Rare white-fronted shrike draws birdwatchers to Virolahti

A highly unusual white-fronted shrike has been spotted at a cemetery in Virolahti, southeastern Finland, attracting dozens of birdwatchers from across the country, Yle reported. The species had previously been recorded in Finland only once, in 1982.

Birdwatcher Klaus Laine first saw the bird at the Virolahti church village cemetery on Friday morning. Some visitors travelled hundreds of kilometres to see it.

The bird was still at the cemetery at around 5 p.m., spending time in nearby trees and allowing observers to photograph it easily.

“It behaves very considerately towards birdwatchers, as it is easy to photograph,” said Oskari Saunisto, who travelled from Savonlinna after changing his plans when he heard about the sighting.

Matti Koivula drove from Helsinki, almost 200 kilometres each way, after finishing his work in the afternoon.

“Many of the people here probably had not even been born when this bird was last seen in Finland,” Koivula said.

According to Jan Södersved, communications manager at BirdLife Finland, the white-fronted shrike is a southeastern European species whose nearest populations are in Greece and Turkey.

Södersved said it was difficult to determine why the bird had travelled so far north. Severe drought in southern and central Europe may have reduced its habitat, while wildfires in Greece and Turkey may also have driven it away from its usual range.