Lintuatlas.fi

Bird atlas

The 4th Bird Atlas in Finland 2022–2025

The Breeding Bird Atlas aims to provide up-to-date information on the distribution and certainty of breeding of bird species in Finland. The presence and certainty of breeding are examined in 10 km × 10 km atlas squares that are based on the Finnish Uniform Coordinate System (KKS). There are 3,859 atlas squares in total, and they can be found in the Bird Atlas results service (below).

The Bird Atlas results are available in the results service: tulokset.lintuatlas.fi

What is an atlas observation?

The Bird Atlas is a survey of breeding birds, so observations made during the breeding season are of interest. Such an observation is much more than just a sighting of bird nest. The breeding season begins when birds establish territories and advertise them typically with songs or courtship flights. As the breeding season progresses, you may witness other breeding activities such as nest building. It is only later when you may see adults incubating, feeding the young, and fledged young. Therefore, observations such as the song of a European Pied Flycatcher, a sight of a Chaffinch pair, a Hooded Crow building a nest, or a Wagtail with insects in its beak—all of these are observations that can be reported to the Bird Atlas.

The timing of the breeding season depends on the species. The breeding season begins early in the spring e.g. for tits, woodpeckers and crossbills. For late-arriving migratory birds (such as the Common Swift and European Honey Buzzard), the breeding season starts later in the spring or early in the summer. The breeding season also ends. Observations of recently fledged young being fed by their parents can still be reported to the Bird Atlas. Independent young birds are no longer reported to the atlas. Consequently, atlas observations are not usually made in the fall or winter. An exception is the Feral Pigeon, which can breed year-round.

Participate in the Bird Atlas

You can participate in the Bird Atlas by reporting your bird observations and adding a breeding index to each observation. Observations on all atlas years are welcome until the end of the atlas period. The indices are explained below.

Store your atlas observations in any of the following services:

You can also contribute to the Bird Atlas by taking part in the breeding bird monitoring of the Finnish Museum of Natural History Luomus, including water bird census, line-transect census, point census, and raptor monitoring. Additionally, ringing data from nests are included in the atlas.

We automatically interpret the breeding index for breeding bird monitoring and ringing data at Luomus, so you need not to separately report them to the Bird Atlas. However, line-transect and point census forms also include a field for the breeding index. Thus, observers themselves can make index interpretations for some or all of their census observations. This can result in higher breeding indices than what can automatically be interpreted.

Data on bird surveys from research institutes and other organisations are also included in the atlas.

Breeding indices (atlas codes)

Observations that include a breeding index are counted in the Bird Atlas. A breeding index describes the certainty in which the observation refers to breeding of the species in an atlas square. To aid in index interpretation, consider the question:

”What does this observation tell about the breeding of this species in this atlas square?”

There are breeding indices for all kinds of bird observations ranging from unlikely breeding (index 1) to confirmed breeding. Observations with indices higher than 1 end up to the Bird Atlas. It is generally easy to interpret the breeding index by watching the activities of birds. During the chick-rearing period, pay special attention to the bills of adult birds. An adult with food in its bill (for the young) is an observation of confirmed breeding.

Breeding indices (1–8, incl. their subindices), breeding evidence (A–D)

A. Unlikely breeding (index 1)

1. Observed an individual of the species during the breeding season, but the observation does not suggest breeding in the respective atlas square. Index 1 includes birds that are presumably on migration (birds in overflight or on stopover sites), birds interpreted as heading to neighbouring atlas squares (e.g. foraging trips), clearly non-breeding vagrants, young birds, and rarities for which the atlas square is not in their range. Index 1 is also given to observations of species whose breeding season has not yet started or is already over (especially when making species lists).

B. Possible breeding (indices 2–3)

2. Observed a single bird in one day (e.g. singing or displaying male, observed female) in the breeding season in a possible nesting habitat of the species, and breeding of the species in the atlas square is possible. Either the place was visited only once, or the bird was observed only once despite several visits.

3. Observed a pair in one day in the breeding season in a possible nesting habitat, and breeding of the species in the atlas square is possible.

C. Probable breeding (indices 4–6, subindices 61–66)

4. Observed a singing, displaying, or otherwise persistently staying male in the same place (i.e. on a permanent territory) on at least two days in the same breeding season.

5. Observed a female or a pair staying in the same place on at least two days in the same breeding season.

6. Observed a bird or pair in the breeding season in a manner strongly suggesting breeding. The bird/pair:

61: frequently visits a probable nesting site (e.g. regularly lands in the same reed bed or island).

62: builds a nest (digs or excavates a nest hole, carries nesting material, etc.).

63: gives warning calls because the nest or brood is apparently nearby.

64: performs injury feigning such as broken-wing display or otherwise attempts to distract the observer away apparently from the nest or brood.

65: dive-bombs or behaves otherwise threateningly toward the observer (e.g. owls and terns) because the nest or brood is apparently nearby.

66: Seen a nest with fresh nesting material (e.g. decorated nests of raptors) or food remains; however, no definite proof of eggs or chicks.

D. Confirmed breeding (indices 7–8, subindices 71–75 and 81–82)

7. Observed indirect evidence of confirmed breeding:

71: Seen used nest with eggs or eggshells, dead brood or remains of chicks, “dandruff” from feather sheaths etc., indicating that breeding occurred in the same year.

72: Observed a bird entering or leaving a nest in a way that clearly indicates breeding (although eggs or chicks have not been seen or chicks not heard, e.g. high nests or nest holes).

73: Observed recently fledged young (nidicolous species) or downy young (nidifugous species) that can be considered born within the atlas square.

74: Observed an adult carrying or transporting food for young or a faecal sac, and the nest can be considered situating within the atlas square.

75: Adult seen incubating in the nest.

8. Observed direct evidence of confirmed breeding:

81: Nest with young heard (e.g. high nests or nest holes).

82: Seen eggs or living young in the nest.

For each species, the highest reported breeding index is considered for each atlas square. Nevertheless, it is strongly recommended to report also observations of low breeding indices for the species. There is no guarantee that an observation with a higher index is made or reported later. Additionally, observations with high breeding indices are difficult to obtain about some species. For example, nests or chicks of secretive nocturnal singers (warblers, Water Rail, Spotted Crake) are rarely seen. Indices 2 and 4 are common for these species as well as for the Common Cuckoo.

Terms

Breeding evidence, the sum of breeding evidences. Breeding evidence has categories A, B, C and D, see the list of breeding indices. In each atlas square, the highest breeding index for each species is considered. If this is an index of confirmed breeding (breeding evidence category D), the species brings 3 points to the square. Of probable breeding (C), the species brings 2 points, and of possible breeding (B), 1 point. Unlikely breeding (A) brings no points. Adding up the species-specific points yields the sum of breeding evidences of the atlas square (“pesimävarmuussumma” shown in the page of an atlas square).

Research grade indicates the quality of coverage of the data, that is how comprehensively the species of an atlas square have been surveyed. The research grade is determined by the sum of breeding evidences, location (coast, inland), land area (excluding water bodies and areas outside the national border), and northernness of an atlas square. Note that other factors than the sum of breeding evidences are constant in an atlas square. Thus, the higher the sum of breeding evidences is, the higher is the research grade of the square. The categories of the research grade (“selvitysaste”) are excellent (thoroughly surveyed; “erinomainen”), good (well-surveyed; “hyvä”), satisfactory (“tyydyttävä”), fair (“välttävä”), occasional observations (“satunnaishavaintoja”), and no data (“ei havaintoja”). Since the number of bird species declines towards the north, lower sums of breeding evidences are needed for each breeding evidence category in northern atlas squares compared to more southern squares. Research grade is shown in the map of whole country for all atlas squares, and on the page of each atlas square along with limits of the required sums of breeding evidences for each research grade category (e.g. Helsinki city 667:338).

Bird Atlas Objectives

The atlas squares should be sufficiently surveyed to ensure that bird data are adequate and can be compared to the information from previous atlases. In the southern half of Finland, the objective is for all atlas squares to be at least satisfactorily surveyed. In Lapland (northern Finland), the objective is looser and monitored on “greater squares” of 50 km × 50 km, with the aim that at least 75% of the atlas squares within each greater square are satisfactorily surveyed. The border between southern and northern Finland for this purpose is approximately at the latitude of Kemijärvi (Finnish Uniform Coordinate System (KKS), latitude 740).

Progress to achieve the objective can be monitored on the results service page by ornithological societies and for the entire southern Finland. Lapland’s greater squares have their own monitoring page.

Mapping of Lapland requires assistance of bird enthusiasts from the whole country. Make a trip to Lapland in summer and report observations on all species to the atlas! Check the pages of the greater squares and monitoring of greater squares in Lapland to see where observers are needed and where others are already active (excel file on the latter page). Which atlas squares should be monitored to achieve most easily the 75% target in an greater square? See the PDF ”Suurruutujen atlasruutujen priorisointiehdotus” on the page of prioritizing in Lapland.

Complete species list

Along with the onset of the fourth Breeding Bird Atlas, Finland introduced a new way of reporting observations: complete species lists. Complete species lists are already in use in many countries.

Making a complete species list is simple: report all bird species you observe during your excursion. You can also report numbers of individuals for the species and the highest observed breeding index for each species. A complete list is a convenient way to quickly report atlas observations of all species. You can fill complete species lists using the Bird Atlas form in the Mobile Notebook application or on the website of the Finnish Biodiversity Info Facility. Please note the following:

  • Stay within one atlas square. If you move to another atlas square, finish your previous species list and start a new one.
  • It is assumed that the observer is able to spot all bird species in the surroundings. Actively observe from a single point or move around on foot, by bicycle, or in a non-motorized boat. Observing from a car, by looking out the window, or in a noisy environment (e.g. in a motorboat or while mowing the lawn) is not suitable, as some bird sounds will go unheard.
  • Know the species. Making a complete species list requires the ability to identify all observable bird species both by sound and sight.
  • A complete list is a list of observations from a single excursion. If you report with the atlas form atlas observations e.g. from the same atlas square for the whole summer, it is not considered a complete species list, even if you have recorded all species you observed in summer.

If you do not know all bird species, report an incomplete species list with only the species you can identify.

Tips

Print a field form or map of the atlas square to take with you or take advantage of other atlas tools. In the results service, select an atlas square. Below the map of the square, there is a list of links:

  • “Tulostettava ruutu karttapalvelussa” (Printable square in the map service) > Print the map of the atlas square or a portion of it. Adjust the map, choose PDF, and save / print it.
  • “Tulostettava maastolomake” (Printable field form) > The page lists 250 species with their highest breeding indices reported in the 3rd and 4th atlas (empty = not observed or yet reported). By comparing columns, you can see which species are missing or which indices can be upgraded in the 4th atlas. To print, press Ctrl + P.
  • “Puutelista” (List of deficiencies) > Shows the most critical deficiencies (species, indices) of the atlas square.
  • “Puutelista puhelimessa” (Mobile list of deficiencies) > Shows the most critical deficiencies (species, indices) of the atlas square on your mobile phone. Tap the link with your mobile phone on the page of an atlas square or directly on the main page of atlas (https://lintuatlas.fi/). Allow location and you get the deficiency list based on the square where you are.
  • “Havainnot tältä ruudulta” (Observations from this square) > Individual atlas observations from the atlas square stored in the Finnish Biodiversity Info Facility. Visibility of observations on sensitive species is limited.

Statistics on atlas observations. Mikko Heikkinen’s page.

Maps and species lists of the 1st–4th atlases, Tapani Lahti’s page. For instance, compare maps of 1+2., 3. and 4. atlas (option C) on the page: https://digitalis.fi/lintuatlas/lajit/.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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