Birdwatching in the Netherlands

For a small country like Holland it properly has more Birdingpals per capita than anywhere else indicating the interest and knowledge available to a visiting birder.
With more than 700 km of costal line, plenty of wet land and on one of the main European flyways the Netherlands is a birders paradise, when it comes to waders and waterfowl. Storks, Spoonbills and Herons are common in the many draining canals throughout the country.
Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport being a main transfer point for international travelers, a traveling birder should consider a stopover for a day or two to bird this delightful country with more than 450 recorded bird species. Holland is well known for good facilities, roads and easy access to most reserves and a local Birdingpal will make sure you get the most out of your stopover.


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Local Birdingpal Contacts
Local Birdwatchers
Using the Birdingpal resources you must agree to the following: If you contact a local Birdingpal and make arrangement to go birding, you should note it is common courtesy to make sure you show up for the appointment. If for any reason you are unable to do this, the least you must do is contacting the local Pal right away.
Please note that most Birdingpals are serious birdwatchers. It is a privilege to contact them, and your message should reflect it. A local Pal does not get paid, but should he/she offer to take you out birding, using their own vehicle, it would be courteous to pay for the fuel. A lunch and/or a small gift would also be appropriate, something as simple as a souvenir of your country, or a pin from your local birding club.


Shortcuts to Local Pals:
Brabant Flevoland Friesland Gelderland Groningen Limburg Noord-Holland
Overijssel Texel Zeeland Zuid-Holland Professional Guides

Initial Last Name Area Available Language
J Vermeulen Chaam, Noord Brabant Weekend Dutch/English
German/French
Spanish
H Vennix Rosmalen, Noord Brabant Anytime Dutch/English
German/French
I'm not working anymore and almost retired and enjoy spending my time in nature with birdwatching, butter-flymonitoring and nature-photography. I also like to meet people from other countries and cultures; so mail me if you are going to visit Rosmalen's-Hertogenbosch.
P van Els Uden, Noord Brabant Anytime
M Twort Bergen op Zoom, West Brabant Weekend Dutch/English
For me it's a hobby. I do not keep lists. I am member of the local bird club which does hold some very serious birders. Some of whom are wel known through there work on breeding atlases and so on. I take part in counting birds in our area. I do not own a car or drive and do nearly all my birding on a bycicle also in other Eropean lands Spain, Hungary, Turkey and Portugal. In this part of Netherlands are the most diffrent sort of birds seen.
NY Jimenez Dronten, Flevoland Weekend English/Spannish
Dutch
I started to bird when I was 12 years old. There are a lot of good birding places around where I live, like the: Oostvaardersplassen, Vossemeer, IJsseldelta, Roggebodzand etc.
W Glas Lelystad, Flevoland Weekend Dutch/English
German/French
Spanish
I live around the most beautiful wetland of Europe, De Oostvaardersplassen an beautiful natural area that nature took back from humanity. This because only humanity could not decide what do with this area.
J Bosch Dokkum, Friesland/Lauwersmeer Anytime Dutch/English
German
L Dijkstra Arnhem, Gelderland Anytime Dutch/English
R Skjelnes Nijmegen, Gelderland Weekend Dutch/Norwegian
English/Finnish
G Ottens Utrecht, Gelderland Anytime
J van Bruggen Veluwe, Gelderland Weekend
R Vermoolen Wageningen, Gelderland Anytime Dutch/English
Birdwatcher (20y), -counter (15y) and - twitcher (10y), living in Wageningen since 1998. Wageningen area holds, depending on season, a nice set of 'targets' including Bluethroat, Marsh Warbler, Spoonbill, Black Woodpecker (nearby), Crested Tit, Firecrest, Owls (4 sp), Meadow birds and Wildfowl. The large birdwatcher community in Wageningen produces finds of scarce and rare birds on regular basis as well.
M Noback Groningen Anytime Dutch/English
German/French
D Brinkhuizen Groningen Anytime Dutch/English
Serbian
R Dillerop Schildwolde, Groningen Anytime Dutch/English
German
I am a birdwatcher & do birdbanding-projects in Groningen and Drenthe.
A Ovaa Vaals, Limburg Anytime
PC Meijer Noord Holland Anytime Dutch/English
German/French
Spanish
Peter C. Meijer lives in the province North-Holland where very good birding possibilities are. The Island Texel, The north coast of North-Holland: the former island Wieringen, good possibilities in the first Zuiderzee - polder Wieringermeer. Good possibilities to go the provinces Groningen and Friesland via the Afsluitdijk. I am a birder since 1964 and are still daily practicing this nice hobby. I am one of the editors of a Dutch Journal and have a series in this magazine (het Vogeljaar) on ‘Birding along the digital highway’. Read my website: www.petercmeijer.nl.
C van Deursen Aerdenhout, Noord-Holland Anytime
M Argeloo Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Anytime
R van Ouwerkerk Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Anytime
D de Vre Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Anytime
M van den Bergh Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Anytime Dutch/English
I am a young and keen birdwatcher, who likes to help serious foreign birders with birding in the Netherlands. Amsterdam is a good starting point to get to nice areas with many target birds for foreign birders.
M Voorvelt Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Anytime Dutch/English
German/French
I live in an old town called Weesp, close to Amsterdam and many wonderful birding sites. Birding on my own is nice, but I prefer to go together and to show others what the area has to offer. I usually take the bicycle to go birding, but will have my driving licence soon..."
E Boven Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Anytime Dutch/English
German
Serbo-Croatian
Erik Boven lives part of the year in Amsterdam and part in the friendly mountains of the north of Montenegro. He likes it to go out for birding with people from all over the world to exchange experiences and to observe the birds flying around without visa obligations.
S Wytema Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Anytime English/Nederlands
Francais/Deutsch
y un pocito Espanol
I mainly bird Noord- and Zuid-Holland. But the Netherlands is not that big so for a nice trip other parts can also be visited.
P van der Wielen Heerhugowaard, Noord-Holland Weekend Dutch/English
N Graafsma Hoofddorp, Noord-Holland Anytime Dutch/English
Just contact me if you want some birding fun. Dunes, seawatching, woodlands, forests, march, etc. Just tell me your wishlist and maybe we can find them. I like any place to bird and am known thoughout the Netherlands, so maybe we can meet your wishes.
J Beijk IJsselstein/Utrecht, Noord Holland Anytime Dutch/English
some German
I am an ecologist and interested in reptiles, amphibians and of course birds. If you are interested in birding in the Netherlands, please contact me.
O Zijlstra Nw. Niedorp, Noord-Holland Anytime Dutch/English
H Kiewiet De Cocksdorp/Texel, Noord-Holland Anytime Dutch/German
English
I like watching birds and there are a lot of them on the island of Texel in the north-west of the Netherlands.
R Kampf Schermerhorn, Noord-Holland Anytime Dutch/English
German/French
Norwegian
J Verhulst Utrecht, Noord Holland Weekend Dutch/English
German
GM Kohn Utrecht, Noord Holland Weekend Dutch/English
some German
I am a student at Utrecht University studying animal behavior (mainly animal social learning and personalities), from Montana/New York in the United States. Looking fellow birders in my area who are willing to share there knowledge of the local avifauna, as well as go on low-income birding trips (aka ride-sharein, hitchhiking and couchsurfing).
M Scholte Vinkeveen/Utrecht, Noord Holland Weekend Dutch/English
German
J van Meer Vught, Noord Holland Anytime Dutch/English
Vught is a small town between Eindhoven and Hertogenbosch in the province Noord-Brabant. For the local birding group I arrange excursions to Zeeland, Limburg, Flevoland (oostvaardersplassen).
E Groenewoud Zaandam, Noord Holland Weekend Dutch/English
German
GP Langedijk Zuid-Scharwoude, Noord-Holland Weekend Dutch/English
German/French
I live in the north western part of Holland in the province of Noord-Holland. In this part of the country you have some good places to go birding. Close to the Northsea (15 km) where there is always a lot to see. In spring and automn there is the migration of shorebirds, ducks and seabirds you can see from several lookout spots at the coast. On land there are some good places too, The dunes along the coast, some wetlands behind the dikes. A special good place is Zwanewater with contents two sweetwater lakes and is situated in the coastal dunes near Callantsoog. There are breeding Spoonbills and all kind of marshbirds such as Harriers, Reedwarblers, Bluethroats and for the third year we have breeding Cetti warbler. For 20 years I monitor birds in Zwanewater which gives much satisfaction.
M Hoksberg Deventer, Overijssel Anytime Dutch/English
some German
I bird the River Ijssel with lots of marshbirds. Also woodlands and birds connected with farming. Very beautiful area. Both interesting in summer and winter.
A van Essen Zwolle, Overijssel Anytime
H Pohlmann Zwolle, Overijssel Anytime Dutch/English
M Bunskoek Zwolle, Overijssel Anytime Dutch/English
I am a enthusiastic birder with over 15 years of birding experience. Zwolle is situated near many good birding areas (river IJssel, Oostvaardersplassen, Veluwe, Sallandse heuvelrug, Wieden and Weeribben). Tell me your wished for birdspecies and I will try to help you find them!
H Bouman Zwolle, Veluwe, Utrecht, Overijssel Anytime Dutch/English
German
A Binsbergen Oosterend/Texel Anytime Dutch/English
French/German
Spanish/Danish
P Boelee Goes, Zeeland Anytime Dutch/English
German
Zeeland, the part of the netherlands, where you easy can find 60 species of birds on one day.
N Oele Goes, Zeeland Anytime Dutch/English
German
Zeeland is in the south-west of the Netherlands, a very important place for all kind of birds.
T Plug Bodegraven, Zuid-Holland Weekend Dutch/English
French/German
I am a retired person, 65 years old and used to be head of the Biology Dept. of a Teacher's training College. I have been birding all my life, in the neighbourhood as well as abroad. Besides birding I am collecting used birdstamps worldwide. The little village were I am living is located between some lakes and swamps, so birding is excellent. Mostly I am doing this by bike. I have had contact with some other Birdingpals a couple of times. Depending of the season I usually taking them to the shore in the part of Holland called Zeeland. It is about an hour's drive from my village. Most of the time we are able to watch over 50 species.
C Walta The Hague, Zuid-Holland Weekend Dutch/English
German
If you would like to go birdwatching in the Hague or The Netherlands you can contact me. I usually go birding with the The Hague Birding Association, www.haagsevogels.nl (in Dutch) and you are welcome to join an excursion (no costs, only payment of car miles).
E Kleyheeg Gouda, Zuid-Holland Weekend Dutch/English
I am a biology student and for many years enthusiastic birdwatcher and nature photographer. Please contact me if you want to visit the characteristic polder landscape of the low western parts of the Netherlands (e.g. the Krimpenerwaard) for a successful birding experience.
KP Hendriks Leiden, Zuid-Holland Weekend
J van den Berg Oostvoorne, Zuid-Holland Weekend Dutch/English
German/French
I Goedbloed Schiedam, near Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland Weekend Dutch/English
German
A de Hoon Voorburg/The Hague, Zuid-Holland Weekend Dutch/English
German/French
Spanish

Professional Guides
If you contact a professional Birdingpal guide you must be prepared to pay a fee for guiding services.


Initial Last Name Area Available Language
L Treadgold Alkmaar, Noord-Holland Anytime English/Dutch
German
K de Jong De Cocksdorp (Texel), Noord-Holland Anytime Nederlands/English
Deutsch/Francais
poco Espainol
lit Norsk
Texel is the hot spot birding area of the Netherlands. Over 360 species of birds have been recorded and in May or October there are good chances to find over 100 species in one day.
E Dirks Zaandam, Noord-Holland Anytime Dutch/English
German/Spanish
French
JJ de Vries Oosterend/Island of Terschelling, Friesland Anytime Dutch/English
French/German
With more than 40 years of experience, he is a well trained birdwatcher. In weekends, during the period October till May he leads excursions for private groups up to 6 persons, in combination with sleeping facility all-in in a characteristic cottage " Heemst" on the Island of Terschelling in the Wadden Sea. Basic guiding fee for an individual euro 80 per day, each extra person 20 euro plus expenses.
P van der Luit Alphen aan den Rijn, Zuid-Holland Anytime Dutch/English

Local Information
Name Description
Dutch Birding Association Club
Netherlands Ornithologists' Union Club
Dutch Centre for Field Ornithology Club
Schiermonnikoog Station Banding/Ringing
Birding Hotspots around the world Sites
Gert and Rommert Cazemier's Lauwersmeer
Vincent van der Spek Scheveningen
Birdpix.nl Bird Photos
Nederpix.nl Nature photos
X Havix's Owls
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Netherlands
Local weather Yahoo
Electronic maps MapQuest
Find lowest prices for field guides, books, maps etc.
Field guides recommended by Birdingpals.
Printable bird check list
Trip Reports from Netherlands.
Read a Birdingpal's Trip Report from the Netherlands
C van Deursen's guide to the Netherlands.

Last update 08/01/2010