In English

Founded in 1962 and managed by the Turku Ornithological Society, the Jurmo Bird Observatory is located on the southern rim of the Turku Archipelago. The vegetation and scenery in Jurmo are unique, which attracts a wide and distinct range of birds both to breed on and to migrate via the island and the surrounding waters.

Jurmo is easily accessible by m/s Utö, departing from Pärnäs. The boat trip is free of charge. For the ship’s schedule and reservations, see finferries.fi. You can reach the ship by bus or by car.

The bird station is located in the Jurmo Village, near the chapel. There are seven beds, a fridge, a stove and, of course, a sauna. You’ll need your own bedding and food, but you can get drinking water from a nearby well.

Jurmo BO aims to gather scientifically sound data for ecological research; thus, basic identification skills are required. The most important routines from March 1st to November 15th are a two-hour migration watch starting at sunrise and a standardized route in the western part of the island, circulating the best waterfowl and wader shores. If time and resources allow, an additional, less compulsory standard route in the eastern part of the island should also be walked. After that, you’re free to use the day as you like. In wintertime, the sparse hours of daylight should be efficiently used for observation.

In recent years, the observatory has been effectively manned year-round, with activity on more than 300 days and 15 000 – 25 000 birds ringed per year.

The data obtained at Jurmo Bird Observatory has been used in many scientific papers and books, the most recent being climate research. See "Julkaisuluettelo" for a publishing catalogue.

So how do you get yourself a place on the observatory? Contact <jurmo(at)tly.fi> and ask for more.

If you are a foreign ringer, please note that you’ll need a Finnish ringing permission in order to ring here. If you have one, please contact <jurmo at tly.fi> for detailed ringing instructions.

The annual fee for accommodation at the observatory is 55 euros regardless of whether you stay for two or fifty nights. The fee shall be paid to the observatory’s bank account: IBAN FI58 2341 1800 0045 35.