Republic of Poland

White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla ©Yathin S Krishnappa Website
Birding Poland

The importance of Poland lays in its large natural habitats. In the east, there are several large forests. Most famous is Białowieża, the last deciduous woods in Europe which have never been managed by mankind. There are raptors, hazelhen, owls, woodpeckers, flycatchers, as well as large mammals, like European Bison.

Several river valleys, notably Vistula (Wisła); Narew, Bug, Warta and Oder (Odra); have wide flood lands or sandy islands full of water birds and waders. Marshes along Biebrza are the largest wetland in Europe, with large populations of Aquatic Warbler, Spotted Eagle, Great Snipe and White-winged Black Tern among over 200 species.

There are mountains in the south, notably Taras (Tatry) and Bieszczady, with raptors and alpine species like Wallcreeper. Northern Poland is dotted with lakes and forests and is very important for waterfowl and migrating birds especially the Bay of Gdañsk and large fishponds (like Milicz) and reservoirs (Słońsk, Turawski, Mietkowski). The northeast has several eastern specialities on the edge of their range such as Citrine Wagtail and Greenish Warbler.

Much of the countryside is still low-intensity farmland teeming with birds. White Storks, Corncrakes and many other birds can be found everywhere, even on the outskirts of cities.

Poland has about 3.000 birdwatchers and ornithologists, not much for a country of this size. Bird-related movement is organized mainly around biology departments of universities. Many birdwatchers collect data on bird distribution and numbers, and work in several conservation organizations. Most active are North Podlasie Society of Bird Protection (Północnopodlaskie Towarzystwo Ochrony Ptaków) caring for the north-eastern region, Nature Conservation Society Salamandra, and Eagle Conservation Committee. With so many habitats with breeding birds, twitching and listing in Poland is less popular. Rushing to the opposite end of country for a particular rarity is almost unheard of. Therefore, Polish Rarities Commitee (Komisja Faunistyczna) often receives its records rather late.

There is as yet no birdline, but there is active national birding list PTAKI (birds) – Polish bird list. Main language is Polish, but messages in English are understood by Ptaki members. To subscribe, send a letter to: listserv@main.amu.edu.pl and type in the body of message: Subscribe Ptaki Name Surname

Contributors
  • Jerzy Dyczkowski

    | jerzyd@ibb.waw.pl

Number of Species
  • Number of bird species: 446

    (As at July 2018)

    The White (aka White-tailed) Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla (Orzeł Biały) is part of the coat of arms of Poland.

Checklist
  • iGoTerra Checklist

    iGoTerra Checklist
    Fatbirder Associate iGoTerra offers the most comprehensive and up to date birds lists on the web
Useful Reading

  • Birding in Poland

    by Adam Sterno | Oriolus Forläg | 2015 | Hardback | 610 pages | 20 plates of 40 Colour Photographs | 164 Map | ISBN: 9789197865210 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Finding Birds in Eastern Poland

    By Dave Gosney | Easybirder | 2016 | DVD | Runtime 77 Minutes | ISBN: 9781907316524 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Finding Birds in Eastern Poland

    By Dave Gosney | Easybirder | 2016 | Paperback | 40 pages, 20 b/w maps | ISBN: 9781907316517 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Rzadkie Ptaki Polski [Rare Birds of Poland]

    | By Tadeusz Stawarczyk, Tomasz Cofta, Zbigniew Kajzer, Jan Lontkowski & Arkadiusz Sikora | Polish Avifaunstic Commission | 2018 | Hardback | 512 pages, 215 colour photos, colour illustrations, colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9788394733803 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Observatories
Museums & Universities
  • University of Wroclaw Department of Avian Ecology

    Webpage
    At the Department research is pursued in ecology, behaviour and sociobiology of birds, nature conservation and regional faunistics. Teaching activities include tutorials and courses in animal ecology, animal behaviour, zoology of vertebrates and field courses. The Department provides education at the MSc. and PhD level.
Organisations
  • Birding Polska

    Website
    Birding in Poland is a must for every European birder. There is a big variety of species and different species which have become scarce in Western Europe, can still be seen here in good numbers
  • Czaplon - Upper Vistula Birding Club

    Website
    South Poland Group. Checklist of the birds of the Upper Vistula Valley. The Polish Avifaunistic Committee list of species all records which should be verified. GALLERY with over 100 photos. Recent records. Large gulls from Upper Vistula Valley.
  • Density of Corncrake in Poland

    PDF Article
    Density of the Corncrake Crex crex in selected areas in Poland on ResearchGate, the professional network for scientists.
  • Heliantus

    Website
    We are an NGO, which is doing ecological education in our region
  • Malopolskie Towarzystwo Ornitologiczne

    Website
    Our society was founded in 1982, originally as the Club of Ornithologists of Malopolska; since 1992 it has worked under its present name of the Malopolska Ornithological Society (Malopolskie Towarzystwo Ornitologiczne) as a formally registered organisation. The area in which the MTO works and carries out research covers the Malopolska Upland (Wyzyna Malopolska), the Carpathian Foothills (Podkarpacie) and the Carpathians which altogether constitute one fifth of the total area of Poland, in all about 60 000 sq km…
  • North Podlassian Society for Birds Protection

    Website
    North Podlassian Society for Birds Protection is the oldest Polish Bird Protection society
  • OTOP - Leszczy

    Website
    Od dawna na terenie Ziemi Leszczy?skiej prowadzone s? obserwacje ptak
  • OTOP - Nadnotecka Grupa

    Website
    Zapraszamy do przegl
  • Ornithological Station in Ruda Milicka

    Website
    The Station is located in the nature reserve Stawy Milickie (Milicz's Fish Ponds) - the largest reserve in Poland and one of the most important breeding area for water birds in Central Europe, protected with the RAMSAR convention. Staff members and students of Zoological Institute as well as visitors from other academic centres conduct here scientific research in various areas of zoology and ecology.
  • Peregrines

    Website
    Since 2010, we have released more than seven hundred young falcons. During this time, thanks to these reintroductions, over 400 young falcons have already hatched in nature. Every year, we try to ring the young falcons in all nests we know. We run live broadcasts from several of them, thanks to which we can keep track of what is happening in the slots. This year, we plan to release another 80 falcons, ring all young birds in their natural nests, and transmit from falcon nests. In March and April this year we've launched three more new online previews.
  • Polish Rarities Committee

    Information
    Rarities Committees, following the model of the British one, are active in most of the European countries, co-operating in support of faunistic research. These are teams of experts in field ornithology, assigned to verify reports of bird species recognized as faunistically important to a certain area and period. Acceptance by the proper committee is a prerequisite for consideration of a record's validity, thus for its acknowledgement at international range as a scientific fact
  • Polish Society for the Protection of Birds (OTOP)

    Website
    BirdLife partner in Poland
  • Polskie Towarzystwo Ochrony Przyrody

    Website
    English and Polish. Polish Society of Nature Protection Salamandra. Mostly general wildlife, many photos.
  • Przemy

    Website
    The Przemy
  • Sekcja Ornitologiczna Kola Naukowego Lesnikow SGGW-AR

    Facebook Page
    Bird club of Agricultural University in Warsaw, with features on wild Wisla river valley and many links…
  • Zachodniopomorskie Towarzystwo Ornitologiczne - West-Pomeranien Ornithological Society

    Website
    West-Pomeranian Ornithological Society was registered in September 1994. But as an informal group of amateur ornithologists it has been acting for over 20 years. At the moment, it has almost 100 members. The society was registered in order increase the effectiveness of all activities which are undertaken by amateurs. The main, long-term aim of the association is achieving legal protection and full control of all grounds valuable for birds in Western Pomerania. Members of WPOS co-operate with The Szczecin Ornithological Station widwie. At the Station - thanks to the kindness of its management - the society has its seat. Buildings of the Station were built in 1974 by amateur ornithologists
Reserves

Abbreviations Key

  • IBA Milicz Ponds - NR Barycz Valley Landscape Park

    InformationSatellite View
    The ponds are located in Silesia, close to Breslaw. In the middle-ages, monks excavated carp ponds. Nowadays, they can hardly be distinguished from natural ones and are one of the most important resting places for migratory birds in west Poland. Due to their importance as a habitat and breeding ground for water birds, the ponds are a nature reserve (established 1963, area 53 km²), which is protected under the Ramsar conventio. Since 1996 it has also formed part of the larger protected area known as the Barycz Valley Landscape Park.
  • NP Belovezhskaya Pushcha

    WebsiteSatellite View
    In Belarus on the Polish border... The avifauna includes corncrake Crex crex (R); white-tailed eagle Haliaetus albicilla (R); white stork Ciconia ciconia, peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus and eagle owl Bubo bubo (MAB-Belarus, 1993)…
  • NP Bialowieski

    InformationSatellite View
    Bialowieski National Park is the oldest national park in Poland and one of the oldest in Europe. It was founded as Reserve Forestry in 1921 but officially established as National Park in Bialowieza in 1932. In 1947 it was restored as the Bialowieski National Park. At one time the property of Polish kings, the Bialowieskie Forests have survived in an almost unaltered form. It is without a doubt the most valuable, natural area in the lowlands of entire Europe. Located on the watershed of the Baltic and Black seas, this immense forest range consisting of evergreens and broad-leaved trees is the home of some remarkable animal life including rare and interesting mammals…
  • NP Biebrzański

    WebpageSatellite View
    The Biebrza National Park is located in Northeast Poland, in the Podlaskie Voivodship. The northeastern boundary of the park is near the Belarus border, and the Narew River and its confluence with the Biebrza River form the southern boundary. The park was established in 1993, and with a total area of 59.233 ha, it is the largest of the Polish national parks…
  • NP Bieszczady

    InformationSatellite View
    Bieszczady National Park is the third largest national park in Poland. It is located in the far south-east, in Podkarpackie Voivodeship, at the borders with the Slovak Republic and Ukraine…
  • NP Drawa

    InformationSatellite View
    There are 129 species of birds, 40 species of mammals, 7 species of reptiles and 13 species of amphibians. The good quality of water in the lakes and rivers enables various species of fish to flourish. Roe deer, red deer and wild boar are very common in the national park. The park also hosts high populations of eurasian otter and beaver. Occasionally moose and grey wolf can be found in the park.
  • NP Magura

    InformationSatellite View
    Animal life is very rich in the Park - there are 137 species of birds, including several endangered such as the eagle and eagle-owl as well as the stork. There are also 35 engagered mammal species including the brown bear (they roam back and forth between Poland and Slovakia), lynx, wildcat, wolf and otter.
  • NP Narew

    InformationSatellite View
    The Park’s landscape is predominantly made up by many varieties of marshes, reed beds, and there are also meadows and forests. The Narew Valley is a haven for birds - there are 179 species of them, including those unique for the area.
  • NP Wigry

    WebsiteSatellite View
    Wigry National Park is located in the north-east part of Poland, in Podlaskie Voivodeship. Its northern part lies within the East Suwalki Lakeland, while the southern part within the Augustow Plain. The Park was established in 1989 over the area of 14,956 ha. Currently, its area is 15,086 ha and includes 9,464 ha of forests, 2,908 ha of waters, and 2,714 ha of other, mostly agricultural land (2,229 ha). 623 ha which consists of 120 ha of forests are strictly protected. Agriculturally managed areas are encompassed by landscape protection.
  • NP Wolin

    InformationSatellite View
    The Park contains a varied flora and fauna. Its attractions include the sea cliffs of Gosań and Kawcza Góra, and a wisent (European bison) sanctuary.
  • NR & BS Karsiborska Kepa

    InformationSatellite View
    Karsiborska Kępa is an island near Świnoujście in north-western Poland. It is also the name of a nature reserve and bird sanctuary on the island. Wet, wild and buffeted by winds sweeping off the Baltic Sea, the island of Karsiborska Kepa is a remote place.
  • NR Łuknajno Lake

    InformationSatellite View
    The lake is the site of a nature reserve, and since 1977 has been designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and a Ramsar site, in view of its importance as a breeding ground for water birds such as grebe, rail, moorhen, grey heron, bearded tit, white-tailed eagle, osprey, rust-coloured kite, cormorant and black tern. The lake is known since many decades as the habitat of the mute swan (Latin: Cygnus olor) – nesting there every year from a dozen to tens of dozen of pairs, and in time of moult arriving in numbers reaching up to 2,000 birds. The lake is part of the larger protected area known as Masurian Landscape Park.
  • Wetlands

    WebpageSatellite View
    Poland currently has 19 sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites), with a surface area of 153,385 hectares.
Guides & Tour Operators
  • Bird Guide Poland

    Tour Operator
    Bialowieza Forest and Biebrza Marshes are the most famous birding hotspots in Poland. That`s true, but they are not the only ones to watch the birds! There are plenty of other places, excellent habitats and a real wildlife sanctuaries fulfiled with birds. Unfortunately unknown among foreign birdwatchers. Fortunately we know them all as we were born and live here watching birds whole year round, so we are able to help you find them. That is why we have launched this website
  • E-Tours

    Tour Operator
    We have been organizing the birdwatching tours since 1991. We work for leading UK and world birding tour operators and various associations. We have three main criteria in designing the BW holidays: Professional competence and personality of expert group leaders and the local ornithologist Choice of the most interesting sites Smooth organization and a comfortable environment to ensure customer enjoyment and commercial success. E-mail us for a detailed itinerary and birdlists! info@etours.cz
  • Ecotours

    Tour Operator
    Our company was formed with the intention of popularising birding trips in Hungary, birdwatching, butterfly, wildlife and nature tours in Eastern Europe The natural Choice in Eastern Europe and worldwide…
  • GoForNature

    Tour Operator
    Foundation which organize nature trips to Poland
  • Wild Poland

    Tour Operator
    Relax and let friendly, passionate professionals take you around. With us, wildlife’s closer than you think. Why? We’re crazy about wildlife ourselves. We’ve spent days and nights tracking and watching them all our youth. It’s our passion. We see their signs and tracks in places you’d never imagine. For us, every day out’s an adventure. Just check out the photos on ourwebsite. They were all done on our trips!
  • Wildlife Guide - Oliwier Myka

    Tour Operator
    Then you are in the right place! Hi, my name is Oliwier Myka. I come from Białystok, a city located exactly midway between two top European spots for nature lovers. Maybe that’s why I became a naturalist. Since the age of 13 I have been birding and exploring this North Eastern region of Poland. I am not only familiar with top wildlife sites, but also with lesser known ones which are still wildlife-rich.
  • Wildlife Poland

    Tour Operator
    Our company is the first wildlife travel agency in Poland with over 20 years` experience in organizing trips, taking photographs of nature, making natural programs, etc.
Trip Reports
  • 2005 [04 April] - Fatbirder

    PDF Report
    A chilly week in April in the marshes and forests of eastern Poland…
  • 2006 [05 May] - John Parish

    PDF Report
    Help from a local guide is necessary if the most is to be made of a birding trip to Poland – or, at least, that was the view of our party of past and present Croydon RSPB Group members as we planned a trip to see as many as possible of that country’s avian highlights.
  • 2014 [06 June] - Stephen Burch - Western Poland & Brandenburg

    Report
    This was a long weekend solo birding trip and I decided to revisit the Warta Mouth area of Poland on day 1, hopefully for Barred & River Warblers before moving on to the Oder river area of Brandenburg, north east of Berlin for days 2 and most of 3, before my evening return. As I was on my own, fairly early starts and the occasional late finish were not a problem, although a bad back was.
  • 2015 [02 February] - Lukasz Mazurek

    PDF Report
    The group arrived the day before and we have met at their hotel downtown. By16.30 we were on the bus and on our way north east. 1 Common Buzzard and 2 Hareswere seen on the way but it soon became dark and we enjoyed the drive while Lukasintroduced the group to the history and nature of nort eastern Poland. After checking in, alovely dinner of traditional Polish soup and meats was followed by a short talk over amap.
  • 2015 [03 March] - Biolowieza Forest

    PDF Report
    We arrived late, entering the forest at around 10:30pm. The headlights lit up a LongearedOwl in flight, and shortly after a Yellow-necked Mouse. We decided to spotlightand within minutes we couldn’t believe our luck.. a pair of eyes, one moving to the right,the second staring straight. The movement of a Wolf, the spotlight lighting up the rearend and tail of the first as the second moved on. Having seen 2 Wolves, ecstatic, we droveon to our hotel.
  • 2015 [05 May] - Białowieża & Biebrza Marshes

    PDF Report
    ...Finally, we stopped at some fishponds near Knyszyn and watched many waders, incl. Ruffs,Wood Sandpipers, Temmincks, Dunlins, Redshanks and Little Ringed Plovers. A White-tailedEagle, Hobby and a Goshawk were also a nice sighting. Leter on our way we have also had goodviews of 3 Montagu’s Harriers at a road side and heard an Ortolan Bunting.
  • 2015 [05 May] - Johnny Prochera - Bialowieza and Biebrza

    PDF Report
    ...Grey heron, House sparrow, Wood pigeon, Starling and more unusually for us Fieldfare were allcommon and we were treated to at least 4 Montagu’s harrier, 60-70 White storks and a couple ofhunting Marsh harrier and Kestrel (a bird that was to become quite rare later on in the trip).
  • 2016 [01 January] - Andrzej Petryna - Bialowieza

    PDF Report
    ...Before breakfast we watched some interesting birds around the bird feeder in thehotel garden, with Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Bullfinch and Mistle Thrush....
  • 2016 [02 February] - Andrzej Petryna - Bialowieza

    PDF Report
    ...We went back to the forest. After picnic lunch we took a walk in the forest to the feeding station. It was raining, so we didn’t see many birds, but we met Black Woodpecker and Northern Long-Tailed and Crested Tits...
  • 2016 [02 February] - Andrzej Petryna - Bialowieza & Biebrza

    PDF Report
    ...y. When we looked round along the forest edge, we foundWolf footprints on the path. We went back to the forest, but still in its north part. After apicnic lunch we made some forest walks, starting from a clearing with the river. We foundplenty of trees chopped down by Beavers and their tunnels made in elevated banks of theriver, and the other 2 White-tailed Eagles soaring over the clearing as well as a BlackWoodpecker...
  • 2016 [03 March] - Andrzej Petryna - Bialowieza & Biebrza

    PDF Report
    ...Next place wasmuch better: we found two Bison bullsfeeding at the meadow. It was near thevillage and the animals obviously wereused to see humans, because it was possibleto get close to them to take pictures....
  • 2016 [05 May] - Jim Simons

    PDF Report
    At the far side there was a meadow, and there, just beyond the trees, stood a great bull bison, head down, grazing. We watched enthralled for perhaps ten minutes from about fifty yards away.
  • 2017 [05 May] - John van der Woude

    Report
    Again we visited birding sites mentioned in Birding in Poland (Oriolus Förlag), this time especially in Lubelski province in the East of Poland. This is south of the well-known birding region in northeast Poland.
  • 2017 [05 May] - Norman Sills - Biebrza & Bialowieza

    PDF Report
    A before-breakfast stroll along the lane showed that avian residents of the hamlet included icterine warbler, spotted flycatcher, tree sparrow, fieldfare, white stork, serin and, on the marsh beyond the river, two male garganeys, 150 ruffs/reeves, wood sandpiper, greenshank, great white egrets (18), blue-headed wagtails and sedge warblers.
  • 2017 [05 May] - Peter Williams

    Report
    We are three British birdwatchers. in our 60s, who organized a private trip to Poland with guides from BirdGuide Poland. We chose to focus on North Eastern Poland with 5 days in the Bialowieza Forest and 4 in the Biebrza Marshes. This focus was to avoid long days of driving and to appreciate the scale of special habitats that we just don't have in the UK.
  • 2017 [05 May] - Stephen Burch - North East Poland

    Report
    ...I had a relatively modest target list of four - Thrush Nightingale and River Warbler, both "unfinished business" from my previous trips to western Poland, plus Collared Flycatcher and Aquatic Warbler. In addition, summer plumaged Citrine Wagtail would be very nice to add to my previous fortunate sighting of an immature at my local reservoir...
  • 2018 [05 May] - Andy Walker

    PDF Report
    This two-week customized Poland tour commenced in Warsaw on the 13th of May 2018 and concluded back there on the 26th of May 2018
  • 2018 [05 May] - Andy Walker

    PDF Report
    After a morning arrival into Warsaw Chopin Airport we checked into our comfortable nearby hotel and freshened up. A late-morning visit was made to the Ghetto Heroes Monument and Museum of the History of Polish Jews.
  • 2018 [05 May] - Andy Walker

    PDF Report
    ...yielded a long list of European birding highlights, such as Garganey, Black-throated Loon, Blackand White Storks, Little Bittern, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Western Marsh, Montagu’s, and Pallid Harriers, White-tailed Eagle, Corn Crake, Common Crane, Ruff, Caspian Gull, Little, White-winged, Black, andWhiskered Terns, Common Cuckoo, European Bee-eater, Eurasian Hoopoe, Eurasian Wryneck, Eurasian Three-toed, Middle Spotted, White-backed, Black, and Grey-headed Woodpeckers, Red-backedand Great Grey Shrikes, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Eurasian Jay, EuropeanCrested Tit, Eurasian Penduline Tit, Aquatic, Greenish, Savi’s, Marsh, Icterine, Barred, and River Warblers...
  • 2018 [05 May] - Jonathan Lethbridge

    PDF Report
    None of us are quite sure how this happened but at some point on a slow birding day on Wanstead Flats we must have started discussing where might be better than here. Almost everywhere! We eventually decided on Poland’s Bialowieza (Bee-yah-woe-vee-ay-zha) forest –a number of us neededOwlsandWoodpeckers, and it was readily doable over a long weekend
  • 2018 [06 June] - Andy Walker

    PDF Report
    This one-week customized Poland tour commenced in Krakow on the 28th of May 2018 and concluded back there on the 4 th of June 2018. The tour visited the bird-rich fishpond area around Zator to the southwest of Krakow before venturing south to the mountains along the Poland and Slovakia border.
  • 2018 [06 June] - Andy Walker

    PDF Report
    A total of 136 bird species were seen (plus 8 species heard only),along with an impressive list of other animals, including Common Fire Salamander, Adder, Northern Chamois, Eurasian Beaver, and Brown Bear. Species lists are at the end of this report.
  • 2022 [11 November] - Leo Tukker

    PDF Report
    ...Along the way we saw many Common Buzzards, some Roe Deer, some Common Cranes, a Hooded Crow, a Hare and a Red Fox. Around 5:25 pm we arrived at hotel Karczma Babski Jadło in Gostynin...
Other Links
  • Encyclopaedia of Polish birds

    Website
    Encyclopedia of polish birds - Full descriptions, habitat, the presence of 400 species of birds. Photographs, videos. Contextual search
  • Ptaki

    Website
    Miejsce to, przeznaczone jest dla szerokiego grona mi
  • Shorebird Carvings

    Website
  • Storks Webcam

    Webam
    Polish webcam of bird feeder
  • Wild Poland Resources

    Webpage
    Free resources that should help you plan the trip yourself. Lists of local guides, wildlife calendar and much more.
Blogs
  • Caelum Boreale

    BLOG
    Stories about birds and birding (mainly) in central and eastern Poland.
  • Kolring Team

    BLOG
    We are ringers & ringreaders from Poland, who really love ring-reading & ringing generous. Have created this blog to publish sights, actions, last observations
Photographers & Artists
  • Photographer - Adam Wiktor Kamela

    Gallery
    Some bird portraits
  • Photographer - Mateusz Matysiak

    Facebook Page
    Fotografia przyrody i ptaków – Photo gallery of Polish birds…
  • Storks Webcam - Bociany Poland

    Webcam
    White Storks nest online camera with up to 18x optical zoom - Przygodzice, Barycz Valley, South Wielkopolska region, Poland…

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