13 Suolijärvi nature trail information board

From pterosaurs to birds

In a mass extinction 65 million years ago, an estimated 80% of all living species died out, but the ancestors of birds survived. In the light of current knowledge, birds are the only extant group of dinosaurs that are still alive. Today, birds can be found almost everywhere in the world.

What characteristics of birds are the cause of their success?

What lizard and bird features do you find in the picture of Archeopteryx, the ancestor of the bird tyrannosaur?

Did you know that... 

Birds have a magnetic sense, based on a kind of built-in chemical compass. It allows the bird to sense the Earth's magnetic field and orient itself accordingly on its migratory journey.

Bird species of Lake Suolijärvi

Lake Suolijärvi's diverse forest ecosystem provides a wide range of habitats for birds. Many bird species thrive in the forests, where there is a variety of trees and shrubs, as well as decaying wood for nesting and foraging. Species of conservation concern in Pirkanmaa include the common tit, the white-throated sparrow, the spotted owl and the long-eared buzzard, which have also been recorded around Suolijärvi. Many of the birds in the picture visit the feeding grounds during the winter, while others migrate south for the warmth.

Which species of birds have you spotted along the nature trail?

What identifiers can you think of for the birds in the picture?

On winter feeding of birds

Winter feeding helps birds to survive the long cold spells when food is scarce in the wild.
There are challenges and responsibilities involved in maintaining winter feeding. 
Feeding must be continuous and hygienic. 

Birds that are used to a feeding site can die when they run out of food if they do not find a new feeding site quickly. Many diseases, such as salmonella, can be spread between birds at the feeding site, and untidy feeding areas can also attract unwanted guests such as rats.

In the picture:

The firecrest is the largest of Finland's seven species of woodpeckers.
Like many other species, the spotted owl nests in old ladder burrows.