Suitsu observation tower
The highest observation tower in Matsalu is located on the banks of the Tuudi River – the 21-metre-high Suitsu Tower. From here, you can see the old fishermen’s houses, the meadow, the wide reed beds and the Matsalu forest. For birdwatchers, the best time to visit Suitsu Tower is early spring when thousands of migrating geese and ducks gather on the flood-meadow.
There is a wet deciduous forest next to Suitsu Tower, which is a great place to learn about the more common songbirds during spring mornings.
- Kõik
- L
The Northern lapwing is a pigeon-sized wader with a stout body and a unique long thin tuft on its nape. The dark top part of the plumage looks slightly green and purple with a metallic sheen, while the underside is white. The wing tips are impressively wide with white feathers below and dark above. In the summer, male birds can be recognised by their longer tufts and pure black throats and faces, while females have shorter tufts and a smaller black mark on the front of their necks that is slightly mixed with white. In the winter, the feathers of adult birds at the front of the neck and beneath the chin are white, while the top part and covert feathers are slightly cream-coloured at the tips.