Amsterdam Bird Walk | Meet Herons, Parakeets & More

The thing about Amsterdam is this: you wander its canals, wind down its narrow alleys, cross more bridges than sense allows, and you start to believe the city is human: alive and grumbling. But then you’ll catch a flash of green overhead or a long-legged silhouette in the water, and you remember: there’s an audience here too. Feathery, loud and judgmental. In this city of bikes and beer, pigeons are expected. Ducks too. But I want you to look a little harder. Glide your eyes over the canals, scan the treetops, tilt your head at the park shadows. If you’re lucky (or patient), you’ll meet five characters who’ve made Amsterdam part of their stage:

• The grey heron, stoic and elegant, stalking fish in the canals while the city hums behind it.
• The coot, scrappy and territorial, diving beneath the surface to avoid notice (and sometimes brawling with neighbors).
• The starling, shimmering in murmuration clouds, turning dusk into movement.
• The rose-ringed parakeet, that riot of tropical green in a northern winter; the exiled pet gone feral, now a local celebrity.
• And one more: the Eurasian magpie, the city’s pickpocket, always eyeballing shiny things, always with something to say.

These aren’t zoo birds. They thrive in the cracks: the canals, the park groves, the empty tree hollows. They remind you that nature doesn’t vanish just because we paved over half the world.

Grey Heron

Where to see it:

Along canals, ponds, the edges of parks, and sometimes even in the fringes of the city. Because the heron has adapted to city life in the Netherlands, you’ll spot them not just in “wild” spots but also at markets, near fish stalls, or around ponds in urban gardens.

Behavior & quirks (the juicy stuff):

• Master of Stillness. This bird can stand motionless for long stretches, waiting for fish, frogs, or whatever unlucky lunch swims by.
• Strike speed. When prey edges into range, the heron flicks its neck out and spears with lightning speed.
• Urban adapted. In Amsterdam, herons have embraced city life. They’ve been known to scavenge at fish markets (circling near stalls waiting for scraps), visit zoos during feeding times, and sometimes even wander close to humans when food is involved.
• Colony builders. They breed in colonies (heronries), often high in trees. In Amsterdam, some of these colonies are right inside the city limits.
• Feeding menu is broad. Mostly fish, amphibians, crustaceans, insects but a bold heron won’t ignore small mammals, birds, or even leftovers from humans.
• Power grooming. They have “powderpuff feathers” (special chest feathers) used for cleaning and absorbing dirt. The heron uses its toes (which have serrations) to comb and maintain its plumage.
• Noisy kids & nest drama. The young chatter and squawk; adults make croaking calls or hiss/”schaah” sounds to drive intruders away.

Fun fact:

This bird is the Definition of Patience. But in Amsterdam, it’s learned a dash of opportunism: locals have caught herons snatching fish at markets, wandering into houses for snacks (yes, really), or cruising along drains waiting for leftovers.

Eurasian Coot

Where to see it:

Any canal, pond, park lake, or wet corner in Amsterdam. They’re not shy. You’ll see them around water edges, swimming in open water, or walking on the banks. Because they’re less secretive than many members of their rail family, they make themselves visible.

Behavior & quirks (yes, they’ve got quirks):

• “Run” to take off. They’re not graceful in flight. To lift off, they dash across the water, feet churning and wings flapping, until they catch enough lift.
• Territorial fighters. During breeding, they fight hard. They lean back on the water and lash out with their lobed feet; bouts can get violent and losers sometimes drown.
• Food & feeding style. They’re mostly herbivores, eating aquatic plants, leaves, algae. But they’ll also dive for small invertebrates or bits of dead animals. Importantly, unlike ducks, when they catch something underwater, they bring it back to the surface to eat and that leads to food squabbles.
• Noisy little drama. Coots vocalize a lot, especially during courtship or territorial disputes. Cracks, squawks, trumpeting calls. They have a wide repertoire.
• Parenting with a dark side. Here’s where it gets rough: if food is scarce and many chicks are hungry, a coot may attack its own young to suppress the weakest. Only a few survive. Brutal, but nature’s way of triage.
• Plastic nests. In Amsterdam, coots have begun using human trash in their nests: wrappers, masks, bits of plastic. It’s not by design: it’s often what’s available. Some biologists call these “ecological traps.”

Fun fact:

They’re sometimes called the “canal gangsters” of Amsterdam because they’ve muscled into dense urban waterways, holding territory and refusing to be ignored.

Common Starling / European Starling

Where to see it in Amsterdam:

Pretty much everywhere. Trees, rooftops, street wires, façades, parks. Starlings are urban adapters. In the evenings, large flocks descend to roost in tall trees or dense foliage near water.

Behavior & quirks (this is where they earn their stripes):

• The murmuration show. This is the starling’s greatest trick. At dusk in fall or winter, thousands of starlings swirl in the sky, coiling, folding, shifting: a living black cloud that moves as one.
• No leader, all dancers. In those murmurations, there’s no “king bird” directing traffic. Each bird reacts to its ~7 closest neighbors, and the wave propagates.
• Vocal imitators. Starlings can mimic other birds’ calls (and sometimes even human noises).
• Territorial & aggressive. Males fight over nesting holes, sometimes evicting or destroying rival nests. They’re bold about it.
• Roost critics. Those massive evening gatherings can be messy. Droppings amass under roost trees; in high concentrations they can even kill foliage.
• Diet and foraging. They forage on lawns, fields, edges, probing soil for insects, larvae, worms but also eat fruit, seeds, scraps and can be seen on markets.

Fun fact:

Starlings are the maestros of crowd choreography. Their aerial ballets make you forget each bird is an individual. And while they’re stunning, locals sometimes see them as the noisy, messy roommates of the bird world. They’re beautiful, but not always welcome in your garden or under your balcony roof.

Rose-Ringed Parakeet

Where to see it in Amsterdam:

Parks, especially Vondelpark, are hot spots. The first wild colony was officially recorded there in the 1970s. You’ll also see them in large tree clusters, flying in flocks above canals, or poking around gardens and urban green patches. Amsterdam’s population keeps growing. They’re no longer rare oddities.

Behavior & quirks (they’ve got swagger):

• Noisy socialites. They squawk, chatter, call. You’ll hear them before you see them. Loud is part of the package.
• Nest-site hogs (and sometimes bullies). They like holes in trees (cavities). Where competition is tough, they may displace other bird species (or worse) to claim prime nesting spots.
• Generalist diet. They’ll eat fruit, seeds, nuts, buds, flowers. In city environments, they adapt: feeding on garden plants or whatever’s handy.
• Hardy in winter. These tropical-origin birds survive northern winters thanks to cold adaptation and city warmth (microclimates). Amsterdam provides enough shelter, food, and minimal predators.
• Invasive reputation. Some biologists view them as ecological trouble. They compete with native birds, may damage trees, and their droppings are unpleasant for people below roosts. In Amsterdam, authorities have even banned feeding them in certain zones (with fines) to keep populations in check.

Fun fact:

They’re the tropical tourists of Amsterdam. Think about it: you’re strolling a canal in December, freezing, then overhead you hear loud green wings. A parakeet glides past and gives you the side-eye.

Eurasian Magpie

Where to see it:

In parks, gardens, rooftop edges, tree-lined streets, cemeteries, and anywhere with open ground + perches. They’re bold birds, not afraid to mix it up in urban settings.

Behavior & quirks:

• Walk like it owns the place. On the ground, magpies stride with confidence, tail raised, pausing to survey surroundings, then hopping or darting in to snatch something (insect, seed, scrap).
• Omnivore opportunists. They’ll eat insects, small animals, eggs, carrion, seeds, scraps, basically whatever’s within reach.
• Nest architects. Their nests are bulky affairs: a dome of sticks and twigs, lined and mud-cemented, often with a sheltered entrance. They prefer tall trees but sometimes get creative in urban settings.
• Territorial & talkative. Magpies defend territory year-round. They use alarm calls, threat displays, vocalizations to warn neighbors or predators.
• Smart cookie. Magpies are among the cleverest birds. They’ve passed the mirror self-recognition test (rare among non-mammals).
• Gang behavior in winter. Outside breeding season, magpies sometimes assemble in groups, especially roosting groups in evening.
• Myth vs reality. Magpies have a folklore reputation for stealing shiny things. But in reality, experiments suggest they show neophobia (fear of new objects) and don’t necessarily prefer shiny objects over dull ones.

Fun fact :

This is the city’s black-and-white gossip: sharp, curious and bold. In Amsterdam, if you see one perched high on a rooftop or lamppost, you can bet it’s watching you as much as you’re watching it.