The state of the birds in Finland
BirdLife Finland’s report ”The state of the birds in Finland” was published in March 2021. The report shows that the birds of Finland are declining: the number of red-listed species has increased in every assessment and monitoring results tell that the populations have declined in most of the habitats. However, conservation work has saved several species from the brink of extinction.
The main reasons for the decline are the deterioration of the wetlands, intensive agriculture and forestry, and climate change. The main actions needed to protect Finnish birds are large-scale wetland restoration, better implementation of environmental actions in agricultural policy and forestry, as well as the protection of the remaining old-growth forests and the peatlands that are still in their natural state. Halting the climate change is particularly important to protect the birds with northern distribution, such as species breeding on peatlands and on the northern fjells of Finland.
The state of the Finnish birds is well-known thanks to the efforts of the thousands of birdwatchers. The report presents the latest results of large-scale monitoring programs, and the results of the studies examining the causes of the changes. The report has been compiled in co-operation with the Finnish Museum of Natural History and the Finnish Environment Institute.