Liminka Bay

Liminka Bay is a very shallow inlet at the head of the Gulf of Bothnia, fringed with wide shore meadows and reedbeds that are kept open by grazing and mowing, and the combination of shallow water, mud and meadow makes it one of the most important bird sites in the country. Tens of thousands of waterfowl and waders pass through on migration, and breeding species include several that are scarce elsewhere in Finland. A visitor centre at Virkkula has exhibitions, a café and a tower, with boardwalks and further hides along the shore. Land uplift continues to shift the shoreline outward, so the habitat itself is moving.

The landscape

• Migrating waterfowl and waders - tens of thousands passing through.
• Grazed shore meadows - habitat kept open by cattle and mowing.
• Towers and hides along the shore - the watching infrastructure.
• A coastline moving outward - land uplift reshaping the bay.

When to go

April and May for spring migration and August and September for autumn passage. Half a day. A telescope makes a large difference. The centre has its own opening hours.

Good to know

Birds are distant across shallow water and binoculars alone are not enough. Mosquitoes on the meadows are severe in summer. Outside the migration seasons there is much less to see. The site needs a car.

Nearby

Oulu is north; Hailuoto lies north-west.

Key facts