Birdwatching in Frosta and Tautra
Frosta and Tautra in Trondheimsfjorden is located just over an hour’s drive from Trondheim. If you have never visited this place before, we would recommend that you schedule for it now. This area is one of Norway’s most important and best birding locations. Frosta is reached by turning into state road 753 by Vordalen, located north of Stjørdal along the main road E6. To get out to the island Tautra from Frosta, you have to cross a 2.5 kilometres long road breakwater. The island is small and flat, the surface area is about 1.5 square kilometres, and the island’s highest point reaches 26 metres above sea level. Between Frosta and Tautra, there are usually many birds that can be watched from various places on the mainland, the breakwater, or the island itself.
Map over Frosta and Tautra
Large Bird Flocks
Migrating water birds like geese, ducks, and waders are staging around Frosta and Tautra in vast numbers. During the busiest migrating periods, spring and autumn, thousands of birds sometimes gather here. The most dominating species of ducks are Common Eider, Velvet Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Common Scoter, Mallard, Eurasian Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Shelduck, and Red-breasted Merganser. It is a good idea to look for rare ducks among the large flocks, since individual birds have a tendency of seeking company in these crowds.
In addition, you will find loons, grebes, Great Cormorants, gulls, terns, and auks in the area. Be sure to take your time determining the species. You might get to see Common Loon, Yellow-billed Loon, or Red-necked Grebe among the more common loons. Many of these species are more likely to be seen during the winter part of the year, making this a place you can visit all year round.
… that Common Eiders and Velvet Scoters use Svaet as a moulting area while they lose their wing quills in the summer?
… that Frosta and Tautra are one of Norway’s most important and best birding locations?
… that on April 22nd, 1993, a total of 24 staging Red-necked Grebes were registered by Tautra?
Bird Species Seen in the Area
Some of the Birds by Frosta and Tautra
Rare Birds in Frosta and Tautra
Several of the following species have been seen many times:
Lesser White-fronted Goose, Bar-headed Goose, Snow Goose, Cackling Goose, Ruddy Shelduck, Mandarin Duck, Red-crested Pochard, King Eider, Steller’s Eider, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Grey Partridge, Yellow-billed Loon, Red-necked Grebe, Great Bittern, Great Egret, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Pomarine Jaeger, Great Skua, Little Gull, Sabine’s Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Iceland Gull, Glaucous Gull, Caspian Tern, Black Tern, Thick-billed Murre, Little Auk, Eurasian Hoopoe, Richard’s Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, Water Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Black Redstart, Isabelline Wheatear, Barred Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Lesser Grey Shrike, Carrion Crow, White-winged Crossbill.
