The concept Beaks & Breaks – Bird-watching holidays in West Jutland will make bird-watching available to everybody.

Combine your holiday with unique bird-watching experiences in West Jutland. Nature has endowed the west coast of Jutland with a wealth of exciting bird-watching areas, all of which offer magnificent experiences of nature, all year round. A wide range of inviting and comfortable accommodation options provides an ideal basis for a relaxing and eventful holiday. A network of highly trained nature guides, informative nature displays, a wealth of bird-watching towers and hides, and an outstanding infrastructure together make West Jutland’s bird-watching areas accessible to everybody.

West Jutland – an international airport for wild birds

West Jutland’s many bird-watching areas are a world-class natural experience. The millions of migratory birds which pass through West Jutland twice a year can rightly be called Denmark’s most important contribution to the world’s biological inheritance. Every spring and autumn, migrating birds stop over in the fjords, water meadows, tidal flats, marshes, streams and lakes in West Jutland. And every one of these areas resembles an international airport, where migrating birds gather before they continue on their way between their breeding areas in the far north and their overwintering areas in western and southern Africa.

For those of us interested in nature and bird life, West Jutland provides an ideal opportunity to see the big flocks of birds of the tidal flats and wetlands at close quarters during their migration. The highlights include flocks of tens of thousands of wild geese, which gather on the meadows around the fjords and the Wadden Sea. Yet another wonderful experience is the Black Sun: flocks of up to half a million starlings gather around sunrise and sunset in a type of ballet.

The birds of West Jutland can be seen all year – but the best time is the spring and autumn months, and the best time of all is April, when they are wearing their attractive breeding plumage. Big flocks of Siberian wading birds can be seen in May, June and August. Big flocks of geese and ducks are best seen in September-October or March-April. The starlings appear in April and August-September. Various birds of prey such as the white-tailed eagle and the peregrine falcon can be seen in the winter months. Occasional visitors include the red-breasted goose, the spoonbill and the Kentish plover, all of which can be seen in West Jutland.

New magazine and guide to bird-watching

In January 2006, West Jutland Tourist Group published a guide to the bird areas of West Jutland under the short and appropriate title “Beaks & Breaks”. “Beaks & Breaks” consists of an Internet portal and an inspiring new magazine with an introduction to the bird areas. “Beaks & Breaks” works as a comprehensive reference work which all interested bird lovers can study when planning a holiday. There is a general map, descriptions of the various areas, pictures and illustrations, and good advice on where and when to go for the best bird-watching. “Beaks & Breaks” is also a holiday catalogue presenting West Jutland’s best holiday areas and accommodation and holiday packages.

Contact: 
West Jutland Tourist Group
Torvet 5 - DK-6830 Nr. Nebel
Phone + 45 7528 7400
E-mail: alarsen@tgv.dk