Ottenby is a nature reserve on the southern Swedish island of Öland, in the Baltic Sea, across from the mainland by the Kalmar Strait. It is one of Sweden's most well-known hotspots for birdwatchers and ornithologists. A birdwatching and research centre, Ottenby fågelstation,[1] [2] was founded in 1946, together with the Sveriges Ornitologiska Förening (or Swedish Ornithology Association; also called BirdLife Sweden). The identification and ringing of birds is one of the main intentions of the organisation, in order to ascertain particular migration routes of different species.[3] The potential influx and spread of avian influenza (bird flu) and other pathogens is also monitored.