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Birdwatching in the Engadin (Upper Engadin)

There are so many birds to observe in the Engadin, depending on the season.

Here some birds I could observe in or near St. Moritz, by the lake or in a meadow or forest.

You can do birdwatching as well, just keep you eyes open and try being quiet in the forest.

The quality of my pictures aren’t the best, I try to replace some pictures with better ones.

What kind of birds do you like to observe in the Engadin?

On or near the lake

Great crested grebe, Haubentaucher, Podiceps cristatus:

Mallard or wild duck, Stockente, Anas platyrhynchos:

Tufted duck, Reiherente, Aythya fuligula:

Eurasian coot, Blässhuhn, Fulica atra:

Near rivers

White-throated dipper, Wasseramsel, Cinclus cinclus:

White wagtail, Bachstelze, Motacilla alba:

In the forest

Eurasian bullfinch, Gimpel, Pyrrhula pyrrhula:


Great spotted woodpecker, Buntspecht, Dendrocopos major:

European crested tit, Haubenmeise, Lophophanes cristatus:

Coal tit, Tannenmeise, Periparus ater:

Spotted nutcracker, Tannenhäher, Nucifraga caryocatactes:

Eurasian nuthatch, Kleiber, Sitta europaea:



In a meadow

Eurasian wryneck, Wendehals, Jynx torquilla:

Fieldfare, Wacholderdrossel, Turdus pilaris:

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Powerful Pontresina

Pontresina is situated in the Valley Bernina, a side valley of the Engadin. It is the only village in this side valley and is surrounded by many mountains, mostly over 4000m high like Piz Palü, Piz Bernina, Piz Zupò, Piz Languard, Las Suors.

Pontresina was first mentioned at about 1137. The origin of the name of the village is not confirmed, it could derive from the Latin Ponte sarasine, after the name of a builder of a bridge but could also mean bridge of the Saracenes.

There are about 2500 people living in Pontresina, most of them speak Rumantsch, a specific language of the Engadin and Graubünden. But there are also a lot of Portuguese people working and of course living there. The children experience school in Rumantsch and German as well.

Pontresina was voted the guest-friendliest holiday place of Switzerland in 2012. If you are getting hungry by walking around in Pontresina, I recommend Grond Cafe with menus but also delicious pastries from their own bakery. In the evening you could eat at Kochendörfer, very elegant and superbe fish specialties.

In Summer, you can do wonderful hikes and watch ibexes, especially in the earlier Summer.


There are a lot of hiking paths, they are very well signed-out with the yellow signs of the Swiss Hiking Paths or just watch out for the white-red-white mark on stones or trees.

In Winter you can do crosscountry skiing, normal skiing, ice climbing, hiking, walking… Read more