Birds to See in Iceland in April
102 bird species on our list for Iceland are recorded regularly in April
Of these, the most often recorded are Redwing, Greylag Goose, Mallard, Black-headed Gull and Eurasian Oystercatcher. New this month: Common Snipe, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit and Whimbrel and 28 more.
On the move in April
GBIF · AprArriving
At their peak
Eurasian OystercatcherBusiest month of the year · All year
Pink-footed GooseBusiest month of the year · Mar–Nov
Brent GooseBusiest month of the year · Apr–Jun
Common ShelduckBusiest month of the year · All year
Greater White-fronted GooseBusiest month of the year · Mar–May
CootBusiest month of the year · Apr–Oct
From Iceland’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 102 birds in April
102 birds
RedwingTurdus iliacusResidentCommon20–24 cmRecorded all year · 6.15% in Apr
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 5.35% in Apr
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 5.15% in Apr
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 4.35% in Apr- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusSummer visitorCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 3.78% in Apr
RedshankTringa totanusSummer visitorCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 3.56% in Apr
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusResidentCommon140–165 cmRecorded all year · 3.21% in Apr
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 3.19% in Apr
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoSummer visitorCommon25–27 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 3.13% in Apr
Golden PloverPluvialis apricariaSummer visitorCommon26–29 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 2.85% in Apr- Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusSummer visitorCommon60–75 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 2.62% in Apr
Common RavenCorvus coraxWinter visitorCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 2.58% in Apr
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 2.54% in Apr
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 2.54% in Apr
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeResidentCommon42–51 cmRecorded all year · 2.42% in Apr
FulmarFulmarus glacialisResidentCommon45–50 cmRecorded all year · 2.41% in Apr
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 2.22% in Apr
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorResidentCommon52–58 cmRecorded all year · 2.12% in Apr
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaWinter visitorCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 2.03% in Apr
BlackbirdTurdus merulaWinter visitorCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 2.00% in Apr
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.90% in Apr
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorCommon37–60 cmRecorded all year · 1.87% in Apr
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 1.74% in Apr
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 1.73% in Apr
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsisSummer visitorCommon58–70 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 1.47% in Apr
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaSummer visitorCommon40–44 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 1.45% in Apr
Iceland GullLarus glaucoidesWinter visitorCommon52–60 cmRecorded all year · 1.45% in Apr
Eurasian TealAnas creccaResidentCommon34–38 cmRecorded all year · 1.33% in Apr
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreusResidentCommon62–68 cmRecorded all year · 1.23% in Apr
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaSummer visitorCommon17–18 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 1.07% in Apr
Rock PtarmiganLagopus mutaResidentCommon34–36 cmRecorded all year · 1.05% in Apr
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaSummer visitorCommon37–41 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 1.01% in Apr
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataResidentCommon53–69 cmRecorded all year · 0.98% in Apr
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.96% in Apr
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.79% in Apr
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaResidentCommon20–22 cmRecorded all year · 0.78% in Apr
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.76% in Apr
Horned GrebePodiceps auritusSummer visitorCommon31–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.72% in Apr- Brent GooseBranta berniclaPassage migrantCommon55–66 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 0.69% in Apr
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboWinter visitorCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.66% in Apr
GadwallMareca streperaResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.64% in Apr
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.62% in Apr
Common LoonGavia immerResidentCommon66–91 cmRecorded all year · 0.60% in Apr
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.59% in Apr
Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalisWinter visitorCommon15–18 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 0.55% in Apr- Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaSummer visitorUncommon58–67 cmRecorded all year · 0.46% in Apr
Northern GannetMorus bassanusSummer visitorCommon87–100 cmRegularly Dec–Oct · 0.46% in Apr
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraSummer visitorUncommon43–54 cmRecorded all year · 0.45% in Apr
Greater ScaupAythya marilaSummer visitorCommon39–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.36% in Apr
Great SkuaStercorarius skuaSummer visitorCommon50–58 cmRegularly Mar–Sep · 0.36% in Apr
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.35% in Apr
Atlantic PuffinFratercula arcticaSummer visitorCommon28–34 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.33% in Apr
Northern PintailAnas acutaResidentUncommon59–76 cmRecorded all year · 0.33% in Apr
WheatearOenanthe oenantheSummer visitorCommon15–16 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.32% in Apr- Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsPassage migrantUncommon64–81 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.31% in Apr
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorCommon40–46 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.26% in Apr
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusSummer visitorCommon41–46 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.26% in Apr
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesWinter visitorCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 0.25% in Apr
GoldcrestRegulus regulusWinter visitorCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in Apr
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentCommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in Apr
DunlinCalidris alpinaSummer visitorCommon16–22 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.22% in Apr
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataSummer visitorUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Jan–Sep · 0.21% in Apr
RazorbillAlca tordaResidentCommon38–43 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Apr
Grey HeronArdea cinereaWinter visitorUncommon90–98 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.15% in Apr
White-tailed Sea-eagleHaliaeetus albicillaResidentUncommon66–94 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Apr
MerlinFalco columbariusWinter visitorCommon24–33 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Apr
King EiderSomateria spectabilisWinter visitorUncommon46–64 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Apr- CootFulica atraSummer visitorUncommon36–42 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.08% in Apr
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorUncommon50–60 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.08% in Apr
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraResidentUncommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Apr
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.08% in Apr
Red KnotCalidris canutusSummer visitorCommon23–26 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 0.08% in Apr
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaWinter visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.07% in Apr
Manx ShearwaterPuffinus puffinusSummer visitorUncommon30–38 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.06% in Apr
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusSummer visitorUncommon40–42 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.06% in Apr
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorUncommon40–51 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.06% in Apr
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaPassage migrantUncommon10–12 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 0.06% in Apr
RuffCalidris pugnaxPassage migrantUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.05% in Apr
European RobinErithacus rubeculaWinter visitorUncommon13–14 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.05% in Apr
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeusResidentUncommon34–43 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Apr
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoWinter visitorUncommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Apr
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.04% in Apr
House MartinDelichon urbicumPassage migrantRare13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Jun · 0.04% in Apr
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsPassage migrantUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.03% in Apr
House SparrowPasser domesticusPassage migrantUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Jan–May · 0.03% in Apr
Canada GooseBranta canadensisSummer visitorRare76–110 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.03% in Apr
Little GullHydrocoloeus minutusSummer visitorUncommon25–30 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.03% in Apr
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaScarceRare12–14 cmRegularly Apr · 0.02% in Apr
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixWinter visitorUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.02% in Apr
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensPassage migrantRare69–84 cmRegularly Apr–Jun · 0.02% in Apr
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.02% in Apr
BramblingFringilla montifringillaPassage migrantUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.02% in Apr
Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsiiPassage migrantRare53–76 cmRegularly Apr–May · 0.02% in Apr
Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusSummer visitorUncommon11–13 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.01% in Apr
HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustesPassage migrantRare17–18 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.01% in Apr
PochardAythya ferinaSummer visitorRare42–49 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 0.01% in Apr
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosWinter visitorUncommon20–23 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.01% in Apr
Pomarine JaegerStercorarius pomarinusSummer visitorRare46–51 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.01% in Apr
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataSummer visitorRare48–60 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 0.01% in Apr
Cattle EgretArdea ibisPassage migrantRare46–56 cmRegularly Apr · 0.01% in Apr
Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensisPassage migrantUncommon43–54 cmRegularly Mar–Apr · 0.01% in Apr
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusPassage migrantUncommon11–13 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.01% in Apr
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made