Helgoland

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Overview

Helgoland (or Heligoland) is just a small island in the North Sea, belonging to Germany. In fact there are two islands, the main island with a small harbour and the village and a smaller, sandy one, called Düne with the airport. Like other island as the Orkneys, the Scillies or Ile d'Ouessant, Helgoland attracts a great variety of migrating birds, including a lot of rarities. Until 2007 a total of 425 species has been recorded!

Birds

Notable Species

Helgoland holds the only colony in Germany of Common Guillemots, Razorbills, Northern Gannets and Black-legged Kittiwakes. Common Rosefinches are also breeding birds. Migration can be spectacular on and around the island. Ducks and Geese (eg Pink-footed Goose) are passing, Waders are restin, Passerines are looking for shelter, Skuas are chasing all species of Gulls (eg Sabine's Gull and Shearwaters are circling on the waves.

Rarities

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Check-list

Birds you can see here include:

Mute Swan, Whooper Swan, Bewick's Swan, Brent Goose, Canada Goose, Barnacle Goose, Bean Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose, Greylag Goose, Common Shelduck, Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon, Eurasian Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Greater Scaup, Common Eider, Long-tailed Duck, Black Scoter, Velvet Scoter, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Quail, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Horned Grebe, Red-throated Diver, Black-throated Diver, Northern Fulmar, Sooty Shearwater, Northern Gannet, Great Cormorant, European Shag, Great Bittern, Grey Heron, Osprey, European Honey Buzzard, Northern Harrier, Western Marsh Harrier, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Rough-legged Buzzard, Common Buzzard, Merlin, Eurasian Hobby, Peregrine Falcon, Common Kestrel, Water Rail, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Pied Avocet, Grey Plover, European Golden Plover, Northern Lapwing, Little Ringed Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Eurasian Woodcock, Jack Snipe, Common Snipe, Common Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Common Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Ruff, Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot, Sanderling, Little Stint, Temminck's Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Purple Sandpiper, Dunlin, Parasitic Jaeger, Pomarine Skua, Great Skua, Little Auk, Razorbill, Common Guillemot, Black Guillemot, Black-legged Kittiwake, Little Gull, Black-headed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Mew Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Caspian Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Little Tern, Black Tern, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, European Turtle Dove, Common Cuckoo, Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl, Common Swift, Common Kingfisher, Eurasian Wryneck, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Red-backed Shrike, Great Grey Shrike, Common Magpie, Eurasian Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Hooded Crow, Eurasian Penduline Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Woodlark, Eurasian Skylark, Horned Lark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Northern House Martin, Bearded Reedling, Long-tailed Tit, Wood Warbler, Pallas's Leaf Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Willow Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Green Warbler, Common Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Barred Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Goldcrest, Firecrest, Bohemian Waxwing, Eurasian Treecreeper, Winter Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Ring Ouzel, Eurasian Blackbird, Song Thrush, Fieldfare, Redwing, Spotted Flycatcher, Red-breasted Flycatcher, European Pied Flycatcher, Whinchat, European Stonechat, European Robin, Common Nightingale, Bluethroat, Black Redstart, Common Redstart, Northern Wheatear, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, Rock Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch, Brambling work in progress

Other Wildlife

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Site Information

History and Use

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Areas of Interest

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Access and Facilities

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Contact Details

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External Links

• Website of the Ornithological Society Helgoland with latest sightings
• Official Website of the tourist board of Helgoland

Content and images originally posted by MonteCristo

Reviews

MonteCristo's review

Pros

• Best place for rare birds in autumn

Cons

• Too many constructions