Siberian Spotted Nutcrackers;
Credit: natur&ëmwelt / Klaus Kluge
On Tuesday 10 November 2026, Luxembourg nature conservation organisation natur&ëmwelt announced that an unusually large migration of Siberian Spotted Nutcrackers is taking place across Western Europe, the largest recorded since 1977, with the birds potentially making a stopover in Luxembourg.
According to the NGO, the phenomenon began in late summer when ornithologists observed large numbers of the Siberian subspecies migrating through Finland and later Poland. In recent weeks, the birds have also appeared in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France.
Ornithologists describe such movements as an "invasion", a term used when large numbers of birds migrate into regions where they are not normally found.
The Spotted Nutcracker is approximately the size of a Eurasian Jay and has chocolate-brown plumage covered in white spots, black wings and a black tail with a white fringe.
The Siberian subspecies differs from its Central European counterpart through its slimmer and more elongated beak. The bird may also be confused with a Starling, although the latter is considerably smaller and has glossy black plumage with small spots.
As the migration continues across Western Europe, natur&ëmwelt has encouraged the public to remain alert for possible sightings of the Siberian Spotted Nutcracker in Luxembourg.
Anyone who spots the bird in the Grand Duchy can contact the natur&ëmwelt ornithological centre or record their observations at www.ornitho.lu.
