The bird, a rare visitor to Finland, has prompted enthusiasts to throng the Järvelkä wetland, known for its abundant bird population.
Since Sunday, dozens and dozens of birdwatchers have crowded the Järvelkä wetland area on the border of Liedo and Kaarina in Southwest Finland.
– A sighting of an American kestrel was made on Sunday. As the name suggests, it is a North American species that occasionally strays into Europe and Finland. In Finland, the bird has been sighted almost every year nowadays, but it is a very rare species. It has only been sighted about 30 times in Finland,” says Södersved.
– What caught my attention was the post that an American Kestrel had been seen nearby. Of course, I grabbed my camera and headed for the wetland. There were already a lot of people there and I heard that they came from as far as Helsinki and other parts of southern Finland,” says Lahtinen.
Observations have been made earlier in different parts of Finland.
– If the bird has not been in the direction of Turku before, it will surely interest local enthusiasts. Then there are hobbyists who every year reset the species they see and want to count the species seen each year. In addition, you don’t often get to see such rare species, so we go to see them in the spirit of learning, says Jan Södersved.
According to Lahtinen, he saw the American crested for the first time.
– It was a great feeling when I saw the bird, describes Jarmo Lahtinen’s feeling.
The American Bald Eagle spotted was male
The Järvelä wetland next to Littoistenjärvi is known in the Turku region for its abundant bird life.
On Sunday, the American shorthair spotted in the wetland was a male. A layman might miss the observation, says BirdLife Finland spokesperson Jan Södersved.
– The observation may go unnoticed by many enthusiasts. An active fancier, who is familiar with the species, will pay attention to a few things that distinguish this bird from the usual fluff.
According to Södersved, it is impossible to estimate how long the bird is in the wetland.
– It may have stopped for a day or two on its migration journey. Sometimes the bird may have stayed in a place for several days or even a week.
According to Lahtinen, the first messages have already arrived that the bird has left.
– Now the bird is missing, someone sent a message that it had been seen taking off.