MAIN Travel Tourist Attractions Iceland Bird Watching

When visitors plan a birding trip in Iceland the first image they think of is the colorful Atlantic Puffin.

Puffins do nest in the Westman Islands of Iceland during the warmer months. This area has the world's largest Puffin population and a large variety of other seabirds. The South Island has the largest skua colony in the world. In the north of Iceland, at Lake Myvatn, you'll find the greatest variety of breeding duck species in all of Europe.

There are many other native bird species. The Red-throated Diver, White-tailed Eagle, Ptarmigan with its hunter the Gyr Falcon, eiders, Arctic terns, waders and many other native birds are more than willing to pose when you find them.

You'll also find a variety of migrants who call Iceland home for at least a brief period every year. There are always a few vagrants who find themselves in Iceland after being blown off course while traveling.

An amazing 369 species of birds have been recorded in Iceland. A trip in May or June will usually let you catch sight of seventy or eighty different species – many nesting in the area and others following a migration route that includes a rest stop in Iceland.

The location of the country coupled with the lava formations, which make wonderful nesting spots, and the vast areas of undisturbed land make bird watching in Iceland an experience that you'll want to repeat.

Birding Iceland - Íslenskir Fuglar - Birds of Iceland - Descriptions of native and migrating bird species complete with where to find them and an extensive display of photographs should have you ready to name that bird when you get a glimpse of a rare type.

Iceland On The Web - Birds - A very nice piece on when to visit, where to go and what birds can be seen. Details on breeding species, migrants and vagrants and a great suggestion for, "... your visit to Látrabjarg. It is a great place to see and photograph seabirds as the arctic sun bounces on the horizon at midnight."

Iceland birding contacts and birdwatching information - Birding Pals are local people. They are not paid guides, but serious birders who like to help out of town visitors who are also serious birders. They can help you with answers to questions about local species, but please don't use them as an easy substitute for doing your own research. Even the friendliest and most dedicated volunteers tend to stop answering questions if they get abused.

Trip Report: Iceland, October 18 - 25, 1995 - With a few days in October, Morten Gunther from Norway explains that he did not get a chance to really spend much time birding. He describes a long list of birds that he was able to spot. His report ends, "This was my first trip to Iceland and in spite of the time of the year, the weather conditions and the limited time for birdwatching I'm quite satisfied. Next time I'll go back during the breeding season..."

Where to watch birds in Iceland - Comprehensive listing of where to go to see different species of birds with chatty travel info and links to other Iceland info. Heavy on the ads, but you may find a travel company that fits your needs in the left column.

Birds of Iceland - Lots of good information and pictures on this site. The background graphic is a bad choice, but the internal pages have a black background for the text so you can read it easily.