It is important to time visits to Scandinavia to look for owls very carefully. The best time to look for most of them (with local guides) is through May to early June, although Simon Colenutt was fortunate to see this Hawk Owl near Nesseby in Norway in late March.
CALENDAR
In order to maximize chances of seeing the best birds and other wildlife at each of the Destinations described on this website it is important to visit them at the right time of the year. For example, whales, wildebeest, Whale Sharks, Great White Sharks, Grizzly Bears, turtles and many birds are only likely to be in certain places at certain times of the year, and even wildlife such as Gorillas, Orang-utans, Giant Pandas, Tigers, Wolves and lemurs, which are present at certain destinations all year round, are best looked for at certain times of the year, such as dry seasons, or, in the case of many birds their breeding seasons, when they are at their most active and attractive. However, while there are definite peak times for many destinations some may be just as good in the weeks and even months surrounding the periods recommended below. For more details click on the destination name. This will take you to one of the 150 pages devoted to single destinations or to the Destinations A-Z where there are summaries for the other destinations.
For more information see the list of best 100 Birds, best 100 Other Wildlife and best 50 Other Natural Wonders.
January
- Minnesota, USA (Great Grey and other owls, to February)
- Wyoming (Bison and other mammals in Yellowstone in winter, mid-January to March)
- Western Mexico (Birds, to February)
- Oaxaca, Mexico (Birds, to April)
- Guatemala (Birds, to April)
- Colombia (Birds, to March)
- Southern Ecuador (Birds, to March)
- Galapagos (Turtles, to March)
- Northeastern Brazil (Birds)
- Eastern South Africa (Flowers, to February)
- Palau and Yap (Manta Rays, to June)
February
- Central Mexico (Monarch Butterflies)
- Honduras (Whale Sharks and birds, to March)
- Costa Rica (Birds, to March)
- Panama (Birds)
- Jamaica (Birds, to early May)
- St Lucia (Birds, to April)
- Western Venezuela (Birds)
- Suriname (Birds, to March)
- Cameroon (Birds, to March)
- Northern Tanzania (Herbivore calving season)
- Northern Spain (Wintering Common Cranes)
- Japan (Birds, second half of month)
- Hange Tham, Nepal (Red Pandas, to March)
- Southern Thailand (Birds)
- Vietnam (Birds and monkeys)
- Cambodia (Birds)
- Philippines (Birds)
March
- Platte River, Nebraska (Sandhill Cranes)
- Baja California (Whales, late March-early April)
- El Triunfo, Mexico (Horned Guan and other birds)
- Cuba (Birds)
- Dominican Republic (Humpback Whales)
- Puerto Rico (Birds, to April)
- Trinidad and Tobago (Birds)
- Guyana (Birds)
- Chile (Pumas and birds)
- Southern Argentina (Killer Whales hunting sealion pups)
- Atlantic Odyssey (Seabirds and cetaceans on cruise, mid-March to mid-April)
- Western Sahara (Birds and mammals, to September)
- Cape Verde Islands (Birds, to April)
- Northwestern Spain (Wolves)
- Portugal (Displaying bustards, late March)
- Israel (Migrating birds, mid-March to early April)
- Central China (Possibly Giant Pandas)
- Nepal (Rhinos and birds in the lowlands)
- Northeastern India (Rhinos and birds in the lowlands)
- Northwestern India (Snow Leopards, first half of the month)
- Malay Peninsula (Birds, to October)
April
- Colorado (Displaying grouse)
- California (Southern), USA (Local bird specialities, late April-early May)
- Texas (Whooping Cranes, early April, migrating warblers and other birds during second half of month)
- Florida (Birds, second half of month)
- Belize (Whale Sharks, to May)
- Dominica (Sperm Whales)
- Southern Morocco (Birds)
- Egypt (Spring bird migration, mid-April to early May)
- Central African Republic (Lowland Gorillas, first half of month)
- Kenya (Birds)
- Zambia (African Wild Dogs)
- Western South Africa (Great White Sharks, to August)
- Sweden (Common Cranes, first half of month)
- Estonia (Steller's Eiders, owls and woodpeckers)
- Extremadura (Displaying bustards)
- Croatia (Rock Partridge, other birds and plants, to May)
- Greece (Birds, late April to early May)
- Lesvos (Spring bird migration, second half of month)
- Georgia (Birds, late April to early May)
- Iran (Birds, to May)
- Taiwan (Endemic birds, Fairy Pitta and other birds, second half of month)
- Hong Kong (Migrating shorebirds)
- Bhutan (Birds)
- Sri Lanka (Birds and whales, early April)
- Western Australia (Dugongs and Whale Sharks)
- Western Pacific Odyssey (Seabirds)
- Hawaii (Birds)
May
- Point Pelee, Ontario, Canada (Migrating birds, especially warblers)
- Maine, USA (Birds and whales, late May to late June)
- North Carolina, USA (Seabirds, late May to early June)
- Washington, USA (Birds, second half of May)
- Oregon, USA (Birds, second half of May)
- Arizona (Southeastern), USA (Local bird specialities and nightbirds)
- Bahamas (Birds, to August)
- Galapagos (Displaying seabirds, to June)
- Finland and Arctic Norway (Brown Bears and birds, to early June)
- Estonia (Brown Bears and birds)
- Poland (Birds, second half of month)
- Belarus (Birds, second half of month)
- Hungary (Birds)
- Austria (Birds)
- Czech Republic (Birds)
- Abruzzo National Park, Italy (Brown Bears, second half of month)
- Southern France (Birds, second half of month)
- Corsica (Endemic birds and orchids, beginning of month)
- Northern Spain (Birds, mid-May to mid-June)
- Romania (Brown Bears and birds, first half of month)
- Bulgaria (Birds)
- Ukraine (Birds)
- Turkey (Birds)
- Kazakhstan (Birds)
- Beidaihe, China (Bird migration, especially first half of month)
- Sichuan (Birds)
- Nepal (Trekking for birds in the high Himalayas)
- Northeastern India (Birds in the high Himalayas)
June
- Baffin Island (Narwhals and birds)
- Alaska (Birds)
- Alberta (Bears and birds)
- Quebec (Whales, mid-June to September)
- Minnesota, USA (Birds, early June)
- North Dakota, USA (Birds, early June)
- Wyoming (Bison and other mammals in Yellowstone in summer)
- Cayman Islands
- Central Peru (Birds, to July)
- Northern Tanzania (Blue Wildebeest crossing rivers)
- Kenya (Blue Wildebeest crossing rivers, to July)
- Uganda (Mountain Gorillas, to September)
- Rwanda (Mountain Gorillas, to September)
- Southern Tanzania (Mammals, to November)
- Iceland (Birds, late June-early July)
- Scottish Highlands and Mull (Birds)
- Outer Hebrides (Birds)
- Shetland (Birds)
- Northern Spain (Butterflies and flowers, mid-June to early July)
- Madeira (Seabirds and dolphins, to August)
- Arctic Russia (Birds)
- Kamchatka (Seabirds on cruises, June-July)
- Mongolia (Birds)
- Tibet (Birds and mammals, to July)
- Sumatra (Birds)
July
- Southeastern Alaska (Grizzly Bears fishing and Humpback Whales)
- Newfoundland (Humpback Whales)
- Arizona (Southeastern), USA (Local bird specialities and hummingbirds, late July-early August)
- Southern Mexico (Whale Sharks)
- Western Canada (Killer Whales, to August)
- Costa Rica (Turtles, to August)
- Central Brazil (Birds and mammals, to October)
- Canary Islands (Peak time for seabirds)
- Gabon (Birds, to November)
- Sao Tome and Principe (Birds, to November)
- Uganda (Green-breasted Pitta and other birds, to August)
- Spitsbergen (Polar Bears, late July-early August)
- Finland and Arctic Norway (Brown Bears)
- Sweden (Brown Bears)
- Borneo (Birds, Orang-utans and other mammals)
- Papua New Guinea (Birds-of-paradise, to September)
- Solomon Islands (Birds, to September)
- Vanuatu (Birds, to September)
- Tonga (Swimming with Humpback Whales, mid-July to October)
- (Western) Samoa (Birds, to September)
- Cook Islands (Birds, to September)
August
- Arctic Canada (Polar Bears, whales, birds)
- Eastern Canada (Whales and birds, to September)
- Massachusetts (Humpback Whales)
- Northern California (Birds, mid-August to mid-September)
- Northern Ecuador (Birds and monkeys)
- Southern Peru (Birds and monkeys, to September)
- Southern Brazil (Jaguars, other mammals and birds, to September)
- Central African Republic (Lowland Gorillas, mid-August to mid-September)
- Botswana (Wild Dogs, to September)
- Western South Africa (Flowers, late August-early September)
- Sweden (Migration at Falsterbo, late August-October)
- Abruzzo National Park, Italy (Brown Bears, mid-August to mid-September)
- Northwestern Spain (Brown Bears, late August to early September)
- Azores (Whales and dolphins, to September)
- Sulawesi and Halmahera (Wallace's Standardwings and other birds, to early September)
- Komodo (Komodo Dragons, to October)
- Lesser Sundas (Birds, to October)
- Northwestern Australia (Birds and mammals)
September
- Alaska (Grizzly Bears fishing, first half of the month)
- Western Canada (Grizzly Bears fishing)
- Cape May (New Jersey), USA (Migrating birds, middle of September to late October)
- Washington, USA (Birds, first half of September)
- Oregon, USA (Birds, first half of September)
- Veracruz, Mexico (Migrating raptors, late September-early October)
- Northern Peru (Birds, to October)
- Guyana (Birds)
- Amazon (Birds, to October)
- Paraguay (Birds and mammals, mid-September to October)
- Egypt (Autumn bird migration, to October)
- Angola (Birds)
- Namibia (Mammals and birds, to October)
- Seychelles (Birds)
- Sweden (Common Cranes, early in the month)
- Estonia (Mammals and mass bird migration)
- Southern Spain (Stork and raptor migration, early September)
- Romania (Birds in first half of month, bears in second half)
- Java (Birds and mammals)
- West Papua (Birds-of-paradise, to October)
- Western Australia (Flowers, birds and mammals, mid-September to mid-October)
- New Caledonia (Birds, to October)
- Fiji (Birds)
- Polynesia (Birds)
October
- Manitoba (Polar Bears, late October-early November)
- Northeastern Peru (Birds and mammals)
- Bolivia (Birds)
- Cristalino Lodge, Brazil (Birds and mammals, to November)
- Southeastern Brazil (Birds, to November)
- Southern Argentina (Birds, mid-October to mid-December)
- Falkland Islands (Birds)
- Ethiopia (Birds and mammals, to February)
- Eastern South Africa (Birds and mammals)
- Western South Africa (Birds and mammals)
- Madagascar (Birds and lemurs, to November)
- Mauritius, Rodrigues and Reunion (Birds, to November)
- Hungary (Migrating Common Cranes)
- Oman (Birds, mid-October to early November)
- Northern Australia (Birds and mammals, to November)
- Eastern Australia (Birds and mammals, to November)
- Southeastern Australia (Birds and mammals, to November)
- Outback Australia (Birds and mammals, to November)
November
- Bosque del Apache, New Mexico (Snow Geese, to January)
- Eastern Venezuela (Birds, to March)
- Northern Ecuador (Birds and mammals, to March)
- Chile (Birds)
- Northern Argentina (Birds)
- Antarctica (Seabirds, seals and cetaceans, to March)
- Emperors (Emperor Penguins, mid-November to mid-December)
- Senegal (Birds, to December)
- Gambia (Birds, to December)
- Ghana (Birds)
- Kenya (Birds and mammals)
- Malawi (Birds and mammals, to December)
- Eastern China (Wintering cranes, to December)
- Central China (Possibly Giant Pandas)
- Northwestern India (Snow Leopards, second half of the month)
- Northern India (Tigers and birds, to March)
- Goa, India (Birds, to March)
- Southern India (Birds and mammals, to February)
- Myanmar (Burma) (Birds, to March)
- Christmas Island (Red Crab migration, to December)
- New Zealand (Birds)
- Subantarctic Islands (Birds)
December
- Sierra Leone (Birds and monkeys, to February)
- Mozambique (African Pitta and other birds, to March)
- Holland (Wintering geese and ducks, to February)
- Yunnan (Birds and mammals)
- Western India (Birds and mammals, to February)
- Northern Thailand (Birds, to March)
