Birdwatching

Out at sea, 15 km west of the island of Karmøy and 18 km west of Haugesund, lies the small island of Utsira, which is the municipality with the smallest population in Norway. Only Kvitsøy municipality covers a smaller area. More species of birds have been observed on the island than the number of permanent residents (just over 200). Of the more than 300 different species that have been registered on the island, a number of species are regarded as extremely rare.

The island has a long birdwatching tradition and it is sometimes compared with Fair Isle (south of Shetland). Among other things, this is because the two islands have ornithological links. The birdwatching season on Utsira lasts all year, but the main season is during the periods 15 April to 15 May and 1 September to 1 November. The island is small (6.15 sq. km), and visitors therefore do not require local guides. Everything is within walking distance and you can cover the whole island in the course of a day. Utsira bird observatory was founded in 1992.

For detailed information about local conditions and species, check out www.utsirafuglestasjon.no and http://bird.dintur.no.

We facilitate bird tourism for smaller and larger groups. Please contact us.