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Northwest Russia

Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius ©H yamaguchi CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons Website

Northwest Russia Federal District stretches from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Arctic Ocean in the north, sharing international borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. It consists of the republics of Komi and Karelia; the autonomous okrug of Nenetsia; the federal city of Saint Petersburg; and the oblasts of Arkangelsk, Murmansk, Vologda, Pskov, Leningrad and Novgorod and the geographical exclave oblast of Kaliningrad. It covers a total area of 1,686,972 km2 (651,344 square miles) with a population of 14 million people. The administrative capital is Saint Petersburg, a major world city of over 5.6 million people.

The district has shores on five seas of two oceans: the Atlantic Ocean (the Baltic Sea) and the Arctic Ocean (the Barents, Pechora, White and Kara Seas); it is connected by the White Sea by the Baltic Canal. A large part of the district is covered by forests, with only around 3% land used for agriculture.

The district is characterised by the abundance of freshwater bodies. Lying mostly in the Eastern European Plain It features lowlands, numerous lakes and rivers, and extends northwards to Arctic tundra and southward towards mixed forest. It also has extensive coastlines along the Baltic Sea to the west and the Barents and White Seas in the Arctic Ocean. Consequently, the climate varies from temperate maritime in the southwest to sub-Arctic and polar in the north, with long winters and short summers.

Generally, the landscape consists of low-lying plains, moraine hills and plateaus, with elevations generally below 300 metres, although some areas like the Vidal Hills in the south are slightly taller. There are extensive taiga forests, which transition northwards to forest tundra and permafrost.

Lake Ladoga – ©Yoneh CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

However, the defining characteristic is the abundance of its freshwater bodies, accounting for nearly half of European Russia’s water resources. Lake Ladoga is the largest lake in Europe, covers 17,700 square kilometres across Leningrad Oblast and the Republic of Karelia. Adjacent to it, Lake Onega is the second largest in Europe at 9,700 square kilometres, lying primarily in Karelia and Vologda Oblast.

Valdai National Park, Novgorod Oblast – ©A Savin, FAL, via Wikimedia Commons

The river system is equally prominent with many originating from the Valdai Hills, flowing either northwards to Arctic Seas or westward to the Baltic. The Neva River, although short, drains Lake Ladoga into the Gulf of Finland, whereas the northern Dvina, ten times as long, runs through the northern oblasts and forms a vast delta at its mouth in the White Sea. Other significant rivers include the Pechora and the Svir.

Part of this federal district is arctic and there is a separate page (covering some or all of the republic of Karelia; the oblasts of Arkangelsk (including Nova Zemlya), Murmansk and Vologda and the autonomous okruga of Nenetsia) for that area because of its special wildlife.

Birding Northwest Russia

The Northwest of Russia is an interesting ornithological territory. The Baltic Sea washes the banks of Kaliningrad region, and a lot of bird migration routes cross here. Filinskaya Bay also attracts a great number of bird species. Here you can find almost all species of geese, ducks, swans, gulls, terns, etc. which have been recorded in Northern Europe. The surrounding Filino Zakaznik Nature Reserve’s woodlands also hold a wide range of passerines etc.

Virgin Komi Forests – ©Demeulenaer & Van Ginderdeuren CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Virgin Komi Forests, support over 200 bird species across its boreal taiga and tundra including Black Stork and Siberian Jay. The district is very good for raptors with White-tailed Eagles, Ospreys, Golden Eagles and even Girfalcons present. Peregrine Falcon can be seen hunting along the Pechora River basin. The extensive rivers, lakes and wetlands attract breeding wildfowl and waders and other water associated birds.

Mixed forests are very varied in this region: the north is dominated by dense spruce taiga, and in the south this gives way to light pine forests. These forests also possess a rich bird species collection; more than 100 species are present throughout the summer. The coniferous taiga holds Capercaillies, Black and Hazel Grouse and other specialists including Great Grey Owl and Black Woodpecker.

Svir River – ©arbara Slavin CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The well-developed system of rivers and lakes, which includes such great ones as Ladozhskoe & Chudskoe lakes, and Svir & Velikaya rivers, give shelter to a lot of ducks, waders, gulls.

| Russian Arctic |
Top Sites

  • Kurshkaya Kosa National Park

    InformationSatellite View
    Kurshskaya spit is a wonderful place to observe birds during their spring migrations. During this season both waterfowl. This narrow isthmus stretching out into the sea is used as a place to rest and forage by thousands of birds. The best time to come here is the last part of March, April and the beginning of May.

  • Nizhnesvirsky Nature Reserve

    Information
    More than 256 bird species of birds have been as it has a rich diversity of sites, which are useful for forest-living, water-dependent and meadow birds. You can find here such interesting species as Honey-buzzard, Merlin, Great Gray Owl and Ural Owl. It is also possible to see rare forest-living birds, for example, Black Stork, Osprey, Willow Grouse, Stock-dove and Eagle Owl. From the group of water dependent birds the most special are: Bald-coot, Great-crested Grebe, Spotted Crake, Wood sandpiper, Ruff & Black-tailed Godwit. The rich avifauna have settled on the bogs in the reserve. A very dense breeding population of Cranes is also situated here. Also you can find such typical birds for this habitat as Snipe, Curlew, Whimbrel, Great Snipe & Golden Plover. In spring, during the migration season, on the lakes of Svir-river floodplain there concentrate a lot of ducks, especially Scoter, Long-tailed duck & Black Scoter.

  • Pechoro-Ilytchsky Reserve

    InformationSatellite View
    This part of the northern Urals near Pechora-river is original and unsurpassed. The mountain taiga forests are inhabited by special avifauna, including such rare species as Golden Eagle, Eagle Owl, Great Grey Owl, Hawk Owl and Marsh Owl. There are a lot of Galliformes birds, and in spring it’s possible to see large leks of Capercailyes and Black Grouses. Big flocks of Red-breasted Geese, Scoters and Pintails on their spring migration have a rest on the river channel. On the highest mountain levels live Tundra Grouse, Common Dotterels, Snow Buntings and Shore Larks.

  • Polistovsky Nature Reserve

    Information
    This site represents an exceptional wetland complex. The characteristic peculiarity of Polistovo-Lovatsky swamps is an abundance of small rivers, streams and lakes. More than 140 species of birds, which are associated with swamps, have been founded in this region; some rare species have an important nesting site here. For example, the biggest population of Curlew lives in the Polistovsky reserve. Other interesting rare bird, such as White-tailed Eagle, Golden Eagle, Osprey, Black Stork, Golden Plover and Black-throated Diver can be seen in these swamps as can both breeding species and migrants.
Contributors
Number of Species

  • Number of bird species: Komi: 251

    (As at July 2026)

  • Number of bird species: St Petersburg: 285

    (As at July 2026)

  • Number of bird species: Pskov: 259

    (As at July 2026)
Checklist

  • Avibase Komi

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist includes all bird species found in Komi, Republic of , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years. I am pleased to offer these checklists as a service to birdwatchers. If you find any error, please do not hesitate to report them.

  • Avibase Pskov

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist includes all bird species found in Pskovskaya oblast , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years. I am pleased to offer these checklists as a service to birdwatchers. If you find any error, please do not hesitate to report them.

  • Avibase St Petersburg

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist includes all bird species found in Saint-Petersburg , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years. I am pleased to offer these checklists as a service to birdwatchers. If you find any error, please do not hesitate to report them.
Observatories

  • Rybachy Biological Station

    Observatory WebsiteSatellite View
    The Courish Spit on the Baltic Sea (Kurische Nehrung in German) has been known since the end of the last century for its large concentration of migrating birds, unique in Europe. The spit is a strip of sandy terrain, 97 km in length and 0.4 to 3.6 km in width separating the Courish Lagoon from the Baltic Sea…
Reserves

Abbreviations Key

  • IBA Lake Ladoga

    InformationSatellite View
    It is the largest lake entirely in Europe, and the 14th largest freshwater lake by area in the world. The Ladoga is rich with fish. 48 forms (species and infra specific taxa) of fish have been encountered in the lake, including roach, carp bream, zander, European perch, ruffe, endemic variety of smelt, two varieties of Coregonus albula (vendace), eight varieties of Coregonus lavaretus, a number of other Salmonidae as well as, albeit rarely, endangered European sea sturgeon. It has its own endemic ringed seal subspecies known as the Ladoga seal. Nizhnesvirsky Natural Reserve is situated along the shore of Lake Ladoga immediately to the north of the mouth of the River Svir.

  • NP Kurshskaya Kosa (Curonian Spit)

    InformationSatellite View
    The park covers the Russian-owned southern 41 km of the 98 km long, curved Curonian Spit – a type of depositional sandbar. The spit separates the salt-water Baltic Sea (on the west) from the freshwater Curonian Lagoon to the east. Birds and waterfowl are abundant, as the park has abundant wetlands and is on major migratory routes. 262 species of birds have been recorded in the park, and 100 are known to nest and breed in the territory. The park is also home to 46 species of mammals, including elk, European roe deer, wild boar, fox, marten, raccoon dog, badger, hare, red squirrel, and beaver.

  • NR Nizhnesvirsky

    InformationSatellite View
    The nature reserve occupies lowlands on the right bank of the lower Svir River, including a portion of the eastern shore of Lake Ladoga and its waters. It is an important stopover location for migratory birds. The zapovednik has a humid continental climate (Köppen's Dfb). The predominant tree species is Scots Pine. A considerable area is occupied by swamps. Forty species of mammals occur in the nature reserve. Big mammals include brown bear, moose, and lynx. It abuts Olonetsky Nature Reserve.

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