{"id":689,"date":"2020-02-17T10:54:29","date_gmt":"2020-02-17T10:54:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.zeiss.com\/intern\/sportsoptics\/birding\/en\/?p=689"},"modified":"2020-12-03T10:58:00","modified_gmt":"2020-12-03T10:58:00","slug":"sweden-land-of-birdwatchers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.zeiss.com\/sports-optics\/birding\/en\/sweden-land-of-birdwatchers\/","title":{"rendered":"Sweden – The Land of Birdwatchers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Don’t let your “skamart” list grow! <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Sweden exemplifies a vacation paradise, with 100,000 lakes, countless islands in the archipelagos of the Baltic Sea, and the diversity of one of Europe\u2019s five biggest countries. Three-quarters of Sweden consists of forests, in which moose and bears romp about. In such vast areas of nature, it is no wonder that Sweden is the cradle of f\u00e5gelsk\u00e5dning<\/em>, bird watching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We owe the binary nomenclature of scientific names to Swede Carl von Linn\u00e9 (aka Carl Linnaeus) in the 18th century\u2014not only in plant life but also in zoology. Linn\u00e9 was dedicated to ornithology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although much of his early work on naming and classifying birds has not held the test of time (as his work on flora has), he was an ornithologist. We build on his foundation of species classification today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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EVEN THOUGH THE BALTIC SEA DOES NOT PROVIDE THE SAME DIVERSITY OF SPECIES AS THE NORTH SEA, THE TEMPERATURE RANGE IN SWEDEN\u2014FROM THE MILD SEA CLIMATE TO ARCTIC COLD\u2014OPENS A VARIETY OF HABITATS. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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More than 200 years later, Lars Svensson authored the standard books for North African, Near Eastern and European bird species. In his bird guides he describes 900 species in every detail, an important tool for bird watchers as they identify birds throughout Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Swedish bird watchers are dedicated to their passion <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sweden hosts avian specialties including Rock Ptarmigan, Red-necked Grebe, Snowy Owl, Capercaillie, Northern Gannet, Whimbrel, Wood Duck, and Red-footed Falcon. Sweden\u2019s Club 300 registers 591 species, including several rarities. The most active members in the club have seen as many as 475 species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swedish slang among bird watchers demonstrates their determination: If they see a bird they just \u201ccross\u201d it, which in Swedish is kryss<\/em>. A species they have not yet seen is skamar<\/em>t, which means \u201cshame species.\u201d It is a mark of shame not to have seen the bird yet! <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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