Wildlife of Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam is a city built on water, so waterbirds define it — great crested grebes, coots and mute swans on every canal, plus huge influxes of geese, wigeon and Bewick's swans on the surrounding polders each winter. The Waterland reserve just north of the city is one of the best places in western Europe to see godwits and spoonbills up close.
Best timeMarch – May for breeding waders, October – February for wintering geese and swans.
- 1Amsterdam's canals host resident great crested grebes and cormorants.
- 2Herons stand on kitchen windowsills at fish shops in the Jordaan.
- 3The Amsterdamse Bos has breeding tawny owls and roe deer inside the city.
Signature species
Curated for Amsterdam, Netherlands, each tagged with its IUCN Red List status.
- LC
Grey heron
Ardea cinerea
- LC
Great crested grebe
Podiceps cristatus
- CR
European eel
Anguilla anguilla
- LC
Roe deer
Capreolus capreolus
- LC
Common pipistrelle
Pipistrellus pipistrellus
IUCN codes — EX extinct · EW extinct in wild · CR critically endangered · EN endangered · VU vulnerable · NT near threatened · LC least concern · DD data deficient
Dos & don'ts
Local etiquette that keeps wildlife wild.
Do
- Cycle slowly on Bos paths at dusk — deer and owls cross.
- Report banded barnacle geese in winter polders.
- Keep distance — use zoom or binoculars, never bait animals closer.
- Stay on marked trails to avoid trampling nests, burrows and plants.
Don't
- Don't feed swans white bread — it deforms their wings.
- Don't kayak near coot nests in April–May.
- Never feed wildlife — human food changes behaviour and shortens lives.
- Don't share exact locations of nests, dens or rare species online.
Spotted here lately
Live from iNaturalist — research-grade observations within 50km, last 30 days.
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