Birdwatching on Öland - Ottenby, Best Time and Spots

Öland's narrow southern tip points south like an arrow, and that is exactly what makes the island one of Sweden's best birdwatching destinations. Migrating birds follow the peninsula and gather at its outermost point before crossing the open Baltic Sea. To experience the migration, come in the right weeks, watch the wind, and plan the day from the southern tip out into the woods and meadows. This guide sets out where and when it pays off, and what to bring.

Ottenby and the bird observatory

The heart of Öland's birdwatching lies at the southern tip, in the Ottenby nature reserve. The bird observatory there is run by BirdLife Sverige, the Swedish Ornithological Society, and was founded back in 1946, making it one of Europe's oldest and most important bird observatories. A full-time station manager and volunteers work in the field.

The numbers give a sense of scale. Around 140 species are ringed at Ottenby each year, with more than a million birds ringed in total by 2020. Standardised ringing has run continuously since 1972, forming the longest unbroken series of systematic bird monitoring in the world. The southern tip's cumulative site list runs to 377 species; in 2019 alone, 267 species were recorded here, putting Ottenby top of Sweden's site league table.

The Naturum Ottenby visitor centre explains the background. Opening hours for 2026 are staggered by season: over Easter, 2-6 April 11:00-16:00; 8-30 April Wed-Sat 11:00-16:00; 1 May-28 June Tue-Sun 11:00-16:00; peak season 29 June-9 August daily 10:30-17:00; 10-23 August daily 11:00-17:00; and in autumn 25 September-17 October Tue-Sat 11:00-16:00, plus 24-31 October daily 11:00-16:00. For more on the reserve itself, see the Ottenby guide.

The best birdwatching spots in the Ottenby area

Ottenby isn't a single spot but a mosaic of sites, each with its own character. A well-planned day starts at the southern tip in the morning and moves on to the woods and meadows later.

• Windbreak shelters at the very southern tip, cover whatever the wind direction, and the starting point for the seabird and songbird migration. This is where the funnel effect is most immediate.
• Ottenby Lund, the northern and southern woodland around Lake Lundsjön, with a bird tower. In May and June, the Lund is particularly impressive for migrants passing through.
• Sibyllas jaktstuga, the best vantage point for migrating birds of prey in autumn.
• Bondängen, mudflats that draw waders in July and August.
• Schäferiängarna, one of the largest grazing areas in Europe, freely accessible only from September to March; at other times, watch from the platforms at Norra and Södra lunden.

Many waders and ducks nest on the grazed coastal meadows, while birds of prey pass overhead. There are no official marked routes between the sites, but they all lie within the compact southern-tip area and are reachable on foot.

Other sites across the island

Beyond Ottenby, worthwhile spots are spread across the whole island. The local tourist office keeps a top-5 list that captures the range well:

• Ölands Södra Udde, the southern tip with the Naturum, rewarding year-round and the first port of call.
• Beijershamn, on the west coast, with around 260 recorded species.
• Ölands Norra Udde, the northern tip, best in April and May.
• Stora Rör, a coastal site on the west side.
• Stenåsa, with its own observation tower.

The World Heritage site Stora Alvaret in the south rounds out the picture as habitat for meadow and open-land species such as wheatear, great grey shrike and whinchat. For an overview of the island's nature as a whole, see the Nature on Öland guide.

Best time, wind and the birds of the season

Birdwatching on Öland is all about migration, and it has two clear peaks. In spring, most birdwatchers are out in the second half of May; May is the most species-rich month, as long-distance migrants arrive from the tropics. Warblers are characteristic at this time, garden warbler, icterine warbler, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat and barred warbler. Waders and ducks nest on the coastal meadows, with jack snipe as a signature species.

The autumn peak falls in the first half of October (weeks 41 and 42) and is comparable to May. September and October are the migration high point for finches, thrushes and birds of prey. Thousands of barnacle geese graze the fields of the east coast, cranes pass through, goldcrests gather in large numbers on foggy days, and among the rarities the yellow-browed warbler turns up. On windy days gulls and skuas move through, and on some days more than 100,000 geese and ducks pass the southern tip.

Wind quality makes the difference. As a rule of thumb, southwesterly wind in spring and northeasterly wind in autumn work best, the wind then pushes migrating birds up against the funnel, intensifying the passage. Summer is worth a visit too, though more for breeding birds than mass migration: May and June are impressive in Ottenby Lund thanks to passage migrants, and waders, ducks and meadow birds breed on the coastal meadows. For how the seasons play out across the island more broadly, see the Best Time to Visit Öland guide.

The Långe Jan lighthouse

Right at the southern tip stands Långe Jan, at 41.6 metres (roughly 42 m) Sweden's tallest lighthouse. Some 197 steps lead up to the viewing platform, with views over the Baltic Sea and southern Öland. It was first lit on 1 November 1785; today it's owned by the Swedish Maritime Administration (Sjöfartsverket), and proceeds go to the bird observatory. If you'd rather not climb, you can still watch for free, the southern tip is open as a viewpoint at all times.

Opening hours for 2026: 2 April-28 June daily, entry on the hour 11:00-16:00 (closed on Midsummer's Eve); 29 June-23 August daily 10:30-17:00; 25 August-31 October daily 11:00-16:00. In winter the tower can only be viewed from outside, with entry closed for safety reasons.

Admission is 50 kr for adults and 30 kr for children. A guided tour including ringing at the bird observatory costs 100 kr for adults and 70 kr for children aged 4 to 18, a vivid way to see the observatory's work up close. Payment is by Swish or card at the lighthouse, and by any means at the Naturum. For more, see the Långe Jan guide.

Gear, getting there and giving birds space

For a start, 8x42 binoculars are a good choice, a solid balance that gives a steady handheld image. Stronger optics from 10x42 upward often need a tripod. Since watching birds means standing still for long stretches, warm, weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable shoes matter; the best time of day is early morning and late afternoon. The southern tip sits exposed to the sea, so a windproof jacket is no luxury.

Nest protection matters here. Threatened species breed along the lighthouse road, so access there is restricted from 1 April to 15 July; the Schäferi meadows are freely accessible only from September to March. Outside those periods, watch from the platforms and keep a deliberate distance from nesting areas, follow the signage on site.

A good base is STF Ottenby Vandrarhem & Camping, around 6 km north of the southern tip next to Ås church and about 55 km south of the Öland Bridge (Ölandsbron). It has around 50 rooms (2-, 3- and 4-bed, some wheelchair-accessible), a campsite and two heated outdoor pools, and is clearly geared towards birdwatchers. For how to get to the island and down to the south in general, see the Getting to Öland guide.

How Öland compares

Öland sits among Sweden's top birdwatching destinations, but it has neighbours with their own profile. On Gotland, the Hoburgen/Rivet ringing station at the southern tip is one of the country's most exciting sites (7th place in 2019, with 217 species), with migration and rarities along the cliff edge; Faludden and Stockviken draw crowds for grazed coastal meadows and displaying ruff. Ottenby ranked 1st in 2019 with 267 species.

Falsterbo in Skåne is a different case altogether, one of Europe's best raptor migration sites: from August to October or November, roughly one to three million migrating birds are counted there, with late September to early October the optimum window. Falsterbo and Ottenby capture different populations - Falsterbo the short-distance migrants moving overland, Ottenby the long-distance migrants crossing the Baltic. For those who want to see both sides of the migration, combining the two makes sense.