wagtail - Motacilla alba - västäräkki Bohemian Waxwing - Bombycilla garrulus - tilhi Great Grey Shrike - Lanius excubitor - isolepinkäinen Winter Wren - Troglodytes troglodytes - peukaloinen Hedge Accentor - Prunella modularis - rautiainen River Grasshopper Warbler - Locustella fluviatilis - viitasirkkalintu Sedge Warbler - Acrocephalus schoenobaenus - ruokokerttunen Garden Warbler - Sylvia borin - lehtokerttu Blackcap - Sylvia atricapilla - mustapääkerttu Lesser Whitethroat - Sylvia curruca - hernekerttu Common Whitethroat - Sylvia communis - pensaskerttu Icterine Warbler - Hippolais icterina - kultarinta Wood Warbler - Phylloscopus sibilatrix - sirittäjä Willow Warbler - Phylloscopus trochilus - pajulintu Spruce Chiffchaff - Phylloscopus collybita - tiltaltti Greenish Warbler - Phylloscopus trochiloides - idänuunilintu Goldcrest - Regulus regulus - hippiäinen Spotted Flycatcher - Muscicapa striata - harmaasieppo Pied Flycatcher - Ficedula hypoleuca - kirjosieppo Whinchat - Saxicola rubetra - pensastasku Northern Wheatear - Oënanthe oënanthe - kivitasku European Robin - Erithacus rubecula - punarinta Orange-spotted Bluethroat - Luscinia svecica - sinirinta Common Redstart - Phoenicurus phoenicurus - leppälintu Redwing - Turdus iliacus - punakylkirastas Song Thrush - Turdus philomelos - laulurastas Mistle Thrush - Turdus viscivorus - kulorastas Fieldfare - Turdus pilaris - räkättirastas Blackbird - Turdus merula - mustarastas Bearded Timal - Panurus biarmicus - viiksitimali Willow Tit - Parus montanus - hömötiainen Great Tit - Parus major - talitiainen Blue Tit - Parus caeruleus - sinitiainen Long-tailed Tit - Aegithalos caudatus - pyrstötiainen Northern Treecreeper - Certhia familiaris - puukiipijä Chaffinch - Fringilla coelebs - peippo Brambling - Fringilla montifringilla - järripeippo Western Greenfinch - Chloris chloris - viherpeippo Eurasian Goldfinch - Carduelis carduelis - tikli Spruce Siskin - Spinus spinus - vihervarpunen Linnet - Linaria cannabina - hemppo Northern Redpoll - Acanthis flammea - urpiainen Scarlet Rosefinch - Carpodacus erythrinus - punavarpunen Northern Bullfinch - Pyrrhula pyrrhula - punatulkku Reed Bunting - Emberiza schoeniclus - pajusirkku Yellowhammer - Emberiza citrinella - keltasirkku Ortolan Bunting - Emberiza hortulana - peltosirkku Starling - Sturnus vulgaris - kottarainen European Jay - Garrulus glandarius - närhi Spotted Nutcracker - Nucifraga caryocatactes - pähkinähakki Jackdaw - Corvus monedula - naakka Hooded Crow - Corvus corone cornix - varis the Raven - Corvus corax - korppi"Anssi K. Kullberg"

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Last updated on Monday, August 26, 1996 - 20:41:57.
